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The Unnoticed Message

by Paul Taylor  
3/31/2013 / Bible Studies

Sometimes a hint or a clue is so obvious that we seem to overlook it, because it's too obvious; the same can be said of Biblical Prophecy concerning the return of Jesus Christ to claim his bride and usher in an eternity of peace and safety, with Him as our Sheppard and life giver.

Prophecies have been studied for millennia and still there are some evasive answers. God seems to reveal to his people the truth by opening the mysteries of the prophecies on an as needed basis, and more frequently as we fast approach the final days of Earth's history, with man as its pilot.

As we are celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior from the grave at this time of year, and as was prophesied by so many of the Old Testament prophets, we reflect back on what and why this man was willing to lay down his life, to be subjected to such cruel and inhuman torture and death,which is beyond even the most brilliant amongst us. Yet this unattractive, meek, mild mannered, homeless man gave up his life without so much as a whimper.

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. John 19:1; 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:27-31

The abuse that was placed upon the body of Jesus was unimaginable; the flogging with the leather straps which had pieces of bone imbedded in the ends in which to grab the naked skin and tear pieces out as it is jerked back by the one yielding the whip. The normal number of lashes at that time was 39, but the Bible does not indicate the number of lashes he received.

Keep in mind that Jesus was arrested on Thursday night after his stressful praying to the Heavenly father in which it is recorded that he sweated sweat drops of blood. Friends this is stress! He was not only taking on the sins of the world at this time, but his betrayal and arrest for deliverance to the High Priest and to Pilate, where he was beaten, spat upon, his beard pulled out, thorns forced down upon his brow, mocked, cursed, and yet, he raised not a hand in defense of himself. This torture lasted all night and then he was led away with a cross upon his shoulders to be crucified with two common thieves on a lonely hill, naked, in public view for even further humiliation.

With the previous hours of torture in the form of beatings and floggings, lack of food and water, loss of blood, Jesus's body collapsed beneath the load on the way to Golgotha. A stranger was forced to carry the load of the cross for Jesus as he was literally dragged to the execution site amongst the constant jeering, laughing, mocking and spitting upon him as he made his way to the sacrificial altar, there to lay down his life for you and me, an undeserving group of wretched humans. Is that LOVE or INSANITY?

The Bible does not go into an in-depth look at the torture allocated against his body, but a study of the Roman practice of crucifixion will show they had mastered the practice of prolonging death to obtain the cruelest and pain fullest way to put a person to death. Crucifixion is one of the most horrendous forms of death ever placed upon a human body and the Romans were masters of it.

When Jesus was placed in the tomb just before Sabbath, a huge stone was rolled against the opening, sealed and guarded by Roman Soldiers to keep all away. But, alas on Sunday morning, the first day of the week, the stone was rolled away and Jesus walked out of that tomb under his own power, being resurrected from the grave as he had promised.

Jesus had told his disciples that he would return a second time after his death, but they still did not understand that he would ascend back to Heaven, prepare a place for his bride and return to receive her as his own. Did Jesus leave a new indication in the tomb that he would return again?

John 20:5:7 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Jesus had left a sign in the sepulchre to his followers; that he would return. The verses above gives us the clue, and in order to find it we must look at the culture of the day and what certain things indicated.

When the master sat down at the table to eat, his servants stood by to watch his actions as an indication as to whether he was finished with the meal or not. If the master was finished with the meal, he would wipe his face and hands with the napkin ball it up and loosely toss it on the table. This was a sign the master was finished with the meal, and the servants were to clear and clean the table.

In the other instance, assuming the Master was not finished but had to leave the table for some reason or another, then the Master would neatly fold the napkin and lay it on the table as a sign he was going to return.

In John 20:7 we see this indication and clue that Jesus was not finished and he was going to return as we read in verse 7; And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself

This is further proof that Jesus will return, as he left yet this last clue in the death chamber as an indication that he had defeated death and hell and would return for his Church as he had promised.

Are you ready for Jesus to return and take you home? He said he was coming back for his people and he is very close to returning. If you are not ready, then I pray today you will not reject the love Jesus showed for you, when he gave his life on Calvary for you and me.

Today is the day of salvation. Yesterday is history! Tomorrow is a mystery and today is a present from God.



Copy Right 2013 by Paul L. Taylor All Rights Reserved. All texts are from the KJV Bible unless noted

Paul Taylor a Christian writer attempting to get the truth out to the masses before it is too late

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