The Hyssop Branch

Tuesday, March 25, 2014           The Hyssop Branch

John  19: 25-30

We are looking for details in John’s account of Jesus’ crucifixion that point us to deeper truths about God’s plan of redemption for humankind. In today’s passage, John identifies by name three people at the foot of the cross; “Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). While the Gospel doesn’t specifically mention John by name, he is the fourth person identified in verses 26-27, the disciple who took Jesus’ mother into his own home. Decades after the crucifixion, groups opposing Jesus’ resurrection claimed that Jesus never died. John identifies six eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death, five by name and one by inference. (Joseph and Nicodemus, the other two named eyewitnesses will be mentioned in a following passage)

To see the next detail in today’s passage, it is helpful to first stand back to see the bigger picture. Fifteen times in this Gospel, John mentions Passover, three times in Chapter 19. With that in mind, we now can wonder why he tells us about the hyssop branch that the soldiers used to extend a sponge soaked in wine to Jesus. God commanded the Jews to use hyssop branches to brush the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts. (Exodus 22) Hyssop was also used by Moses to confirm the Covenant God made with Israel (Exodus 24): “For after Moses had read each of God’s commandments to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, and sprinkled both the book of God’s law and all the people, using hyssop branches and scarlet wool” Hebrews 9:19).  John wants us to know that Jesus is the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He wants us to know Jesus confirmed the New Covenant by his own blood.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.