And
they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the
Skull"). They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it. Mark 15:22-23
 |
| Do you see the face of the skull? This place in Jerusalem is assumed to be Golgotha. |
Golgotha…and
the cross. Jesus carried His cross…until He could carry it no longer and Simon
of Cyrene carried it for Him to Golgotha. Before they crucified Jesus the Roman soldiers tried to give Him wine with myrrh—a sedative—but He refused
it. Had He already suffered so much from His scourging and beatings that He
felt He didn’t need the wine? For whatever reason…He refused that offer to
escape the pain with which He was about to be confronted on the cross. Have you
ever felt the need to escape pain? Taken a Tylenol or aspirin to take away your
headache? I have a high pain threshold and don’t rely much on pain meds, but imagine
the headache that Jesus was feeling at that moment. Would He have taken aspirin
if it had been available? When the Wise Men brought the gift of myrrh to
Bethlehem did Mary think it would be used at a crucifixion? Surprisingly myrrh
is found in 15 verses in the NLT of the Bible. Here in this passage from Psalms
describes a king at a royal wedding perfumed with myrrh. Is this…perhaps Jesus?
Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You
rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God,
your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on
anyone else. Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the
music of strings entertains you. Psalm 45:6-8
Myrrh is
mentioned in Revelation 18:13 among the commodities traded in Babylon. It was
an important incense throughout Biblical times. Probably the most significant
use of myrrh was in the burial of Jesus, when His secret follower Nicodemus brought
the incense to the tomb.
With him (Joseph of Arimathea) came
Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about
seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. John
19:39
Seventy-five
pounds of ointment for embalming was a huge quantity. Nicodemus must have had a
couple of servants to help him carry it. That means that a couple of more
people saw where Jesus was buried. Would they have heard of His resurrection…and
believed? Have you heard of His resurrection and believed? Are you willing to
repent of your sin and establish or restore your relationship with Jesus?
Prayer
~ Lord God Jesus Christ, I chose to believe in Your resurrection. I can almost
smell that sweet fragrance of myrrh that was left in Your tomb. I am sorry for
the pain You had to endure for my sin…but I am grateful for Your sacrifice…for
me, for my family, friends and neighbors. Please continue to guide us and give
us insight into Your desires for our lives. May there be a great revival…here
in the Pacific Northwest…and around the world as people draw closer to You and
acknowledge You as their savior.
Daily
Bible Reading: Micah
© 2018 Text and
photo by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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