#63. Resurrection of the Aloe Plants 1

"As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea,who was one of Jesus' followers … took the body and wrapped it in a long linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock."  (Matthew 27:57-60).

"And Nicodemus came also … bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight … On the first day of the week, very early in the morning while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala went to the tomb, and she saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb."  (John 19:39 and 20:1).

Jesus died at 3pm on Friday afternoon, but the Scripture states that Joseph removed the body of Jesus on Friday evening, probably around 5pm. Now, Mary arrived at the tomb early on Sunday morning before dawn, probably round 5am. That means that Jesus was in the tomb for a total of 36 hours.  

What was going on during that period of time in the tomb? Was anyone in the tomb with the body of Jesus? How about Joseph and Nicodemus? Who rolled the stone away? The Gospels do not reveal the answers … or do they?

Nicodemus brought one hundred pounds of aloe and myrrh. That is a huge quantity for one man to carry. Maybe he used a donkey. When was the mixture purchased and prepared? How far did Nicodemus travel to obtain the mixture and bring it to the tomb? And why did he bring so much?

The substance in aloe plants – a thick liquid -- has excellent healing qualities. I have five aloe plants at my home. Occasionally, I break off an inch from the tip of a leaf for medicinal purposes. But what would I do with 100 pounds.

Joe and Nick could literally soak the body of Jesus with only a few pounds of the mixture. Further applications could follow every hour thereafter. This process could be repeated for the 36 hours in the tomb, if Joe and Nick were present to continuously apply the healing solution.

Now, move forward 2000 years. 

A couple of months ago, a horrendous storm drenched my five aloe plants sitting on the railing of my deck. The heat that week also reached 100 degrees. The result was the death of my plants – their skin was completely scorched and discolored. 

My friend took one look and said I could throw them away, for they cannot possibly revive. I silently agreed and grieved my loss. Nevertheless, I later covered their leaves with their own aloe-juice, but did nothing thereafter. 

About six weeks later, the aloe plants had recovered. Their leaves had increased in thickness and their skin had returned to their normal green color. They had risen from the dead (ok, not in three days). Behold, I was the first to see their resurrected bodies -- though I could hardly believe my eyes.

I wonder if Joe and Nick could believe their eyes … when Jesus opened his!

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