The fragrance of the King

Psalm 45

² You are the most excellent of men    and your lips have been anointed with grace,    since God has blessed you forever. ³ Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. ⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously    in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;    let your right hand display awesome deeds. ⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;    let the nations fall beneath your feet. ⁶ Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. ⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions    by anointing you with the oil of joy. ⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;    from palaces adorned with ivory    the music of the strings makes you glad.

On that resurrection morning our Lord would have awoken to the sweet smell of the myrrh and aloes that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea used to prepare His body, not the stench of death! The smell reminds us of Psalm 45 which speaks of the king and is quoted in Hebrews 1:8 when discussing the majesty of the risen Jesus . Have you ever breathed in the freshness of the early morning air? How about the aroma of that resurection morning, have you ever breathed that in?  What aroma do you smell Life or death?  Is the smell of the resurection permiating your life?

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

John 19:38-40

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. ³⁹ He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^{[c] 40} Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a leader of the Jewish people.  He was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the high court in Israel, the court which had condemned Jesus Christ to death. When he first sought out Jesus, Nicodemus went at night, so no one would see him. He was afraid of might happen if he spoke to Jesus in broad daylight. But for Nicodemus there must be something more to life than religion, Nicodemus learned that he must be born again that he could have a relationship. He helped Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body together they prepared it and lay it in a tomb, at great risk to his safety and reputation, and at great personal cost, Myrrh was very costly!

Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had lived as secret followers of Jesus, afraid to make a public profession of faith because of their prominent positions in the Jewish community. Both were deeply affected by Christ’s death, they boldly came out of hiding, risking their reputations and their lives because they now realized who Jesus was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah.

Are you tired of religion? are you looking for something more? for a real Savior? Nichodemus found him have you? And if you have found Him are you hidind it coming to Jesus in secret holding back, or are you boldly coming to ask for Jesus, willing to pay the high cost because He paid for you!