I cannot see how you would verify any of that, especially the eating part.
Perry the Platypus, it's in the bible, if people read with understanding and use common sense. What it means to sacrifice was briefly explained in my post #24 of this Discussion. The sacrifice Jesus made of himself for his disciples is based on his command to them stated in John 6:53. Where do you think the ritual ceremony of Communion, Sacrament, Eucharist (or whatever the label) comes from? Certainly not from the last supper before THE LAST supper, because he ate with his disciples on many occasions after he left the tomb.
I am not going to reinvent the wheel for you. If you want to understand his sacrifice of himself for his disciples when they obeyed his command, go to the "Did the Disciples Eat Jesus?" Discussion here:
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/did-the-disciples-eat-jesus.187884/ so as not to distract this Discussion of how he did not die on a cross.
Just this one time, however, I will digress to answer your post. Please direct all other comments on the eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood to the appropriate Discussion. Thank you. Everything should be done in decency and in order in order to avoid chaos and confusion, agreed?
Throughout his ordeal he is already very spicy smelling, because Mary Magdalene anoints him for death ahead of his trial.
False. Jesus was not anointed by Mary for death, but rather to numb pain, and when he was taken off the cross alive, Joseph of Arimathea (the priest who likely performed his final sacrifice) put him in his own personal tomb where his disciples visited in violation of the sabbath to bring him healing concoctions.
John 19:38-42: "And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, BESOUGHT PILATE THAT HE MIGHT TAKE AWAY THE BODY OF JESUS: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."
It indicates right there that Nicodemus came to the tomb that night with myrrh and aloes, and THEY took him and tended to his wounds. According to the text, it clearly appears that initially, Joseph of Aramathea put jesus in the tomb alone (by himself) and then they(Nicodemus and whomever accompanied him) moved him that NIGHT to a tomb more convenient to get to. I like John's version of the tale of jesus, because john gave most important details that the other 3 (Mark, Matthew and Luke) fail to mention.
in addition to enjoying its aromatherapeutic properties, I have also use Myrrh on my skin to "sterilize" and promote healing of skin wounds, especially caused by acne breakouts. After an initial sting of the oil, I literally feel blood circulating around wounded areas on the skin, followed by a surprisingly pleasant feeling of cool comfort that is really neat.<p> </p>It is used in aromatherapy for its healing, purifying and uplifting characteristics. Some of myrrh oil's healing characteristics are that it is an antiseptic, deodorant, stimulant, as well as a fungicidal agent and tonic.
In the past, Myrrh was used by many cultures for religious ceremonies and medicinally as a healing agent. It is interesting to note that it is mentioned in john's recount of what went down at the tomb the night the man called jesus was in there:"And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices
The Egyptians believed in its healing powers; they burned it every day as part of their worshipping rituals. In the Greek culture, when soldiers went to battle, it was an essential part of their combat gear because of Myrrh's extremely high antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It was used to clean wounds and to prevent infection. It was also used to prevent the spread of gangrene in already infected parts of the body.
In today's society, it is still still used to prevent the spread of gangrene.
The following is a snippit from Scott Cunningham's Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent:
MYRRH (Comniphora myrrha) PART USED: essential oil, the oleo-gum resin
INFLUENCES: Spirituality, Meditation, Healing
This exotic substance has been used in magic and religion for at least 4,000 years
Inhale the fragrance of the essential oil or the crushed resin (more properly, oleo-gum-resin) to awaken awareness of the spiritual reality behind our everyday existence. This is an excellent tool to use prior to or during religious riguals. The resultant expanded awareness also calms fears and halts questions concerning the future.
Similarly, sniff myrrh prior to meditation to achieve a fitting mood. Or, inhale the richly bitter scent with visualization to speed healing of the physical body.
Are you following...?
As for the healing powers of "aloes," Aloe Vera is a plant that possesses great curative properties. Of the 200 types of Aloe Vera, Aloe Barbadensis is the one that has the greatist nutritional and therapeutic value. The aloe gel is obtained from within the leaves, from which it is necessary to remove the peel or skin, revealing a slimy, sticky gelatin-like tissue containing tremendous medicinal characteristics. This amazing aloe gel should not be exposed to the elements for more than 2 hours since it oxidizes easily, and loses some of its theraputic properties, so it is necessary to stabilize it or refrigerate it to neutralize the undesirable effects of oxygenation. People all over the world use aloe vera gel on their skin to keep it supple and free from blemishes. In the old times, aloe was used as a healing herb for wounds of soldiers. It can prevent hairloss when rubbed on the scalp and it helps in the treatment of frostbite and other skin diseases. Further, it is a pain inhibitor and anti-viral, fights viruses when used in a greater than 75% concentration and applied directly to the virus. Additionally, aloe is a cell regenerator, having a harmone that accelerates the growth of new cells, also eliminating the old ones. It helps repair damaged tissues from the inside out.
Note that according to John's story, "they" came to jesus by night, which would mean that according to jewish law, Nicodemus and some others violated the sabbath for their friend in order to bring him even more stuff to annoint his body with and perhaps even consume for more speedy healing. Nicodemus was no joke either ~ he didn't just bring enough for one or two applications or treatments ~ he brought ONE HUNDRED POUNDS of the healing concoction he mixed and prepared for jesus to use. That was enough to last months.
Now, read the text with clarity and notice that it was not a formaldehyde or mixture of embalming ointment for a corpse. They made believe that's what they were doing: "...and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, AS [meaning, "LIKE"] the manner of the Jews is to bury". Although they put on a good show, they clearly were not preparing a dead body for burial, but rather treating a live and wounded man for healing.
(continued in the next post....)
