The Art of Life Bible - Flipbook - Page 42
John
20
25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and
his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary
Magdalene . 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there
beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman,
here is your son .” 27And he said to this disciple, “Here is
your mother .” And from then on this disciple took her
into his home .
Hyssop
Origanum syriacum
Read John 19:28-37,
especially 19:29.
Hyssop is known today as Syrian
oregano, an aromatic herb native
to the Middle East. It grows in
stony ground to about twenty
inches in height, with small
rounded grayish-green leaves. It
is widely used as an ingredient
in culinary spice mixtures. It has
traditionally been harvested in
the wild, but recent commercial
demand has led to its cultivation.
In the Bible, hyssop is mentioned
mostly in connection with ceremonial cleansing and worship. It most
famously appears in connection
with the Passover ritual (Exodus
12:22), ceremonial cleansing from
skin diseases (Leviticus 14:4),
and symbolically for cleansing in
David’s psalm of confession (Psalm
51:7; see NLT text note).
Here, a hyssop branch was used
to lift up a sponge of sour wine to
Jesus while he was on the cross.
Since hyssop stalks are relatively
short and flexible and likely would
not have worked very well for
this purpose, it has been argued
that John referred to hyssop for
symbolic reasons: to show Jesus as
the Passover Lamb. Others argue
that botanical precision is not in
view here and that its mention
simply points to the use of some
sort of plant, possibly a reed or
sorghum stem.
See more about hyssop on pages
394 and 1351.
The Death of Jesus
28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to
fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty .”* 29A jar of sour
wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put
it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips . 30 When
Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit .
31 It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders
didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which
was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it
was Passover week) . So they asked Pilate to hasten their
deaths by ordering that their legs be broken . Then their
bodies could be taken down . 32 So the soldiers came and
broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus . 33 But
when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already
dead, so they didn’t break his legs . 34 One of the soldiers,
however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately
blood and water flowed out . 35 (This report is from an
eyewitness giving an accurate account . He speaks the
truth so that you also may continue to believe .*) 36 These
things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say,
“Not one of his bones will be broken,”* 37 and “They will
look on the one they pierced .”*
The Burial of Jesus
38Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret
disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders),
asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body .
When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the
body away . 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who
had come to Jesus at night . He brought about seventyfive pounds* of perfumed ointment made from myrrh
and aloes . 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they
wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of
linen cloth . 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden,
where there was a new tomb, never used before . 42And
so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish
Passover* and since the tomb was close at hand, they
laid Jesus there .
The Resurrection
Early on Sunday morning,* while it was still dark,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found
that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance .
2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple,
the one whom Jesus loved . She said, “They have taken the
Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where
they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb .
4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran
Peter and reached the tomb first . 5 He stooped and looked
in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t
go in . 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside . He also
noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth
that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying
apart from the other wrappings . 8 Then the disciple who
had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and
believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood
the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead .
10 Then they went home .
20
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she
wept, she stooped and looked in . 12 She saw two whiterobed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at
the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been
lying . 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels
asked her .
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied,
“and I don’t know where they have put him .”
14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there .
It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him . 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her . “Who are you
looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener . “Sir,” she said, “if you
have taken him away, tell me where you have put him,
and I will go and get him .”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said .
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is
Hebrew for “Teacher”) .
17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father . But go find my brothers and tell
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