“3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, KJV).
Loved ones, the idea that there is a spirit in man that survives the death of his body reaches far back into antiquity (cf. James 2:26). The Egyptians, for example, in their religious ideology, believed in preserving the body as a future depository for the soul; hence, they utilized the process of embalming.
Herodotus, the Greek historian, described in detail the Egyptian embalming process, even setting forth different price levels that could be utilized according to the prosperity of the deceased.
The Israelites customarily did not practice embalming, but because of their connection with the Egyptians, the bodies of both Jacob and Joseph were embalmed when they died (Genesis 50:1-2, 24-26). In Joseph’s case, the goal was for his remains to be taken back to Canaan eventually.
What is of interest to the Christian is the manner in which Jesus’ body was prepared for burial. Matthew’s account reads as follows: “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed” (Matthew 27:59-60; cf. Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-53).
The apostle John supplements the synoptic accounts with the following information: “38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury” (John 19:38-40).
Myrrh was used as an embalming substance, while aloes was a sweet-smelling spice which was employed to counter the odor of putrefaction. As we noted earlier, normally the Jews did not practice embalming. They generally washed the body (Acts 9:37; cf. Hebrews 10:22; Revelation 1:5; 7:14), anointed it, and buried it – most often on the day of death.
Finally, then, there are the records of both Mark and Luke, who state that early on the first day of the week (resurrection Sunday morning – Luke 24:1) certain women came to the tomb with the intention to anoint the Lord’s body with spices (Mark 16:1).
Now what is the significance of these accounts to the New Testament student?
First, let us suggest the following:
These incidents reflect the fact that the disciples had not understood David’s prophecy in Psalm 16, namely that following His crucifixion, the Messiah’s body would not experience “corruption.” “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; cf. Acts 2:24-27). There is no need to anoint with spices a body that is not subject to the deterioration process.
These actions also are indicative of the fact that when Christ expired upon the cross, the disciples believed He was dead permanently – even though He had said He would be “raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21; cf. Matthew 12:40; John 2:18-21; 10:17-18).
The women who came to the tomb with spices that Sunday morning is unmistakable evidence that they regarded the death of Jesus as real and final. They had no expectations of His resurrection. Significantly, nothing further is heard of their spices. They were not needed.
The foregoing facts provide evidence, therefore, that there was no “plot” between Jesus and His disciples to feign His death and then announce a phony resurrection. The facts simply do not support this slanderous theory.
These incidents highlight the reality that when disciples subsequently began to proclaim that Jesus had been raised from the dead (cf. Acts 1:21-22; 2:22-24), it was NOT because they had anticipated the resurrection event – because they did not expect that. Their boldness can only be accounted for on the basis of the actual resurrection of Christ’s body – an event so credible to them that the reality of it turned their despair into a dynamic confession of the Christian faith.
For every cause there must be an adequate effect. What changed that hopeless, despairing, terrified group of men into a band who were ready to go out and win the world? What convinced them that what they thought was the end was really the new beginning? There could only have been one cause. Jesus had come back. The change in the disciples is explicable on no other grounds, except Christ’s death, burial and resurrection for man’s sins.
Second, the Bible says, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12; cf. Romans 6:1-4).
The Bible here teaches that baptism is a burial or immersion into Christ; NOT a sprinkling or pouring on of water. Matthew 3:16 describes Jesus coming “straightway out of the water" – difficult to do without being surrounded by the water first! Acts 8:38 says Philip and the eunuch “went down both into the water,” and he (Philip) baptized him” (Gk. “baptizo” meaning immersed). All these passages are in keeping with other passages that describe the circumstances of baptism in terms of immersion.
The proper understanding of water baptism is that God requires us to put to death our old life of sin (repentance – Romans 6:2). The baptism or burial into Christ’s death (vs. 3-4) is a way of marking that division between those abandoned evil ways and our new ways that are more obedient to God's will (cf. v. 5). If we want to be like Christ, we have to behave like Christ.
We “have put on Christ” in baptism (Galatians 3:27). New Testament baptism is an act of obedience required of those who desire to be united by faith to Christ's crucifixion. Having been “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), their “body of sin” is now dead, and they must bury the old man of sin (cf. Romans 6:6-7).
Believing in Christ's sacrifice and resurrection must precede the "burial" that baptism signifies. Baptism is the template for all future Christian obedience. We were the servants of sin, but being made free from sin as Christians, we are to present our members as servants of righteousness (Romans 6:16-18). Continuing to present your body as a slave of sin is a denial of your new birth and must be remedied with repentance (cf. Acts 8:18-22).
Today, if a sinner wants to receive “the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57), the Scriptures are clear: in addition to confessing faith in Christ as LORD and repenting of his sins (John 8:24; Romans 10:9-10; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38), he must be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21).
For people to reject the command to be immersed in water simply because they feel that baptism and eternal salvation are totally unrelated, is as wrong as it would have been for Moses (cf. Exodus 17:1-7), the Israelites (cf. Joshua 6:1-5), and Naaman (cf. 2 Kings 5:9-12) to reject God’s commands years ago (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).
The truth of the matter is one’s burial in water is not the “illogical instruction” some have made it out to be. God’s plan to save man, and the conditions upon which salvation is accepted (including baptism), were in the mind of God “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). God always has known of this plan “which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11). To speak of baptism as some flippant, fly-by-night ritual insults the eternal plan of God.
In being buried in baptism we are united with Jesus in a likeness of His death; so also there is a likeness of His resurrection in our being raised from baptism to become “a new creature” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are therefore, partakers with Him in death, and also in being raised to a new life. Jesus was buried and arose to a new life; we are buried with Him in baptism and arise to a new life. These verses show the act of baptism, and also its spiritual value.
It is in the act of baptism that the cross is actualized for the sinner, and brought to have individual significance. Every time a person becomes a Christian, a sinner dies (“being buried with him in baptism”), and is raised up a saint “through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him [Jesus] from the dead” (Colossians 2:12).
Truly, burial in baptism makes perfect sense when we take the time to focus on the One who gave both His life for us, and the mode of baptism to begin our new life with Him (cf. Matthew 28:18-20). Similar to how Noah’s new life, in a new world, began after having been transported from a world of sin by water (cf. 1 Peter 3:20-21), the sinner today is saved from his sins by the blood of Jesus through water baptism into the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
This submissive act ushers us out of the world and into a child/Father relationship with the God of Heaven who is so good, and His love reaches all.
Through the free gift of God’s grace by Jesus’ blood (Ephesians 2:8; Revelation 1:5) and your obedient faith (Romans 1:5; 10:17; 16:26), salvation is offered. If you have Bible questions or wish to comment on this post, please do so. Lord willing, a Bible answer will be provided for every Bible question.
The churches of Christ are neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jew (Romans 16:16; Matthew 16:18-19). We are the loving suffering ONE body of Christ (Ephesians 1:20-23; 4:4-6) – CHRISTIANS: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (1 Peter 4:16; cf. Acts 11:26; 26:28).
We love you with the love of the Lord (John 13:34-35). Samu
