​The Gospels’ of Matthew and Mark mention that Yeshua would appear to the talmidim (disciples) in the Galilee following His resurrection (Mt. 28:7, 10, Mk. 16:7).
 
Matthew records one such appearance (Mt. 28:16-20), which occurs after the appearance recorded in the present chapter of Yochanan’s Gospel.
 
1After these things Yeshua[H] revealed (phaneroo[G]) Himself again to the talmidim[H] (disciples) at the Sea (yam[H]) of Tiberias[G] (from the Tiber [a river god], named for the Roman Emperor Tiberias), and He revealed (phaneroo[G]) Himself in this way: 2 Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock), T’oma[H] (twin) who was called Didymus[G] (twofold), Netan’el[H]   (Gift of God/The Judge, [Bar Tulmay: Covenant son of paths]) of Kana[H] (reed) in Galiyl[H] (Galilee, circuit) the sons of Zavdiy[H] (Zebedee, “My Bride Price” from zeved: dowry, endowment, gift [Yaakov/James & Yochanan/John]) and two others of His talmidim[H] (disciples) were together.
 
“After these things” refers to the resurrection of the Messiah, His appearance to Miriyam (Mary of Magdala), and His two appearances to His disciples. There is no way to determine exactly how long after these events the present appearance takes place. We know that Yeshua continued to appear to the disciples (wider group of followers) for forty days [Acts 1:3] following His resurrection and ascended to the heavens ten days prior to Shavuot (Pentecost) and the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) [Acts 2].
 
“Were together”, in expectation of seeing Yeshua again according to the message relayed by Miriyam Magdala and the other Miriyam,“Tell my brothers to go to the Galilee and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:7, 10). It is likely that they were in a familiar place, like the shore near K’far Nachum (Capernaum: Village of Comfort) where K’fa (Peter) lived. The present events took place over two days, the disciples decided to fish through the night (v.3).
 
“the sons of Zavdiy[H]” are perhaps mentioned in order to bring the wider Gospel narrative in full circle (Mark 1:19-20). The meaning of their father’s name denotes prophetic foreknowledge of the One Who would pay the “Bride price” for His Bride.
 
“two others of His talmidim[H]” These are thought to be Andrew and Philip; which is very likely, since they were both of Beit Tzaida (Bethsaida: House of hunting/fishing)[John 1:44], a city in the Galilee region not far from Yam Kinneret (lake Galilee).
 
One year during my childhood (aged 10 years old) my Sabba (Grandfather) arranged to have the younger children in our community gather at the beach on yom sheniy (Monday) following Pesach (Passover). Earlier that same morning he took my brothers and I out in a small boat approximately 100 meters from shore where we waited with freshly caught fish on ice in a cooler. My Sabba had arranged for two women from our community to bring the young children and pre-teens to the beach to read the account of John 21. At a certain time, as the account was read to the youths, they looked up to see us returning to shore in my Sabba’s boat, it was my job to play K’fa (Peter), I dove over the side of the boat and rushed into shore to the excited cheers of the other young boys and girls of our youth group.
In hind sight I was the best choice for K’fa (Peter), excitable and brash at times, my far more gracious brother David Ben Yehoshua (Philip), suited the role of Yochanan the contemplator and my youngest brother Israel Ben Yehoshua (Stephen) at the age of three or four years was probably busy trying to catch more fish off the back of the boat with no bait on his hook.
 
Once the boat came ashore we unloaded the fish and made a coal fire on the beach to cook the fish over and share among the youth group. A wonderful kinetic memory attached to the history of our Messianic brothers, the first to believe.
 
3 Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We’re also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat immediately; and that night (nux[G], specifically midnight) they caught nothing. 4 But when the dawn (proia[G]) was now come (ginomai[G]), Yeshua[H] stood on the shore; yet the talmidim[H] (disciples) did not see, perceive (eido[G]) that it was Yeshua[H].
 
“I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We’re also coming with you.” Our Jewish sages say that fishing is one of ten traditions that Joshua delivered to the children of Israel when he divided up the land to apportion it to each tribe as God had commanded:
 
"that any man should be free to catch fish in the waters (or sea) of Tiberias; and he might fish with an hook only; but he might not spread a net, or place a ship there, except the children of the tribe to whom that sea belonged in their division.''-Maimonides. Hilch. Nezike Maramon, c. 5. sect. 3. Vid. Talmud Bavliy Bava Kama, fol. 81. 1.
 
"in a place of running water no clean fish goes along with unclean fish, and lo, the sea of Tiberias is as running waters". -T. Hieros. Avoda Zara, fol. 42. 1.
 
Sadly, some commentators, both Christian and Messianic in their revisionist need to impugn the character of the disciples rather than honour the integrity of these called out ones, say that by returning to fishing “Peter was going back to his old way of life having failed to understand the commission of Jesus (John 20:21)”. Utter nonsense! Peter and the six other disciples with him needed to eat, they knew how to fish, so they fished for food. It’s not rocket science. Furthermore, if we are to read anything into the fishing practice of the post resurrection lives of the disciples, it should be that the disciples continued to fish because it was a physical reminder to them of their new spiritual role as fishers of humanity, a fulfilment of Israel’s role as “a light to the nations” (Mt. 4:19).
 
The same aforementioned commentators claim that the disciples caught nothing because they were fishing of their own strength. What garbage. It is far more likely that they caught nothing so that they would recognise the repeated miracle of Yeshua (Luke 5:3-7) and understand that it was truly the resurrected Messiah who was speaking to them from the shore. If commentators wish to impugn the character of the historical men and women of the Scriptures, let them do so with discernment and sober judgement or let them beware.
 
The standard English translation “yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” only partially conveys the meaning of the text. The Greek “eido” means “to see”, both literal and cognitive sight is denoted, which adds an important dimension to the contextual meaning. They did “see (the man on the shore)” Yeshua but they did not “see (recognise)” Him.
 
5 So Yeshua[H] said to them, “Little children, infants (paidion[G]), you don’t have any fish to eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” 
 
“Yeshua[H] said to them, “Little children, infants (paidion[G]), you don’t have any fish to eat, do you?” In today’s society Yeshua’s words might be considered patronizing or even demeaning, unless spoken perhaps by a beloved father to a mature son. The language is intimate from the outset. Yeshua does not say, “Hey you out there” or “Hey, chaverim (friends)” or even “Shalom achim (brothers)”. But “little children, you don’t have any fish do you?” Perhaps their hearts began to stir as they heard these words, perhaps they recalled a previous mashal (parable) “If a son asks his father… for a fish will he give him a snake? (Mt. 7:69-11; Luke 11:11).
 
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will discover (heurisko[G]).” So they cast, and then they were not able to pull it in because of the multitude of fish.
 
“Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will discover (heurisko[G]).” Discover what? Fish yes, but more than that, the Creator of fish, the resurrected King Messiah.
 
“and then they were not able to pull it in because of the multitude of fish.” This had happened before by the command of Yeshua (Luke 5:5).
 
7 Therefore that talmid (disciple) whom Yeshua[H] loved completely (agapao[G]) said to K’fa[H] (Peter: rock), “It is the Lord (ho Kurios[G], Ha-Adon[H])!” So when Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) heard that it was the Lord (ho Kurios[G], Ha-Adon[H]), he put on his outer garment (for he was naked [gumnos[G]]), and without a second thought threw (ballo[G]) himself into the sea (yam[H]).
 
Up to this point in His gospel Yochanan (John) the author has called himself “the disciple whom Yeshua loved as a dear friend (phileo[G])”, now he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Yeshua loved completely (agapao[G])”. This doesn’t mean that Yeshua’s love for John has changed but that John’s understanding of Yeshua’s love for him has changed. We note that it is the beloved disciple who first recognises Yeshua.
 
It is Yochanan who first speaks the words “It is the Lord”, and Peter who abandons everything and dives into the water. The dynamic duo of revelation and participation. What a mighty example of brothers in unity focused on the King Messiah Yeshua to the glory of God. Remember, in the pre-Greco-Roman Hebrew world there was no word for theology, there was faith and action made echad (one) alone. Yeshua came to cause us to return to true faith and to reconcile us to God through His blood, placed on the heavenly altar for the remission of our sin.
 
8 But the other talmidim[H] (disciples) came in the little boat, for they were not far from the shore, but about 90 meters away, dragging the net of fish. 9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a coal (anthrakia[G]) fire made and fish[plural] (daggim[H]) placed on it, and bread (lechem[H]).
 
There is a beautiful prophetic allegory in the disciples’ dragging of the multitude of fish. These were those who would bring the Gospel of Yeshua to the people of Israel and subsequently to the nations, being the light to the nations that Israel had been called to be, and the fishers of human beings that Yeshua had called them to be. Here they were dragging a net so full of fish it could not be brought into the boat but instead required several men to drag it to shore. A promise of the salvation to come.
 
10 Yeshua[H] said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just now caught.” 11 So Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish (daggim gedoliym[H]), 153; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.
 
Peter doesn’t just bring “some of the fish”, he drags the entire net (probably with the help of the other disciples). This is a testimony to Peter’s character and the fact that he always sought to go above and beyond what was asked of him. It is perhaps also a prophetic testimony of his role in leadership among the early fathers of the body of faith.
 
The fish were large as opposed to some of the smaller varieties found in the lake. This signifies the abundant goodness of God to His faithful children.
 
The number “153” is significant but cannot be interpreted with certainty. It is unwise as some do, to use gematria (numerology) to determine the meaning of this number because there are many Hebrew words that when calculated have the sum 153. Nor is it tenable to conjecture metaphorical, scientific or mathematic meaning as some of the Gentile Church fathers of later centuries C.E. have. The reality is that we know only this for certain, it was a lot of big fish and it was a miracle that the net didn’t break.
 
12 Yeshua[H] said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” None of the talmidim[H] (disciples) dared (tolmao[G]) to ask Him, “Who are You?” seeing, perceiving (eido[G]) that it was the Lord.13  Yeshua[H] came and took the bread (ha-lechem[H]) and gave it to them, and the fish also.
 
This text tells us at least two things plainly. There was something significantly different about Yeshua’s resurrected body and appearance that caused the disciples to be confused in the certain knowledge that it was Yeshua, or perhaps they were still trying to get their heads around the fact that Yeshua was resurrected and remained on earth, in the Land (Israel) with them. Second, they were certain that it was Yeshua and therefore didn’t dear to entertain the idea that it wasn’t by asking Him Who He was.
 
Just as He had eaten with them at His first appearance to them corporately, so to here He passes around the food and (though the text does not state it explicitly) likely joined them in eating the fish and bread, just as He had eaten the fish at His previous appearance to them (Luke 24:42-43).
 
For each of us who follow Yeshua the same words are said to us each morning, “Come have breakfast…”
 
14 This was now the third time that Yeshua[H] revealed Himself to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.
 
Yeshua’s first two appearances to the disciples are recorded in John 20.
 
Yeshua reconciles Peter in Love (Verses 15-17):
 
The three questions of love convey Yeshua’s forgiveness concerning the threefold denial of Peter (John 18:17, 25-27). 
 
15 Now when they had finished breakfast, Yeshua[H] said to Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock), “Shimon[H] (Hears), of Yonah[H] (dove), do you love Me completely (agapao[G]) more than these?” He (Peter) said to Him (Yeshua), “Yes, Lord (ken Adon[H]); You see, perceive (eido[G]) that I love you as a dear friend (phileo[G]).” He (Yeshua) said to him (Peter), “feed (bosko[G]) My little lambs (arnion[G]).”
 
Yeshua knew the answer to the question before He asked it of Peter. The question was for Peter’s sake. Peter was yet to understand the fullness of love that he would come to have for Yeshua. Therefore, Yeshua was proving Peter for his good, so that Peter might mature in love.
 
Yeshua asks, “do you love Me completely (agapao[G]) more than these?” In order for Peter to lead the leaders of the redeemed community He must first be certain of his complete love for Yeshua (God with us), acknowledging Yeshua above all others, even his best friend John and the other dear disciples whom he has suffered with in spiritual brotherhood.
 
Peter does not respond by saying “I love you completely (agapao)” but with the words, “You see that I love You as a dear friend (phileo).” Yeshua is helping Peter to understand that his responses to Yeshua show a need for growth in his love for Yeshua because it is Yeshua’s intention to assign Peter the role of leader of the full variety of sheep among the children of Israel (ethnic, religious, empirical, chosen) who are coming to faith, and over the sheep that are not of the sheepfold of Israel (Gentile believers are not Jews, spiritual Jews or otherwise, but are chosen uniquely according to their own identities to be members of the commonwealth of Israel, and to share in the promises of God. Share, not appropriate) whom Yeshua knew in advance (John 10:16). It will be Peter’s role to direct the growth and discipleship of the believers and therefore, requires him to submit more fully to the Yeshua in complete love (agapao).
 
“feed (bosko[G]) My little lambs (arnion[G]).” In short, literally “feed the children who belong to Me”, and spiritually, “feed the new believers”. The first conclusion denotes “feeding” with God’s Word (Scripture, and Yeshua’s Living Word) for the “new believers” lambs.
 
16 He (Yeshua) said to him (Peter) again, a second time, “Shimon[H] (Hears), of Yonah[H] (dove), do you love Me completely (agapao[G])?” He (Peter) said to Him (Yeshua), “Yes, Lord (ken Adon[H]); You see, perceive (eido[G]) that I love you as a dear friend (phileo[G]).” He (Yeshua)  said to him (Peter), “Shepherd (poimaino[G]) My mature sheep (probation[G]).”
 
Yeshua asks a second time, “do you love Me completely (agapao[G])?” Peter responds as before saying, “You see that I love You as a dear friend (phileo).” This indicates that Peter is at this point more concerned with being emphatic about his genuine love for Yeshua than he is in trying to understand why Yeshua is using specific terminology or teaching Peter in living mashal (parable).
 
Yeshua says, “Shepherd (poimaino[G]) My mature sheep (probation[G]).” Formerly Yeshua had asked Peter to “feed” His lambs, a role that could be performed by a friend or employee. Now Yeshua asks Peter to become a Shepherd of His mature sheep, a role that would be trusted only to a member of the family. The Good Shepherd (Yeshua) is asking one of the sheep to become a shepherd in His (Yeshua’s) Name.
 
17 He (Yeshua) said to him (Peter) the third time, “Shimon[H] (Hears), of Yonah[H] (dove), do you love Me as a dear friend (phileo[G])?” K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) was sorrowful, grief stricken (lupeo[G]) because He (Yeshua) had said to him (Peter) the third time, “Do you love Me as a dear friend (phileo[G])?” And he (Peter) said to Him, “My Lord (Adoniy[H]), You see, perceive (eido[G]) all things; You know (ginosko[G]) that I love You as a dear friend (phileo[G]).” Yeshua[H] said to him, “feed (bosko[G]) My mature sheep (probation[G]), [Aramaic alt. r’iy liy n’kavatiy[A] {shepherd my ewes[fem.]}]’.
 
In His third question Yeshua is recorded as changing the word He uses for love to phileo (friendship). He says, “do you love Me as a dear friend (phileo[G])?” This is in response to Peter’s insistence and repeated use of the word for the love of friendship (phileo). It is as if Yeshua is providing Peter with the opportunity to see that true friendship will require sacrifice, which is the evidence of complete love (agapao).
 
“K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) was sorrowful, grief stricken (lupeo[G]) because He (Yeshua) had said to him (Peter) the third time, “Do you love Me as a dear friend (phileo[G])?” We must be careful here to understand that the first two times Yeshua had asked Peter if “completely loved” (agapao) Him, but this time He asked if Peter “loved” Him “as a friend” (phileo).
 
Peter notices the change in language and the challenge to his professed love of friendship and is sorrowful, not because he believes Yeshua doubts his love but because he realises that Yeshua is showing him that his failure to be a true friend by acknowledging his support for Yeshua when he was asked of his affiliation during the pre-trial (John 18:17, 25-27) requires repentance. Peter’s sorrow is repentant sorrow.
 
Therefore, in repentance Peter says, “You see, perceive (eido[G]) all things; You know (ginosko[G]) that I love You as a dear friend (phileo[G]).” Meaning:
 
“I know Who You are and that you not only see (eido) but also know (ginosko) all things including what is in my heart. You know that I want to go on from here exhibiting the love of a true friend toward you. I get that I have no right to expect Your trust having let you down so severely. I love You.”
 
To which Yeshua responds:
 
“feed (bosko[G]) My mature sheep (probation[G]), [Aramaic alt. r’iy liy n’kavatiy[A] {shepherd my ewes[fem.]}]’. In short:
 
“I trust you with My flock, that’s how truly forgiven you are My dear friend.”
 
“Feed My mature sheep” denotes the need to continue to feed the Word (Scripture and Living) to those who mature in the faith so as to keep them from falling away. Maturity is as susceptible, if not more so, to the temptation of sin, and the Word (food) of God is a guardian against the lies of the evil one.
 
The Aramaic text uses the feminine “ewe” and means that the entire discussion sums up all members of the flock (community), children, men, and women. In other words, “feed My children, shepherd My men, feed My women,”
 
“A human being does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” -D’varim (Deuteronomy) 8:3 [Matthew 4:4]
 
18 Amen[H] [G]Amen[H] [G] (B’emet[H], B’emet[H]), In truth, In truth, It’s certain, it’s certain I tell you, when you were young (neos, neoteros[G]), you used to put on your belt and walk wherever you wanted; but when you grow old (gerasko[G]), you will stretch out your hands and someone else will put your belt on you, and bring you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Now He (Yeshua) said this, indicating by what kind of death he (Peter) would glorify God (Elohiym[H]). And when He (Yeshua) had said this, He (Yeshua) said to him (Peter), “Follow, join, attend to (akoloutheo[G]) Me!”
 
Early Church tradition says that Roman authorities sentenced Peter to death by crucifixion “with arms outstretched” at the time of the Great Fire of Rome in the year 64 CE. In accordance with the Apocryphal Acts of Peter (200 CE), he was crucified head down.
 
Church history confirms Peter’s crucifixion at the hands of Rome (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 1. 2. C 25.)
 
20 K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) turned around and saw the talmid (disciple) whom Yeshua[H] loved completely (agapao[G]) following—the one who also had leaned back on His (Yeshua’s) chest at the sacred meal (deipnon[G], Pesach Seder[H], Passover meal) and said, “My Lord (Adoniy[H]), who is the one who is betraying You?” 21 So K’fa[H] (Peter: rock), upon seeing him (the beloved disciple John), said to Yeshua[H], “My Lord (Adoniy[H]), and what about this man?”
 
Peters concern for John was not the disgruntled complaint of a petulant child, as some foolish commentators suggest. Rather it was genuine concern for John’s inclusion in the work of leading Yeshua’s flock, and an interest in what type of sacrificial death he too would die.
 
The context and explicit speech of Mark 10:38-39 indicates that both Yaakov (James) and Yochanan (John, the author of this Gospel) will drink the cup of sacrificial death that Yeshua was to drink. Church tradition says that John died in Ephesus (Polycrates, St Irenaeus).
 
We must remember that Peter is in a post repentant state when he shows concern for John, he is still cherishing the emotional and spiritual relief of receiving Yeshua’s forgiveness and the role of shepherd.
 
22 Yeshua[H] said to him (Peter), “If I want him (John) to remain until I come, what is that to you? You join, attend to (akoloutheo[G]) Me!” 23 Therefore this account went out among the brothers, that that talmid[H] (disciple: John) would not die; yet Yeshua[H] did not say to him (Peter) that he (John) would not die, but, “If I want him (John) to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
 
Yeshua reminds Peter that He had asked him “Do you love me completely, more than these?” It was kind of Peter to be concerned for John but it was not what was needed. Yeshua admonishes Peter to “Follow Me”. What is important is what Yeshua wants, and not what Peter wants.
 
Verses 23 through 25 appear to be the work of someone close to John who completed the manuscript following John’s death.
 
24 This is the talmid[H] (disciple) who is testifying about these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is absolutely true (alethes[G], emet[H]).  25 But there are also many other things which Yeshua[H] did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
 
This last verse indicates that someone other than John recorded the last few words of John’s Gospel just as Joshua had completed the Torah following the death of Moses. Alternatively, John is simply adjusting his style of writing to include the early believers as corporate participants in the passing on of his Gospel.
 
Once again emphasis is placed on the fact that this is a first-hand account of events from the mouth of the beloved disciple John. Reliable eyewitness testimony from a trustworthy witness. Historical fact.
 
The purpose of this Gospel is to reveal Yeshua as the all existing promised Messiah and Redeemer of Israel, the Author and goal of the Torah, the Lamb of God, and the Creator of the Universe present with us (Imanu-El).
 
Yochanan, the author has included only those things which are relevant to his message and thus has left out untold events of Yeshua’s life, some of which are alluded to in the other Gospels but many of which remain unrecorded.
 
It is not mere hyperbole for the author to say “there are also many other things which Yeshua[H] did, which, if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” When the Master of the Universe enters time and space for the purpose of redeeming humanity, His life and actions, His death and resurrection transcend the limits of this world so that the present fallen world is quite literally incapable of containing all that could be written about Him.
 
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown

NB:Accounts of Yeshua’s resurrection appearances: Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24
 
1 Now on the first (heis[G], echad[H]) day of the week Miriyam[H] (rebellion, Mary) of Magdala[A] (a tower) came early in the morning (proi[G], fourth watch: 3am – 6am, ba’boker[H]) while it was still dark (choshekh[H]), to the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]) and saw (blepo[G]) the stone (lithos[G]) removed (airo[G]) from the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]). 2 So she ran and came to Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) and to the other disciple (talmid[H]) whom Yeshua[H] loved as a dear friend (phileo[G]), and said to them, “They have taken the Lord (ho kurios[G]. HaAdonai[H]) from the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]), and I (ana[A] Aramaic is singular. The Greek is plural “we”) don’t know where they’ve placed Him.”
 
“On the first day of the week” means sometime between sundown Saturday (Shabbat) and sundown Sunday (Yom Rishon). This is three days and nights following Yeshua’s crucifixion on the Wednesday (Yom Revi’i), making this the day following the weekly Shabbat and not the Shabbat[H] Megas[G] (High Shabbat: John 19:31) of unleavened bread.
 
“Miriyam of Magdala came early in the morning while it was still dark”. The Greek “proi” refers to the fourth watch of night observed between 3am and 6am. Miriyam had waited until the completion of the Shabbat to come to the tomb. This shows a desperate devotion on the part of Miriyam, a kind of devotion that is sometimes looked down upon in faith communities as being “emotionalism”. It should be noted that Yeshua appears first to a woman, and not just any woman but a woman who had previously been considered of ill repute and out of whom Yeshua had cast sevenfold demonic forces (Luke 8:2).
 
The writer of John’s Gospel has pointed to Yeshua as God with us (Imanu-El) from the beginning and now makes a correlation between the beginning of creation and the beginning of Yeshua’s recreative act of resurrection which will birth a new creation for all who receive Him.
 
“While it was still dark…” Begins the recreation narrative and is to be compared to Genesis 1:2 “And the earth was a formless and desolately empty, and darkness was over the surface of the deep,”
 
Isaiah the prophet also prophecies these events…
 
“For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.” -Isaiah 60:2-3 NASB
 
“So she ran and came to Shimon[H] K’fa[H] and to the other disciple whom Yeshua[H] loved as a dear friend…” Yochanan the unnamed disciple and writer of this gospel is recording what Miriyam of Magdala had testified to.
 
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and I don’t know where they’ve placed Him.” The Aramaic “I” seems a better fit with the context, however the other gospels speak of “women” plural going to the grave which is equally likely to be what Miriyam is referring to. Therefore, both “I” and “We” are correct.
 
“They have taken Him” May refer to the Romans, the servants of the chief priests or to any other disgruntled group. Ironically later rabbinical Jewish polemics seeking to deny Yeshua’s resurrection claim that Yeshua’s own disciples took away His body in order to fabricate the resurrection.
 
3 So K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) and the other disciple (talmid[H]) left, and they were going to the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]). 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple (talmid[H]) swiftly outran K’fa[H] (Peter: rock), and came to the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]) first; 5 and he stooped down (parakupto[G]) to look (blepo[G]), and saw the linen strips (othonion[G]) lying there; however he did not go in.
 
Here Yochanan, one prone to humility none the less records accurately that he arrived at the tomb first but was hesitant to go in. One of the reasons for this may have been his association with the priesthood and the perceived Torah restrictions regarding priests and dead bodies. Another reason may have been fearful expectation. We can only surmise and conclude conjecture.
 
6 So Shimon[H] (Hears) K’fa[H] (Peter: rock) also came, following him (Yochanan), and he (Peter) entered the tomb (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]); and he examined (theoreo[G])the linen strips (othonion[G]) lying there, 7 and the face-cloth (soudarion[G]) which had been on His head, not lying with the linen strips (othonion[G]) but folded up in a place by itself. 
 
Yochanan records K’fa (Peter) as being as tenacious as ever. It is K’fa who examines the tomb and the specific carved out birth where Yeshua had been laid. He checks the linen burial strips and investigates the folded face cloth.
 
The description of the grave cloths and face cloth is exceptional. The linen strips of grave cloths were lying as if the body had simply left through them without disrupting them, thus leaving them lying flat like the skin of a perforated seed pod. Second, the face cloth had been folded.
 
There is of course prolifically reported pseudo learned nonsense regarding the cloth being likened to a napkin being folded at the end of a Jewish meal. It is nonsense for a number of reasons. First, this is not an all-inclusive custom in Judaism nor can it be well documented as being the custom in the first century. Second, Yeshua was not finishing a meal, He was beginning a re-creation. Third, identifying a ritually defiled burial cloth with a napkin used to wipe the face during a meal is an abhorrent idea that breaks numerous Torah restrictions regarding ritual purity and spiritual cleansing.
 
What is important about the folded face cloth is that it denotes a transcendent and seemingly contradictory reality. Yeshua’s resurrected body moved through the linen strips leaving them lying there without need for folding, while at the same time the facecloth was likely removed by Yeshua and folded. This correlates to the fact that Yeshua will soon be recorded as having walked through walls into a room of locked doors while at the same time being in a corporeal state that allows T’oma to touch His wounds (v.19-28).
 
The message here is that the resurrected body is both corporeal and transcendent, solid and fluid, physical and spiritual and therefore meta-physical, super-natural. Most of all, this shows that time, space and matter are subject to Yeshua’s resurrected body. This affirms the Biblical Jewish belief in the meta-physical resurrection of the dead and directly opposes Gnosticism and its derivative Christian scholarship delusion of a heaven filled with the spirits of human beings devoid of corporeal nature. The promised Olam Haba (World to come) is both illuminated and affirmed by the New Testament accounts.
 
8 So the other disciple (talmid[H]) who had arrived at the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]) first then also entered, and he saw (eido[G]) and believed, was persuaded, trusted (pisteuo[G], vaya’amein[H]). 9 For they did not yet understand the Writing (Graphe[G], ha-Katuv[H], Scripture), that He must rise from the dead. 10 So the disciples (talmidim[H]) went away again to their own homes.
 
That which had been examined by K’fa was now seen by Yochanan and as a result Yochanan believed, trusted, was persuaded, certain of the reality of Yeshua the risen King Messiah.
At some later point in time Yochanan recalled that the Ketuvim (Writings) [the latter portion of the TaNaKH] had prophesied the Messiah’s resurrection:
 
“For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.” -Tehillim (Psalm) 16:10
 
Ref. Jonah (Ketuvim); Matt. 12:40; Acts 2:24-32 (HaBrit HaChadashah)
 
They returned to their own homes not because they believed Yeshua had been taken and couldn’t be found but rather because they truly believed Yeshua had been resurrected and may have presumed that He had already ascended to the Father God and would therefore not be seen by them again until the fullness of the Kingdom had come on earth as it is in the heavens.
 
11 But Miriyam[H] (rebellion, Mary) was standing outside the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]) weeping; so as she wept, she stooped down (parakupto[G]) to look (blepo[G]) into the tomb, grave (mnemeion[G], ha-kaver[H]); 12 and she saw clearly (theoreo[G]) two messengers [angels] (malakhim[H]) in brilliant whiteness (leukos[G]) sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Yeshua[H] had been lying. 
 
Miriyam did not return to her home as K’fa and Yochanan had done. Behold this desperately hopeful woman who had been forgiven much and clearly had a sense of the transcendent reality that surrounded her. She weeps uncontrollably, sensing something she doesn’t fully understand, torn between grief and hope she stoops down to look into the tomb and sees two divine messengers sitting at each end of the cut out birth within the tomb where Messiah had been laid.
 
What Miriyam was seeing was a symbol of something that would transform earthly worship within time and space until the return of the King Messiah. She was looking at the heavenly reflection of the mercy seat of the Ark of the covenant. A Cheruv (Angel) at each side with wings outstretched to touch one another.
 
At that time in history the Holy of Holies was empty, devoid of the Ark of the Covenant which had been missing for centuries (last historically recorded as present during the inauguration of Solomon’s Temple 2 Chronicles 5, 6, 8; 35:3). How then was Israel to attain mercy through sacrifice? The answer is in Yeshua’s sacrifice and His blood offered on the mercy seat of the heavenly Ark for which the earthly Ark had been a shadow.
 
What Miriyam was seeing was the hope of glory, the mercy offered to all who would receive Yeshua’s saving work. Therefore, Yeshua had made it possible for all to enter the Holy of Holies through His blood. As Kohen HaGadol High Priest of the eternal priesthood (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 5, 6, 7) Yeshua had made it possible for Miriyam (among others) to become priests of a transcendent “royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1 K’fa 2:9). Based on his writings it seems that K’fa (Peter) came to understand this also.
 
This does not mean that gentile believers are a continuation of or have replaced Israel (ethnic, religious, chosen) but that God has afforded gentile believers a concession through the blood of Messiah that they might become part of the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12) as humble members of God’s Kingdom. Gentile believers do well to remember that the New Covenant is given the Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 31:31-40) and that they are privileged to be adopted into God’s family but should maintain a humble respect for Israel considering it a privilege to have been afforded access to salvation through Israel and not in place of her.
 
13 And they said to her, “Dear woman (gune[G], ishah[H]), why are you weeping?” She answered them, “Because they have taken away my Lord (Adoniy[H]), and I do not see (eido[G]) where they placed Him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw, looked intently on (theoreo[G]) Yeshua[H]  standing there, and she did not see, perceive (eido[G]) that it was Yeshua[H].
 
There are both physical and spiritual reasons for Miriyam’s inability to identify Yeshua straight away.
 
We recall that there is a correlation here with the first creation, now sin affected, and the birth of a sinless new creation through Yeshua. The garden where the tomb was located relates to the garden of Eden and the Malakhim (Messengers, Angels) to the Cherubim of that garden tasked with guarding its entrance following the sin of Adam and Eve. We note that it was Eve who first took the fruit and that Miriyam is representative of Eve in this remez (hint). Eve had become blinded by sin and like her Miriyam was still blinded to some degree. Therefore, spiritually speaking she required Yeshua to free her from her blindness by naming her a redeemed daughter of God’s Kingdom through His death and resurrection.
 
On the other hand, physically speaking the resurrected body is devoid of the wear of human life and the effects of human existence within the fallen world and therefore appears starkly different to that of the temporal body. Some suggest that Yeshua’s beard having been torn may have disfigured His face, and that there may have been scaring from the terrible flogging and beating He had endured. Finally, “it was dark”. However, none of this can account for Miriyam being unable to recognise His voice at first (v.15). It seems that Miriyam’s tearful emotional state had temporarily clouded her judgement.
 
15 Yeshua[H] said to her, “Dear woman (gune[G], ishah[H]), why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Thinking that He was the gardener, she said to Him, “Adon[H] (Sir), if you have carried (bastazo[G]) Him away, tell me where you placed Him, and I will lift Him up (airo[G]).” 16 Yeshua[H] said to her, “Miriyam[H]!” She turned and said to Him in a language of the Hebrews, “Rabboniy[A]!” (which means, “my Teacher”) [My Great One].
 
The gardener allusion correlates to the first Adam. Yeshua is the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45).
 
Yeshua’s simple naming of Miriyam of Magdala brings to mind the words of HaMelekh Sh’lomo (King Solomon):
 
“My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
    and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
    the rain is over and gone.’” -Shir HaShirim (Song of songs) 2:10-11 NRSV
 
Simply by saying her name Yeshua frees Miriyam from emotional blindness and gives her super-real sight. Note that she “turns” to Him and sees Him in His resurrected glory and exclaims “Rabboniy” My Great One!
 
It is worth noting that although the New Testament infers that Yeshua was considered a Rabbi by some, it does not explicitly say that Yeshua received any form of rabbinical training. What the New Testament does denote is that He was a hard working labourer alongside His father for much of his life and while being a regular attendee at the synagogue and an observant Biblical Jew was not known to have a teaching and healing ministry until His thirties. We note that Yeshua therefore was qualified as the Rabbi not by human authority but by the authority of God. It is this in part that Miriyam is recognising when she exclaims “Rabboniy”.
 
“Rabbon” is the Aramaic equivalent to “Rabban” (Halichot Olam Tract. 1. c. 3. p. 25.), which is the Hebrew word given to religious teachers and leaders of great renown. In particular it was given to the heads of the central academy of the Sanhedrin. Gamli’el I, who is quoted in Acts 5:34-39, is known to Jewish history as Rabban Gamli’el.
 
It is important to note that the word “Rabbon” transliterated into the Greek text, is not known to have been used of human beings but is used often in the Talmud to call upon God as “Rabbono al olam” (Lord of the World) [Talmud Bavliy Taanit, fol. 20. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 94. 1. Abot R. Nathan, c. 9. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 8. fol. 6. 4]. It is at least possible therefore, that Miriyam chose to say “Rabboniy” rather than “Rabbaniy” or “Rabbiy” because she had concluded by faith that Yeshua is Imanu-El (With us God), the “Lord of the World”.  
 
Yeshua reminds us that we are to place no others in the ultimate position of “Rabbi, Father , or Teacher”:
 
“But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.  9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called teachers, for you have one teacher, the Messiah.” -Matthew 23:8-10
 
17 Yeshua[H] said to her, “Don’t cling to (haptomai[G]) Me, not yet (Oupo[G]), for I am ascending to the Father (Ho Pater[G], Ha Av[H]); but go to My brothers (achiym[H]) and say to them, ‘I am ascending (anabaino[G]) to My Father (Aviy[H]) and your Father (Aviychem[H]), to My God (Eliy[H]) and your God (Eloheiychem[H]).’” 18 Miriyam[H] (rebellion, Mary) of Magdala[A] (a tower) came and announced to the disciples (ha talmidim[H]), “I have seen with my eyes (horao[G]) the Lord (HaAdon[H]),” and that He had said these things to her.
 
The King James translation “Don’t touch Me” is inaccurate. The Greek “haptomai” means more than simply touching, it means to fasten oneself to another. Therefore, the better translation is “Don’t cling to (haptomai[G]) Me, not yet (Oupo[G])”.
 
Yeshua is not telling Miriyam to take her hands off Him, rather He is gently letting her know that now is not the time for a lengthy reunion because He is briefly ascending to the Father prior to appearing to the disciples over the following forty days before ultimately ascending to the right hand of the Father ten days prior to Shavuot (Pentecost) [Acts 1:9-11].
 
“but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” Literally this refers to Yeshua’s siblings, and by extension to all His brothers and sisters in God’s family. This is why Miriyam in obedience to His instruction goes and tells the disciples. In the case of His siblings, they had yet to believe in Him.
 
“My Father and your Father, to My God and your God” denotes Yeshua’s resurrection as a corporeal human being who is also God with us. He has made it possible for His brothers to say truly that God is their Father and God, while Yeshua Himself is seen as their brother and continues to submit His humanity to God as Father. Later T’oma will proclaim “My Lord and My God” in response to the reality of Yeshua’s resurrected Person.
 
“I have seen with my eyes (horao[G]) the Lord (HaAdon[H]),” and that He had said these things to her.” Yochanan the gospel writer is careful to note that Miriyam’s testimony is an eye witness account.
 
19 Now when it was evening on that day, the first (heis[G], echad[H]) day of the week, and when the doors were shut, inaccessible, locked (kleio[G]) where the disciples (ha talmidim[H]) were because of their fear of the Jewish religious leaders (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]), Yeshua[H] came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Shalom lechem[H] (Peace, wholeness, wellbeing be to youplural).” 
 
“On the that day” Yom Rishon (Sunday), nearing the end of the day (“evening” here clearly refers to late afternoon prior to the completion of the Biblical Jewish day at sundown).
 
The disciples were meeting in secret behind locked doors for fear that the religious authorities who had been opposed to Yeshua might come looking for His disciples. It was not because of “their fear of the Jews” as some English translations foolishly render the text. Context denotes that the disciples who were themselves Jews were afraid of the religious Judeans who opposed Yeshua. Therefore to translate Ioudaios here as “Jews” is not only error, it is an affront to the gospel itself, and to the King Messiah (a Jew).
 
“Yeshua[H] came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Shalom lechem.” The doors were locked, how did Yeshua come and stand in their midst? The only possibility is that He was able to walk through walls or materialize on the other side of doors. And yet, we know from the proceeding verses that His body was physical, corporeal, because T’oma touched Yeshua’s wounds. Therefore, the resurrected body of Messiah is not subject to the material fallen world. He is King of a new and transcendent creation and He has come into the room to reveal Himself to His faithful followers.
 
Note that Yeshua uses the familiar Hebrew greeting “Shalom lechem” Peace, wholeness and wellbeing be unto all of you. Peace Himself wishes them Peace.
 
20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples (ha talmidim[H]) then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Yeshua[H] said to them again, “Shalom lechem[H] (Peace, wholeness, wellbeing be to you)”; just as the Father (Ho Pater[G], Ha Av[H]) has sent (apostello[G], shalach[H]) Me, I also send you [bid you to carry] (pempo[G], sholeiach[H]).” 
 
Yeshua has been sent as a shaliach by God to bring salvation to the Jewish people and the nations and now He sends His disciples to be Shaliachim (Sent ones) who “carry” the gospel of truth, the message of salvation through Yeshua.
 
The Hebrew shaliach meaning “sent one” is equivalent to the Greek apostello, from which we get the English apostle. Many today in the Church are adopting this title as one that sets them apart from other believers, making it a title of position over others. This could not be more contrary to the meaning of the word “apostle”. In Messiah Yeshua we are all apostles, shaliachim, sent ones, with One Ruler, Yeshua, the Head of the Body of Believers.
 
22 And when He had said this, He breathed (emphusao[G]) on them and said to them, “Take hold of (lambano[G]) the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh[H]). 23 If you send away, cancel, place an expiry on, forgive (aphiemi[G]) the sins (missing the mark of God’s Holiness, hamartia[G]) of any, their sins have been sent away, cancelled, have expired, are forgiven (aphiemi[G]) them; if a certain one (tis[G]) continues to hold (krateo[G]) his sin then his sin is retained (krateo[G]).”
 
Yeshua’s breathing on the disciples mirrors the creation of the first human being by the breath of God (Genesis 2:7). It is not the fullness of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which would come some 50 days later but a transcendent symbolic act announcing the inception of the new creation.
 
“then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed (vayipach[H]) into his nostrils the direct breath (neshamah[H]) of living (chayiym[H]); and the man became a living being (lenefesh chayah[H]).” -Bereishit (Genesis) 2:7 Author’s translation
 
All other animals were created and given both ruach (spirit) and nefesh (soul existence) due to the Spirt of God but only human beings were created by the direct breath neshamah of God. This sets humanity apart within creation. Today when liberalism equates animals and human beings it denies the truth of Scripture and insults God Who has made human beings in His image, likeness.
 
It is interesting to note that the second century Targum speaks of the King Messiah in this way:
 
"the Spirit went from between the wings of the cherubim, v’nesvayah and breathed upon Him (Manasseh) by the decree, or order of the word of the Lord.'' - Targum on 2 Chronicles 33:13
 
NB: Here Manasseh is a figure for the promised Messiah.
 
24 But T’oma[H] (twin), one of the twelve, who was called Didymus[G] (twofold), was not with them when Yeshua[H] came. 25 So the other disciples (talmidim[H]) were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord (HaAdon[H])!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the nail wholes, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe, be convinced, be persuaded of (pisteuo[G], a’amiyn[H]).”
 
T’oma was no more faithless or disbelieving than any other disciple. He had not witnessed what they had witnessed and therefore, like them, needed to see it with his own eyes. The foolish defaming of his character by far too many Christian scholars is appalling.
 
In fact T’oma is in good company, after all, our rabbis say of Moses:
 
"he did not believe that Israel had sinned, but said, ‘if I do not see, I will not believe’" - Shemot Rabba, sect. 46. fol. 142. 2.
 
T’oma’s need to see for himself gave opportunity for an affirmation of the super-physical nature of Yeshua’s resurrected body.
 
26 And after eight days His disciples (talmidim[H]) were again inside, and T’oma[H] (twin) with them. Yeshua[H] came, the doors having been shut, inaccessible, locked (kleio[G]), and stood in their midst and said, “Shalom lechem[H] (Peace, wholeness, wellbeing be to you).” 27 Then He said to T’oma[H] (twin), “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, faithlessness, mistrust (apistos[G]), be faithful, trust, believe (pistos[G], ma’amiyn[H]).”
 
By first century Jewish measurement of time and according to Biblical time measurement the first and last days of a period are counted and therefore, “eight days later” means “a week later” in modern English. This is why the Jewish boy is circumcised on the eight day, which is one week from birth in accordance with the first day following the creation week.
 
Once again Yeshua appears in their midst, resurrected, transcendent, meta-physical.
 
Yeshua does not berate T’oma like some of our self-righteous scholars do but instead affords T’oma an opportunity to touch the evidence and encourages T’oma not to continue in disbelief.
 
 28 T’oma[H] (twin) answered and said to Him, “My Lord (Adoniy[H]) and my God (velohay[H])!” 29 Yeshua[H] said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you believe, trust, are persuaded (he’emaneta[H])? Happy (Makarios[G]) are they who did not see (eido[G]), and believe (hama’amiyniym[H]).”
 
T’oma says “Adoniy vElohay!” My Lord and My God! This is either the most heinous of blasphemies or Yeshua is God with us (Imanu-El) as the prophet promises (Isaiah 7:14). In order to determine which of the possibilities is true we must look at the response of Yeshua. Does Yeshua rebuke T’oma for blasphemy? Does Yeshua say, “I am your lord in a sense but I’m not God T’oma, be careful what you say.” NO, no and no! Yeshua says “Because you have seen Me you believe…” Believe what? That Yeshua is Lord and God.
 
Keep in mind what happened to Herod when the crowd later proclaimed concerning him, “This is the voice of God and not of a man!’ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and died.” (Acts 12:20-23). Therefore, if Yeshua were not God with us would the Angel of the Lord not also have struck Him down?
 
There are many implicit indications that Yeshua is Imanu-El (God with us), here is yet another allusion to Messiah as present manifest deity. Some Messianic Jewish scholars have said we should not be simplistic in calling Yeshua God, and to some degree this is true, He is God with us and is in the Father in Whom all things exist, however, nor should we be so subtle in our identification of Yeshua as God with us that we fail to convey the reality that only a fully God fully man Messiah is capable of fulfilling the promises of the prophets.
 
“Happy are they who did not see, and believe.” What a precious reassurance to all who have believed and all who will believe before He returns. I for one can testify to the happiness of belief in the yet to be seen Messiah Yeshua.
 
30 So then, many other miraculous signs (semeion[G],otot[H]) Yeshua[H] also worked in the presence of the disciples (talmidim[H]), which are not written in this book (baseipher[H]);
 
Yochanan the writer of this gospel makes it clear that his purpose in writing the gospel was not to detail every sign and wonder performed by Yeshua but rather to detail those aspects of Yeshua’s life and ministry which best revealed His eternal nature and redemptive role. Yochanan was aware that others had written more detailed gospels and that these were accessible to his readers.
 
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Yeshua[H] is the Messiah (HaMashiach[H]), the Son of God (ho uihos ho Theos[G], HaBen HaElohim[H]) ; and that by believing (pisteuo[G], be’emunat’chem[H]) you may have living (chayiym[H]) in His Name (bish’mo[H]).
 
Ultimately Yochanan wrote his gospel “so that you may believe that Yeshua[H] is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have living in His Name.”
 
Some Greek manuscripts say “so that you may continue believing” while others say “so that you may, at a point in time, come to believe”. This has caused needless debate among scholars. Yochanan the Hebrew was thinking as a Hebrew and intended both meanings simultaneously, so that his gospel would continue to speak to both those who were believing and those who would believe. Once again we are afforded the opportunity to be set free from the false choices posed by Greco-Roman Western thinking Christian scholars. We choose “both and” rather than “this or that”. Seeking to know all is for the idolatrous, holding mystery in tension is for the courageous.
 
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown

23 Then the Roman soldiers, when they had crucified [driven stakes into] (stauroo[G]) Yeshua[H], took His outer garments and divided them into four shares, a share to each soldier and the undergarment (chiton[G], ketonet[H]) remained; now the undergarment (chiton[G], ketonet[H]) was seamless, woven as one piece.
 
First it is important to recognize something we will rarely if ever see in an artistic representation of Messiah on the cross. All His clothing was removed including His underwear. Part of the suffering experienced by the crucified was the inherent and all-encompassing humiliation. Yeshua was crucified naked.
 
The outer garments were of lesser value and were divided among the Roman soldiers four ways, thus four items of outer clothing. The seamless undergarment was unique, the work of a skilled seamstress and a rare priestly item. The Roman soldiers recognized this, so rather than tear it they chose to gamble for it.
 
The seamless priestly undergarment (ketonet[H]) connects Yeshua to numerous prefigures for Messiah which are found in the Tanakh (OT).
 
We recall that Yeshua had washed the feet of His disciples as a sign of their preparation as priests in the order of His resurrected and transcendent eternal priesthood (Hebrews 7:11-28). Yeshua was wearing only the seamless garment mentioned here as He washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:4). Thus, Yeshua the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) prepared His priests (disciples) to minister the good news of His present and coming Kingdom to the Jewish people first perpetually and also to the nations (all humanity) [Romans 1:16].
 
The Katenot (fem. plural of ketonet) as Atoning Garments of Skin (A Pre-figure for Messiah’s Sacrifice):
 
“For Adam and his wife YHVH Elohim made katenot (undergarments) of skins (animal hide) to cloth them.” - Bereishit (Genesis) 3:21
 
The Ketonet of Joseph (As a Pre-figure for the Priestly Garment of Messiah):
 
“Now Israel (Jacob) loved Yoseph more than any of his other children because he was the son of his old age, so he made for him an ketonet (undergarment) of pasiym [palms] (plural form of the palm of the hand or base of the foot).” - Bereishit (Genesis) 37:23
 
*Note that the Hebrew text of Genesis 37:23 does not say that Joseph’s coat (ketonet) was “of many colours” as numerous English translations convey, rather the Hebrew pasiym is a plural form of the word pas meaning palm of the hand or base of the foot. Thus the proper reading in English would be:
 
“he made him (Joseph) a long sleeved tunic that reached to his feet”.
 
“And they took Yoseph’s ketonet (undergarment) and slaughtered a kid goat and dipped the ketonet (undergarment) in the blood.” -Bereishit (Genesis) 37:31
 
The Ketonet of Aaron & Sons - Priests (As Pre-figures For Messiah):
 
“And these are the garments they shall make; a breastplate and an ephod and a robe, and a woven ketonet (undergarment)…” -Shemot (Exodus) 28:4 (Ex. 28:39, 40; 29:5, 8; 39:27; Lev. 8:7, 13; 10:5; 16:4)
 
Some may ask “Why is the connection between the priesthood of Israel and Yeshua so important?”
 
It is important because Messiah is come to reveal a greater priesthood, an eternal priesthood that has existed in Him before the foundations of the world (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:17). This greater priesthood must transition within time and space from the Aaronic priesthood of Israel, not so as to make the Levitical priesthood redundant but so as to cause the Levitical priesthood to fully fill its purpose and reveal the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) and Messiah Yeshua as the ultimate intermediary. 
 
Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) the Son of Zechariah was a true Levite and a legitimate priest, unlike the illegitimate (bought off by the Roman authorities) priests Annas and Caiaphas. For all intents and purposes Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) was a rightful heir to the priesthood of Israel. Therefore, Yochanan the Immerser was given authority by God to transfer the priesthood of Aaron onto the King Messiah. Only in this way could the roles of King of Judah (in the line of David) and High Priest be combined in One Man. The act of transference was symbolically performed by Yochanan the Immerser at the tevilah (immersion/baptism) of Yeshua.
 
All High Priests of Israel throughout the generations must prepare themselves by washing in order to approach the Lord God to make atonement for the sins of Israel. Yeshua Who is sinless need not be immersed (baptised) for repentance, washing clean, or for any other sin related reason, thus when Yeshua said of His immersion (baptism) “Let it happen now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” (Matt 3:15), what He meant by  “All righteousness” was to ritually wash Him as Priest of priests and make way for His sacrificial death and life giving resurrection and the means by which all who receive Him can be made righteous through His blood”. This symbolic act of washing (baptism) revealed Yeshua as rightful and eternal Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) and Melekh HaY’hudiym (King of the Jews), Melekh Hamelekhiym (King of kings). Thus, Yeshua united the priesthood and kingship of Israel and showed Himself to be the King Messiah.
 
Therefore, it was right that Yeshua had been given a priestly undergarment [ketonet] (probably made for Him by Yochanan’s mother Elisheva [Elisabeth: My God blesses sevenfold/makes an oath], a wife of a Levitical priest [Zechariah John the Baptist’s father]).
 
The King’s Ketonet in Song of Songs (Prophetic of Messiah’s Crucifixion):
 
“I have put off my ketonet (undergarment); how shall I put it on, I have washed my feet how shall I defile them?” -Shir HaShiriym (Song of Songs) 5:3
 
Eliyakiym [My God Raises Up] Clothed with the Priestly Garment Ketonet (As Pre-figure for Messiah)
 
“20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliyakiym (My God Raises Up) the son of Hilkiyah (My Portion is YHVH): 21 And I will clothe him with your ketonet (undergarment) [kutanetecha], and strengthen him with thy belt, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open (ref. Rev.3:8).
23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. 25 In that day, says YHVH Tzevaot (Who goes warring), shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.” -Yishayahu (Isaiah) 22:20-25
 
24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots (throw dice) for it, to decide whose it will be”; this was to fulfil the Writing (Graphe[G], Ketuv[H]: specifically a book from the Ketuvim/Writings of the TaNaKH [Hebrew bible]) “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots [Psalm 22:18(19)].”
 
Yochanan (John) explains that by dividing Yeshua’s priestly undergarment the Roman soldiers fulfilled Psalm 22. In Mark’s gospel 15:34 Yeshua quotes the beginning of this same Psalm, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”
 
Psalm 22 is quoted directly and implicitly alluded to throughout the New Testament making it one of the most important Messianic Psalms.
 
1“For the music director, on “The Doe of the Dawn,” a psalm of David.
2 My God, my God,
    why have You forsaken me?
Distant from my salvation
    are the words of my groaning.[a]
3 O my God, I cried out by day, but You did not answer,
by night, but there was no rest for me.
4 Yet You are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
5 In You our fathers put their trust.
They trusted, and You delivered them.
6 They cried to you and were delivered.
In You they trusted, and were not disappointed.
7 Am I a worm, and not a man?
Am I a scorn of men, despised by people?
8 All who see me mock me.
They curl their lips, shaking their heads:
9 “Rely on Adonai! Let Him deliver him!
Let Him rescue him—since he delights in Him!”[b]
10 Yet You brought me out of the womb,
made me secure at my mother’s breasts.
11 From the womb I was cast on You--
from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
12 Be not far from me!
For trouble is near--
    there is no one to help.
13 Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls of Bashan encircled me.
14 They open wide their mouths against me,
like a tearing, roaring lion.
15 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are disjointed.
My heart is like wax--
    melting within my innards.
16 My strength is dried up like a clay pot,
my tongue clings to my jaws.
You lay me in the dust of death.
17 For dogs have surrounded me.
A band of evildoers has closed in on me.
They pierced[c] my hands and my feet.
18 I can count all my bones.
They stare, they gape at me.
19 They divide my clothes among them,
and cast lots for my garment.[d]
20 But You, Adonai, be not far off!
O my strength! Come quickly to my aid!
21 Deliver my soul from the sword--
my only one from the power of the dog.
22 Save me from the lion’s mouth.
From the horns of the wild oxen rescue me.
23 I will declare Your Name to my brothers.
I will praise You amid the congregation.[e]
24 You who fear Adonai, praise Him!
All Jacob’s descendants, glorify Him!
Revere Him, all you seed of Israel.
25 For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the lowly one.
Nor has He hidden His face from him,
but when he cried to Him, He heard.
26 From You is my praise in the great assembly.
I will fulfill my vows before those who fear Him.
27 Let the poor eat and be satisfied.
Let them who seek after Him praise Adonai.
May your hearts live forever!
28 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to Adonai.
All the families of the nations will bow down before You.
29 For the kingdom belongs to Adonai,
and He rules over the nations.
30 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship.
Everyone who goes down to the dust will kneel before Him--
even the one who could not keep his own soul alive.
31 His posterity will serve him, telling
the next generation about my Lord.
32 They will come and declare His righteousness
to a people yet to be born--
    because He has done it!”
 
Footnotes
a.      Psalm 22:2 cf. Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34.
b.      Psalm 22:9 cf. Matt. 27:43.
c.      Psalm 22:17 Or, is like a lion.
d.      Psalm 22:19 cf. Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24.
e.      Psalm 22:23 cf. Heb. 2:12.
-Tehillim (Psalms) 22 TLV
 
25 Therefore the Roman soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Yeshua[H] were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Miriyam[H] (rebellion, Mary) the wife of Chelphiy[H] (Klopas[G], exchange), and Miriyam[H] (rebellion, Mary) of Magdala[A] (a tower). 26 When Yeshua[H] then saw His mother, and the disciple (talmid[H]) [John the author] whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear Woman, behold, now, look (hineih[H]), your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple (talmid[H])[John the author], “Behold, now, look (hineih[H]), your mother!” From that hour the disciple (talmid[H])[John the author] took her into his own household.
 
This interaction between the dying Yeshua and His mother and beloved disciple is recorded only in the gospel of John. It is a heart wrenching and beautiful account of unfathomable sacrificial love. The example set here by Yeshua transcends all others with regard to the practical outworking of self-sacrificing love for others. Yeshua’s mother unnamed and His disciple unnamed are named in Him mother and son. Their suffering and joy would birth the body of faith which has now spread globally to the nations and is about to return to bring redemption to the entire remnant of ethnic, religious Israel, the Jewish people (Romans 11:25).
 
The gospel can be seen in the names of those mentioned: In exchange (Klopas) for rebellion (Miriyam) a shepherd of Migdal (Magdala, tower).
 
Yeshua’s mother is not named in Yochanan’s gospel (cf. 2:1). This corresponds to the author’s descriptions of himself as a disciple whom Yeshua loved. The author’s focus is on the Divine Word (Yeshua) rather than His earthly familial and friendship connections which are well observed in the synoptic gospels.
 
“Standing by the cross” is also rightly translated “standing near the cross”. This in no way contradicts the description of the women standing at a distance (mark 15:40) in the synoptic gospels as the terms “near” and “distance” are subjective contextual variables cited by different eye witnesses.
 
28 After this, Yeshua[H], knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to make perfect the Writing (Graphe[G], Ketuv[H]: specifically a book from the Ketuvim/Writings of the TaNaKH [Hebrew bible]) [Psalm 69:22(21)], said, “I am thirsty.”
 
“Knowing that all things had already been accomplished” means that Yeshua was aware of all these things having been completed by Him before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).
 
Pause for a minute to consider the enormity of the love of God in Messiah. Yeshua (the Living Word essence of creation in Whom all things hold together and have their being) entered time and space to give His life knowing exactly how horrific His suffering would be and being aware that no other could pay the price, He choose it willingly.
 
In one sense, given the eternal nature of God and Messiah’s Divinity, we could say that the all existing Messiah having seen the end from the beginning was crucified before He was crucified and resurrected before He was born (into time and space) and thus being transcendent remains for us both our suffering Servant and victorious King Who is able to comfort us in every circumstance given His own experience and to deliver us from evil given His authority over all things according to the Father’s will.
 
“1For the music director, on “Lilies,” of David.
2 Save me, O God,
for the waters
have reached my soul.
3 I have sunk in deep mud,
    and there is no footing,
I have come into deep waters,
    and a flood sweeps over me.
4 I am worn out by my crying,
my throat is parched,
my eyes fail, waiting for my God.
5 Those who hate me without a cause[a] outnumber the hairs of my head.
Powerful are my enemies who would destroy me with lies.
What I did not steal, must I restore?
6 O God, You know my folly,
nor are my trespasses hidden from You.
7 May those who hope in You
    not be ashamed because of me,
    my Lord, Adonai-Tzva’ot.
May those who seek You
    not be disgraced because of me,
    O God of Israel.
8 For I have endured scorn for Your sake.
Disgrace has covered my face.
9 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
a foreigner to my mother’s children.
10 For zeal for Your House consumed me--
the insults of those who insulted You have fallen on me.[b]
11 When I wept and fasted--
that became a reproach to me.
12 When I put on sackcloth,
I became a joke to them.
13 Those who sit at the gate chatter about me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.
14 But as for me, my prayer to You, Adonai, is for a time of favor.
O God, in Your great love, answer me with the truth of Your salvation.
15 Deliver me from the mire--
    do not let me sink.
Deliver me from those who hate me,
    out of the deep waters.
16 Do not let floodwaters sweep over me,
nor the deep swallow me up,
nor the Pit shut its mouth over me.
17 Answer me, Adonai, for good is Your mercy.
With Your great compassion, turn to me.
18 Hide not Your face from Your servant.
For I am in distress—answer me quickly.
19 Draw near to my soul and redeem it.
Ransom me because of my foes.
20 You know my reproach, my shame, my disgrace.
All my adversaries are before You.
21 Scorn has broken my heart, so I am sick.
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but found none.
22 They put gall in my food,
and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.[c]
23 Let their table before them be a snare,
and what should have been for their well-being,
let it be a trap.
24 Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see
and their backs be bent forever.[d]
25 Pour out Your indignation on them.
Let Your fierce anger overtake them.
26 Let their encampment be deserted.
Let none dwell in their tents.
27 For they persecute the one You have smitten,
so they tell of the pain
of those You have wounded.
28 Add guilt to their guilt--
may they not come into Your righteousness.
29 May they be wiped out of the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.[e]
30 But I—I am afflicted and in pain.
Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
31 I will praise God’s Name with a song,
and magnify Him with praise.
32 It will please Adonai better than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs.
33 The humble will see it and be glad.
You who seek God, let your hearts revive.
34 For Adonai hears the needy
and does not despise His captive people.
35 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
the seas and everything moving in them.
36 For God will save Zion,
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then they will dwell there and possess it.
37 The children of His servants will inherit it
and those who love His Name will dwell there.
 
Footnotes
a.      Psalm 69:5 cf. John 15:25.
b.      Psalm 69:10 Cf. John 2:17; Rom. 15:3.
c.      Psalm 69:22 cf. Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23, 36.
d.      Psalm 69:24 cf. Rom. 11:9-10.
e.      Psalm 69:29 cf. Rev. 3:5.
-Tehillim (Psalms) 69 TLV
 
29 A vessel full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 
 
“Sour wine” (John 19:29) and “vinegar” (Matthew 27:48) are synonymous terms.
 
Yeshua had earlier been offered “bitter gall” a narcotic (Matt 27:34) but had refused it.
 
Yochanan is more precise than Matthew in his description of the “stick” on which the sponge was offered. He names the variety of plant the stick came from as “hyssop”, the same branch used by Israel to paint the blood of the Pesach Lamb onto their doorposts (Exodus 12:22). Yochanan (John) has already quoted Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) saying “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of this world” (John 1:29, 1:36). Yeshua’s identity as the Pesach (Passover) Lamb is another key element in Yochanan’s gospel record and is later illuminated by Rav Shaul Hashaliach (Rabbi Paul The Sent One) [1 Corinthians 5:11].
 
30 Therefore when Yeshua[H] had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished! (teleo[G])” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit, breath (pneuma[G], ruach[H]).
 
Note that Yeshua pronounced His atoning work on the cross “finished”. His eternal blood offers atonement for all sin, past, present, and future. There is no further sacrifice needed, His sacrifice both precedes and proceeds, it covers (atones for) all who will receive Him and His saving work.
 
Yeshua “Gave up His Ruach (Breath, Wind, Life, Spirit)”. He chose to give it up, it was not taken from Him (John 10:17-18). The giving up has a certain ambiguity: He gave up His life for us and He gave up His Spirit for us. Our lives are redeemed in the giving up of His life and strengthened in the giving up of His Spirit. Following His resurrection and ascension Yeshua in unity with the Father poured out His Spirit upon and within all who would receive Him.
 
31 Then the religious Jews (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]), because they were in preparation, in order that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Shabbat[H] [for that Sabbath was a high (megas[G]) day], asked Pilate (Pilatos[G]) that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
 
“because they were in preparation, in order that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Shabbat”
 
“22 “Suppose a man is guilty of a sin with a death sentence and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree. 23 His body is not to remain all night on the tree—instead you must certainly bury him the same day, for anyone hanged is a curse of God.[a] You must not defile your land that Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance.” -Devarim (Deut.) 21:22-23 TLV
 
re: High Sabbath Leviticus 23:6-7
 
This High Sabbath was the first day of unleavened bread as convergent with the 14th of Nisan which becomes the 15th of Nisan at sundown by Biblical Hebrew reckoning.

​For more information on the death and resurrection time frame please read my article “Did Yeshua Die on a Friday?” link below:
 
https://www.bethmelekh.com/yaakovs-commentary---15081497151214931513-1497150615111489/did-yeshua-die-on-a-friday
 
32 So the Roman soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him (Yeshua); 33 but coming to Yeshua[H], when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the Roman soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
 
Blood separated from water has been testified to by doctors to be clear evidence of death resulting from major heart trauma. Therefore, the plan meaning intends to give the clear evidence that Yeshua was dead and had not simply fainted as some fools suggest.
 
The blood and water can also be seen as a prophetic precursor to the immersion commanded by Yeshua. All who believer are figuratively and spiritually washed in His blood and in obedience as disciples immersed in water as an identification with the death and resurrection of Yeshua.
 
35 And he who has seen [John the author] has testified, and his testimony is immutably true (alethinos[G], emet[H]); and he sees (eido[G]) that he is telling the absolute truth (ha emet[H]), so that you also may believe (pisteuo[G], ta’amiynu[H]).
 
As is the case with the gospels of Matthew and Mark the author is claiming to be a reliable first hand eye witness to these events, and his purpose in writing is to ensure that others will be made aware of the truth of these events and pass on that truth to future generations. The
Jewish Doctor Luke open’s his gospel with a similar testimony, though he does not claim to be an eyewitness but the recipient of information from eyewitnesses.
 
36 For these things came to pass to fulfil the Writing (Graphe[G], Ketuv[H]: specifically a book from the Ketuvim/Writings of the TaNaKH [Hebrew bible]), “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” [Psalm 34:20(21); cf. Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12] 37 And again another Writing (Graphe[G], Ketuv[H]: specifically a book from the Ketuvim/Writings of the TaNaKH [Hebrew bible]) says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.[Zechariah 12:10 cf. Rev. 1:7]”
 
1 Of David, when he feigned insanity before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.
2 I will bless Adonai at all times.
His praise is continually in my mouth.
3 My soul boasts in Adonai.
The humble ones hear of it and rejoice.
4 Magnify Adonai with me
and let us exalt His Name together.
5 I sought Adonai, and He answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
6 They who looked to Him were radiant,
and their faces will never be ashamed.
7 This poor man cried, and Adonai heard,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
8 The angel of Adonai encamps around those who fear Him,
and delivers them.
9 Taste and see how good Adonai is.
Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.
10 Fear Adonai, His kedoshim,
For those who fear Him lack nothing.
11 Young lions may lack, and go hungry,
but those who seek Adonai want for no good thing.
12 Come, children, listen to me:
I will teach you the fear of Adonai.
13 Who is the one who delights in life,
and loves to see good days?
14 Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking treachery.
15 Depart from evil and do good.
Seek shalom and pursue it.[a]
16 The eyes of Adonai are on the righteous,
and His ears are attentive to their cry.
17 The face of Adonai is against evildoers,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
18 The righteous cry out and Adonai hears,
and delivers them from all their troubles.
19 Adonai is close to the brokenhearted,
and saves those crushed in spirit.
20 Many are the distresses of the righteous,
but Adonai delivers him out of them all.
21 He keeps all his bones--
not one of them is broken.[b]
22 Evil kills the wicked--
those who hate the righteous will be held guilty.
23 Adonai redeems the soul of His servants
—no one who takes refuge in Him will be held guilty.
Footnotes
a.      Psalm 34:15 cf. 1 Pet. 3:10-12.
b.      Psalm 34:21 cf. John 19:33-36.
-Tehillim (Psalms) 34 TLV
​
“1The burden of the word of Adonai concerning Israel. A declaration of Adonai, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples when they besiege Jerusalem as well as Judah. 3 Moreover, in that day I will make Jerusalem a massive stone for all the people. All who try to lift it will be cut to pieces. Nevertheless, all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against her. 4 In that day”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“I will strike every horse with confusion and its rider with madness. I will keep My eyes on the house of Judah but will blind every horse of the peoples. 5 Then the leaders of Judah will say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength through Adonai-Tzva’ot their God.” 6 “In that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a burning torch among sheaves. They will devour on the right and on the left all the surrounding peoples, yet Jerusalem will remain in her place, in Jerusalem. 7 Adonai also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and the honor of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not exceed that of Judah. 8 In that day Adonai will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem so that the weakest among them that day will be like David and the house of David will be like God—like the angel of Adonai before them. 9 It will happen in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 10 “Then I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, when they will look toward Me whom they pierced.[a] They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son and grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there will be a great mourning in Jerusalem, mourning like Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn clan by clan. The clan of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves, the clan of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves, 13 the clan of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves, the clan of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves. 14 Each of the remaining clans will mourn by itself and their wives by themselves.”
Footnotes
a.      Zechariah 12:10 cf. John 19:34, 37; Rev. 1:7.
-Zachariyah (Zechariah) 12 TLV
 
38 After these things Yoseph[H] (YHVH adds) of Ramatayim[H], (Arimatea[A], heights, birthplace of Samuel Mt Ephraim), being a disciple (talmid[H]) of Yeshua[H], but a secret one for fear of the Jewish religious leaders (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]), asked Pilate (Pilatos[G]) that he might take away the body of Yeshua[H]; and Pilate (Pilatos[G]) granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
 
Yoseph of Ramatayim (Joseph of Arimathea) shows great courage in this public act of care for Yeshua’s body (Matt. 27:57; Mark. 15:43; Luke. 23:50). Matthew’s gospel tells us that Yoseph placed Yeshua “in his own new tomb.”
 
“57 Now when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had also become a disciple of Yeshua. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. Then Pilate ordered it to be given up. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 And he laid it in his own new tomb,[a] which he had cut in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone up to the door of the tomb and went away.” -Matthew 27:57-60 TLV
 
The cost of the tomb Yoseph freely gave for Yeshua’s burial cannot be firmly established, but given the social and religious standing of Yoseph it is likely that it was worth a large sum of money by today’s standards costing millions of dollars (USD).
 
The Greek word “mnemeion” translated “tomb” in Matthew 27:60 can also be translated “Sepulchre”. Both “tomb” and “sepulchre” often refer to a large tomb with multiple rock-cut cubicles for interring a number of bodies.
 
A single Sepulchre complex of 63 rock cut tombs in Jerusalem dating to the first century C.E. received the name “Tombs of the Sanhedrin” from Rabbi Joseph Halevi in 1450 because of the large number of burial cubicles inside. While it’s unlikely that this particular Sepulchre is a Sanhedrin burial place, it is very likely that a Sepulchre like it with 70-72 cubicles may well have existed in the first century C.E. and it is therefore likely, given that Yoseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, that the tomb of Yoseph of Arimathea was one of the cubicles within the Sepulchre complex carved out specifically for members of the Sanhedrin and their families. If this is the case the classic notion of a single birth tomb is untenable. In fact, given that family tombs with multiple births dating to the first century have been found in Israel it seems that in most cases the first century Jewish dead were buried in multiple birth tombs, usually with family, and often among those of comparable social status.
 
Added to this is the fact that “no one had yet been laid” in the tomb (John 19:41): meaning that the generation of the Sanhedrin at that time had yet to utilize the tomb complex, making Yeshua the first to be interred there.

​Tombs of the Sanhedrin (1st Century C.E.) Sanhedria, Jerusalem.
 
Yoseph’s faithful act fulfilled Isaiah 53:9:
 
“His grave was given with the wicked,
and by a rich man in His death,”
 
Both Yoseph and Nakdimon were members of the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:50-51; John 7:50-52). They may also have been brothers:
 
Some commentators believe that Joseph of Arimathea (his home town) is Yoseph ben Gorion, the brother of Nakdiymon (Nicodemous) ben Gorion, the same Nicodemus mentioned in the following verse. One traditional commentary [Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 1. fol 25. 1. & 27. 1.] suggests that Yoseph ben Gorion was a priest, and of the richest and most noble of the priests in Jerusalem; that he was a very wise, just, and upright man; and that three or four years before the destruction of Jerusalem, he was about sixty seven years of age (John Gill Commentary on the New Testament). Making Joseph of Arimathea approximately twenty seven years old when he helped to inter Yeshua.
 
39 Nakdiymon[H] (Nikodemos[G], nikos: vanquish, victory; demos: the people, assembled mass of people)[cf. John 3], who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 45 kilograms. 40 So they took the body of Yeshua[H] and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jewish people (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]).
 
Likewise Nakdiymon acts courageously, though a member of the Sanhedrin he risks his status for Messiah.
 
Jewish tradition records Nakdiymon as a tzaddik (righteous one) who called down miracles and was extravagant in his gifts to the poor. However, it is later recorded in the Babylonian Talmud that Rav Yochanan ben Zaccai saw the daughter of Nakdiymon, having been reduced to extreme poverty, gleaning barley kernels from under the hooves of horses in the northern coastal city of Akko (T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 66. 2). This infers that Nakdiymon ended up impoverished because of his decision to follow Messiah Yeshua wholeheartedly and openly. What a courageous example of true devotion to the King Messiah Yeshua and obedience to the Father God.
 
The cost of the burial spices (myrrh and aloes) that Nakdiymon brought to prepare Yeshua’s body are estimated by today’s currency as being between $150,000 to $200,000 USD.
 
Both the wrapping in cloth and the use of spices for burial are alluded to by ancient Jewish commentary:
 
"let the dead be wrapped in his own linen" - T. Hieros. Ternmot, fol. 46. 2.
 
“They do not say a blessing over a lamp, nor… the spices of the dead…” - Mishnah. Berachot. c. 8. sect. 6.
 
The practice of using embalming spices has fallen by the wayside, however the wrapping of the body in a shroud continues to be the practise of observant Jews today. Today, as in ancient times [Talmud Bavli Menachos 41:A] Jewish men are often buried wrapped in a tallit (prayer shawl) as a sign of preparation for the bodily resurrection at the last day.
 
For more information concerning Nakdiymon please read my article on John 3.
 
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore according to the preparation of the Jewish people (Ioudaios[G], Yehudiym[H]), since the tomb was nearby, they laid Yeshua[H] there.
 
“In which no one had been laid” is said to make certain that the reader understands that only Yeshua was in the tomb when it was sealed by the large stone. This makes it clear that Yeshua alone was interred there and that Yeshua alone was resurrected from there.
 
Because of the High Sabbath (First day of unleavened bread), the need to bury the body within a day of death and the ritual uncleanness associated with handling the body, they laid Yeshua’s body to rest promptly.
 
"they may not dig pits… nor graves… on a solemn feast day.'' - Mishnah. Moed Katon, c. 1. sect. 6.
 
Copyright 2020 Yaakov Brown