Symbols of Grace: Herbs & Spices
Read John 19:38-42
As Jesus’ body was taken off the cross, they needed to place it somewhere. Sabbath was approaching soon, so they had to act. Herbs and spices were gathered to wrap Jesus’ body up and laid him in an empty tomb nearby. The herbs and spices that we see in this text are what was used in most Jewish burials, a mixture of myrrh and aloes. It even says that it was about 75 pounds worth of these spices.
Myrrh, one of the spices we are told in Scripture, should sound familiar as it was one of the 3 gifts that were brought to Him as a young boy. It was a fragrant and bitter-tasting resin harvested from trees. It was usually used as an embalming substance because of how pleasant the smell was. Jewish burials looked nothing like Egyptian burials, where the body (inside and out) was prepared. The body would be washed and wrapped in linens with these herbs and spices layered throughout the burial cloths. The typical Jewish burial would have used about 5 pounds worth of spices and yet, we see here, that Nicodemus used 75 pounds worth!
There are a lot of ideas for why there was so much used in this burial. We know, based on the text, that the tomb was new and had not been used yet. There may have been a desire to not contaminate it so that, after moving the body, it could still be used by someone else. Or maybe Nicodemus believed in the forewarning that He gave, that He would rise and wanted to ensure the body remained fresh. This large of an amount was usually used for the burial of a King that could show the extreme importance of Jesus.
Regardless, we recognize that there was such special and tender care of the body of Jesus given by His followers. We see that here with Nicodemus as well as later with the women who came to the tomb. His body was treated like that of a beloved leader and King… because that’s what He was.
Even after the brutal death that Jesus’ experienced, those closest to Him still went to great lengths to care for Him. A deep compassion. And also a foreshadowing from the beginning of His life that this is what He had come to do, with the gift of myrrh as a child and He being wrapped in grave cloths at His birth.
Prayer: Jesus, remind us that you actually died. Your body laid lifeless and needed care and compassion. Help me to remember the great price you paid for my restored relationship with you. Allow me today to have a deep compassion for you.