Too Little, Too Late

I am reading the Book of John for a Bible study I am in.   The chapter I read this morning is on the crucifixion of Jesus.  Part of me says, "Wait, I haven't even done Ash Wednesday yet!", but the material calls for me to read it, so I do.  Do you see a pattern here? 

Anyway, the text today that jumped out at me was immediately after the death of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus go to Pilate and ask for the body, that they might bury it.  I knew this, read through it many times before, but the words that came to me this day were, that they were followers of Jesus in secret.  Secret, that is the word that kept coming back to me.

That word at the same time made me sad and angry.  Angry that men of such wealth and influence followed him in secret when perhaps that power might have protected Him in some way.  I am not getting into the whole atonement issue, just that it made me sad and angry that their concern or care was too little too late

But was it?  The tomb was not that of a pauper, it was probably the tomb Joseph had bought for himself or a family member.   Nicodemus would not have 75-100 pounds of burial spices just lying around. Herodotus, the Greek historian, states  in his writing that one of the spices,  aloes wood at that time was worth its weight in gold.   It was more than likely the anointing spices Nicodemus had set aside for his own burial.  So, no, too little is not the problem.

Let's look at too late.  Yes, it was too late in the fact that Jesus was dead.  Any possible sway they might have had with the Sandhedrin was past its use.  The only homage they could pay would be what they were doing right now.  Too late?

No!!!!!  That is alot of exclamations points but it is true.  We do not serve a dead Saviour, but one who was resurrected and to this day lives.   I really wish that one Easter we might start at the resurrection and work our way back.  Because, this day, I see that the Messiah, the very Son of God, did not plan to die, but to live.  Not only live, but to be glorified by the resurrection, ascended into heaven, and to literally breathe fire into the hearts of His disciples.  Wow!  

I think tomorrow as I attend Ash Wednesday service, I will be literally quivering on my knees in anticipation of all this Holy season of Lent has to offer. 


He is risen!  Alleluia!