John 19:39-40 “Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.”
Here we have another testimony of love. The Holy Spirit through John wants everyone to know the impact of the meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus recorded in John 3. At that point, Nick was THE teacher in Israel and a ruler of the Jews. He didn’t have an understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the kingdom of God or new birth. He knew Jesus had to be from God, but he didn’t know His purpose, His mission. In John 7:51, there’s evidence that Nick had become at least sympathetic to Jesus’ message and ministry. When the chief priests, Annas and Caiphas, and the Pharisees were discussing arresting Jesus, it was Nicodemus who said, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” By the way, that comment was totally ignored. In this verse, we learn the impact of Jesus on Nicodemus. He, like Joseph of Arimathea, overcame fear and risked his reputation and standing with the council of the Jews. So what was the cost to Nicodemus for the extravagant burial spices? Some say in today’s economy, it was $150,000 to $300,000. But the true value of Nick’s honor of Jesus is more realized by what he surely traded in helping bury Jesus, namely, his standing and position with the council. It was a calculated action with known consequences—costly indeed.
The amount of Nicodemus’ mixture of myrrh and aloes was shocking. From my research, the usual application of funeral spices was one pound. By the way, this was not for embalming because embalming required cutting of the body. These were spices typically used for healing and to ward off the smells of death and decay. However, we know Jesus was dead, and there was no decay. Ps. 16:10 prophetically stated, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” So I don’t think Nick was thinking about overcoming the smells of a decaying body. Rather these spices were an expression of honor, love, and commitment. What can we do today to show honor, love, and commitment to Jesus? We have the body of Jesus available to us. As we care for those who are members of His body, we are displaying honor for Christ, love for His sacrifice, and commitment to Him. Let’s go all out to live to love with Jesus.
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
