Are You Listening?

In the post, "Gracious Dispensation", I touched on that Jesus came to preach.  I would like to reiterate  that point using scripture.  Jesus came to preach!  This was the life He lived.  Salvation of sinners was the death He died.  Eternal life was the product of defeat of death.

I know you can look this up but for emphasis, I will write it out and I will put the passage references in order at the end:

"Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
"He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for."
"And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casino out the demons."
"And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them."
"And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them."
"But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose."

I love that last one, "I must preach...I was sent for this purpose."  Are we listening?


[Mark 1:14, 38, 39; 2:2, 13; Luke 4:43]
[Others: Matthew 4:17, 23; 9:35; 12:18; Luke 4:18, 19, 43; Hebrews 2:3 (and I'm sure this isn't exhaustive.)]

Fine Linen, Bright and Clean

"Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus...., he granted the body to Joseph.  Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb."  (Mark 15:43-46)  Matthew 27 states, "And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb and went away."

Hebrews tells us that "the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edge sword..." (4:12)  It is so amazing that no matter how many times you read a book of the Bible, you are going to see amazing new truths.  So I'm studying the Revelation at church and we are in chapter 19.  Beginning in verse seven, it says: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.  It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."  I'm studying the book of Mark at home and I noticed something I've not noticed.  Joseph "bought" a linen cloth.  I had always read that as brought.  But this was a new piece of linen, as well as his "own new tomb".  The precious dead body of our Lord was wrapped in a new, clean linen cloth and put in a new tomb.  I knew the tomb was new but not the cloth.  Really had not thought about it.  But having just studied the passage in Revelation about the bride being clothed in fine linen, bright and clean and that the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints, I couldn't help but put the two passages together.  Joseph with his courageous, sacrificial act of serving his Lord by careful attention to His body was bestowing on Jesus a righteous act with the fine linen that he had bought.  And one day, Joseph will be the bride of Christ and be clothed by Him in fine linen, bright and clean.

As said above, "amazing, living, active and sharp" Word of God.