He saw and believed.

KenE@21B

Well-Known Member
I read a book a while ago about Jewish customs, which helps to understand some (otherwise difficult) Scriptures [eg Luke 15 - asking one's neighbour for bread in the middle of the night]

One Scripture which always puzzled me was John 20:9 "He saw and believed"

What did he see?
What led him to immediately believe and what did he believe?

According to the book on Jewish customs, and verified by Scripture, after washing Jesus, Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped His body carefully in strips of linen (tachrichim), which were purposely kept simple to avoid distinguishing between rich or poor. Each of His limbs was wrapped and His entire body was encircled in a shawl. The linen was of good quality, and roughly 75 pounds of spices were used to soak the cloth and anoint the body. Joseph and Nicodemus used myrrh and incense to mask the odors of death and prevent decay.

Now, the aloe-soaked cloths wrapped around Jesus' body from neck to toes would have dried and set into a hard, 'mummy-like' shell after a few days.

Is it possible that Peter looked into the tomb, and saw this 'shell', perfectly preserved, but EMPTY - with the body of Jesus miraculously risen and freed from it's burial cast?!
 

kathymendel

Well-Known Member
I thought the women were the ones who prepared Jesus' body. I also thought that Joseph and Nicodemus provided the tomb and the
spices and perhaps the linen.
 

pixelpusher

Well-Known Member
I thought the women were the ones who prepared Jesus' body. I also thought that Joseph and Nicodemus provided the tomb and the
spices and perhaps the linen.

Luke 23
50 Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who[o] himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

55 And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Luke 24
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, [a]and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed theirfaces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

8 And they remembered His words. 9 Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them like [c]idle tales, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths [d]lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened
 
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