Short Article - Nisan 16 All for Jesus

All four gospels wrote about Jesus’s burial having been completed before the end of Nisan 14, the Passover Day, when preparations were made for Nisan 15, was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which also happened to be a special Sabbath. According to Exodus 12, Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16, all males were to be present in Jerusalem to observe the Sabbath for all seven days. These women who loved Jesus, had followed Him all the way from Galilee, served Him, attended Him and provided for His and His disciples’ every need. Neither Fame nor financial gain did they seek. The precious Lord was all they focused on, pondering every moment how to lavish on Him their all. For the whole day of Nisan 14, the Passover, they followed close by and witnessed Jesus’s suffering on the cross, then His lifeless body having been taken down and transferred to and buried in a tomb. Aware that Nisan 15 was nearing, they hurried back to their own places. Even with lingering fear from Nisan 14, throughout the day of Nisan 15, despite of understandable trepidation, all they could think of was how to shower more of their love on Jesus with all their heart, all their strength, all their wealth, all… and all… What precious love: All for Jesus.

The most detailed record of what happened on Nisan 16 is found in Mark 16:1. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Jesus. “When the Sabbath was over” means it was Nisan 16 because the Sabbath was on Nisan 15. On Nisan 16, these women hurried straight off to the tomb, along with the one hundred pounds of spice and perfume they prepared; they looked forward to the last chance when they could do one more love act for Jesus. Tumultuous was their emotion, one moment reminiscing the joy they experienced previously in the Lord’s presence, another moment agonizing over the torturous death of the Lord they witnessed a day ago. They couldn’t help but repeatedly ask in their heart, Lord, why this, why this … Worse, no sooner had they arrived at the tomb, had they encountered the soldiers’ angry shouts, ordering them to beat it! The women were not aware that guarding the tomb was a secret commission, privy only to Pilate, the guards and their cohorts. The women knelt, wailed, implored, utterly refused to leave… Moved by what they saw, the brutal soldiers relented, and explained to them that this was an order from Pilate, and that whoever even approached the tomb would be executed. They told the women to return on the 18^th, on which day the soldiers would no longer be present guarding the tomb as they would have finished their duty. Reluctantly the women raised their sorrowful bodies and left in tears. Two more agonizing days to endure…

He Lives! I know my Redeemer lives! Beginning today, we will love the Lord! From now on, your all, my all, are His!

Nisan 15 (the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread) a yearly Sabbath

The thick black line at the end of Nisan 17 marks the upper time limit of Jesus’ resurrection.

Nisan 16- Hymn for meditation:

All for Jesus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZVLoxdIkYU