{"id":3130,"date":"2017-09-19T00:02:45","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T00:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=3130"},"modified":"2017-09-19T00:02:45","modified_gmt":"2017-09-19T00:02:45","slug":"the-inevitability-of-death-and-the-christian-hope-therein-springing-forth-from-genesis-23-concerning-sarahs-death-and-burial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-inevitability-of-death-and-the-christian-hope-therein-springing-forth-from-genesis-23-concerning-sarahs-death-and-burial\/","title":{"rendered":"The Inevitability of Death and the Christian Hope Therein Springing Forth from Genesis 23 Concerning Sarah’s Death and Burial"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is based on Genesis 23 thus making it best understood after reading that passage.<\/em><\/p>\n

As human beings, our mortality is an inescapable reality of our existence.<\/p>\n

Death is something that surrounds us, our entire lives. Everyday thousands of people around the world are born, and thousands of people die. The indiscriminate reality of life is that we all will die. It could be at a ripe old age, after a long life, such as Sarah, or it could be before we acquire a wrinkle in our skin. Death is coming for us all, and no one knows when it is coming for them.<\/p>\n

You would think that the universal truth of our mortality would cause every single person to give great attention to becoming ready to die. You would think that every person in the world would seek the truth about what happens when we die. While there are many people who rightly pursue peace and knowledge in this area, the strange reality is that many, many people –\u00a0particularly in our western culture –\u00a0do not give nearly enough thought toward death. Instead of preparing for death, the way of our culture is to not talk about it, to not think about it, to try and ignore it, or just kick the can down the road in whatever way they can.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0we enter into the Genesis 23 of Abraham\u2019s life we are faced with the reality of death, as Abraham experiences the loss of his beloved wife, Sarah.<\/p>\n

The blessed thing for us is that the Biblical worldview answers these questions and considerations. The Gospel answers these concerns.<\/p>\n

Explanation of the text<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Before we look more at Sarah\u2019s death, we must notice the events that take place proceeding her death. After Sarah\u2019s death, and after a time of mourning, Abraham begins to look around for a place to bury his wife, of course. Specifically he wants some land that he can buy. Let us remember that Abraham, was a wanderer, a sojourner; he was a foreigner in this land. He was a nomad, he had no home, no land of his own to call home, or to call\u00a0his own.<\/p>\n

So Abraham goes around asking for some land, or a cave, or a tomb, some burial place to buy. In verse 6, the Hittites say to Abraham, \u201cHear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.\u201d<\/em> So these people, in the land of Canaan, had great respect for Abraham, and they begin to offer up their tombs for Abraham to use. But Abraham, though honored by this, wants to buy a tomb for his own. And so we see that Abraham does find a guy that will sell him some land with a cave to bury his wife.<\/p>\n

The Significance of Abraham Purchasing Land After a Life of Sojourning in the Land of the Canaanites<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All of this could seem like a pointless detail of the story of Abraham that doesn\u2019t seem to matter to us today or apply to our lives. It\u2019s an entire chapter describing Abraham\u2019s endeavor to buy a piece of land. But this is not insignificant. There is significance in Abraham actually purchasing and owning land after a life of sojourning as a stranger in the land of Canaan. How is that significant? If you remember, way, way, back in Genesis 15, God promised to give Abraham this land. This land that Abraham bought was part of the Promised Land. Now obviously the full fulfillment of that promise was not to come at this time, but this is just a step in that direction. It\u2019s a little hint from God to Abraham that He will indeed keep his promise.\u00a0It is a little foreshadowing of that promise\u2019s fulfillment.<\/p>\n

In purchasing this land to bury his wife, Sarah, I believe that Abraham is showing faith in the promises of God, and particularly the land promise. Abraham is buying land in the midst of the land that God promised to him. He is trusting that because of\u00a0that promise,\u00a0the tomb for his wife will remain there in his land for generations to come. So I believe that this is not merely a land and money transaction, but this is an act of faith on the part of Abraham. If my belief is right, this gives us a little hint here that Abraham had a hope beyond death. He had a faith and a hope in God that kept him from giving way to despair at the death of his beloved wife.<\/p>\n

A Sojourner<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In verse 4 Abraham calls himself a “sojourner and a foreigner.” As we mentioned, Abraham was nomadic, moving from place to place. Abraham\u2019s life of sojourning was not just how his life was; his life of being a sojourner is something that we all as Christians can relate to, and actually, in a way, participate in.<\/p>\n

Abraham\u00a0to Israel\u00a0to Jesus\u00a0to Believers<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Abraham sojourned, living a life of faith in God, waiting on God to fulfill His promises to him. In the same way, the nation of Israel spent many years as foreigners \u2013 sojourning in a foreign land. In fact, back in Genesis 15, God told Abraham that that would be the case. But Abraham\u2019s life of sojourning was not meant to merely picture the way of the Israelites. Years later when the promised seed would finally come, He would be a sojourner as well. Jesus said in Matthew 8v20, \u201cFoxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.\u201d Jesus lived his life as a sojourner, when He began His earthly ministry. He travelled from place to place, preaching and doing many miracles. Yet He had no home; no place to lay His head.<\/p>\n

So it follows that if our father in the faith, Abraham, the chosen people of Israel, and our Lord Himself were all sojourners in this world, then we are today, as God\u2019s people. As Christians, who are citizens of a heavenly kingdom, this world is not our home. We may live here, but it is not our home. We are foreigners in this world. We are simply sojourners in this land.<\/p>\n

Even more, this concept of sojourning helps us understand not only this life, but also death. This life isn\u2019t forever, we are just sojourning here. We\u2019ve been promised life, but not this life. We\u2019ve been promised the next life. Jesus gave up His life, because He knew that His life here was not ultimate. When we understand that we are but sojourners, that this life is not ultimate, then death is not something that we must fear. In fact, we become able to die; we become ready to die.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, all of this surrounds the event of Sarah\u2019s death. Why a chapter dedicated to this?<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ultimately, all of these events\u00a0in chapter 23 is because of, and surrounding the event of Sarah\u2019s death. One thing that\u00a0this signifies is the legacy that Sarah left. If Sarah were unimportant the details surrounding her death would not be mentioned.<\/p>\n

Sarah\u2019s legacy of faith<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sarah left quite a legacy of faith. She left a life that is marked by the sheer, unmerited grace of God in her life that worked faith in her. Her life shows us the struggles, pains, doubts, and victories that are all involved in living a life of faith in the promises of God. Her life is documented in the great faith chapter of Hebrews 11, where it says, \u201cBy faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.\u201d<\/em> (Hebrews 11v11). Oh to have that faith, that gift of God that considers Him faithful who has promised! That is the life we strive to live.<\/p>\n

Despite all of her flaws, her doubting, her laughter, her insufficiencies, her deceit, she was a woman of faith. She believed God and what He promised. All of her sin was covered by Christ. The Lord blessed her with 127 years of life. That\u2019s a long time. What a life. It is only fitting that the woman who is the matriarch of our faith, who is spoken highly of in the New Testament, have an entire chapter documenting her death and the events surrounding it.<\/p>\n

God Cares for us in Dying<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s more about the significance of an entire chapter dedicated to Sarah\u2019s death, is that it teaches us that God cares for us in our dying. He cares about His saints that die, and He cares about those who are survived by their loved ones; in this case it is Abraham, Sarah\u2019s husband.<\/p>\n

We have many verses throughout the Bible that tell us how God cares for us in this life, how He is near to the brokenhearted, how He comforts the afflicted, how He provides for our needs. But the Lord doesn\u2019t just care for our life, He cares for us in death also. Psalm 116v15 is such a sweet verse, it says, \u201cPrecious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.\u201d <\/em>The world doesn’t care much for us when we die, but Jesus does.<\/p>\n

Our death is not sweet to the Lord in a psychopathic type of way in which God enjoys watching people die. Far from that nonsense. Rather, it is sweet to Him in that we get to be with Him, face to face. It is sweet to him in that our life of sojourning in this world is over and we are called home. It is sweet to Him in that our faith becomes sight. It is sweet to Him in that we have finished the race. It is sweet to Him in that He gets to be with us, fully. Do you ever think about\u00a0how it is not just us who long to one day be with the Lord, but that the Lord longs to one day be with us, fully?<\/p>\n

Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His saints, the Scripture says. We might take Genesis 23 for granted. We might be tempted to think that Genesis 23 contains nothing for us. But Genesis 23 is precious to the Lord because\u00a0the death of Sarah was precious in the eyes of the Lord. If this event was and is precious to the Lord, it should be precious to us. For the Christian, death is not God forsaking us; it\u00a0is God receiving us into His presence. Or it is God giving our spouse or loved one, everything that He promised to them.<\/p>\n

Yet, We Still Mourn Death (Abraham Mourned and Wept)<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite the fact that \u201cprecious in the eyes of the Lord are the death of His saints,\u201d we still mourn. The death of our spouse or loved one, may not be precious to us, in that moment, or in this life. The Scripture says in verse 2 that \u201cAbraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.\u201d<\/em> Mourning and weeping are not words that even today we throw around lightly. These are intense words of anguish. Even for someone of great faith like Abraham, death is an event that can gnaw at the deepest emotions of our soul.<\/p>\n

Mourning, weeping, and grieving, are not bad things, they are certainly not sinful. It is perfectly natural, and right to properly grieve, and particularly to grieve death. Romans 12v15 tells us to \u201cweep with those who weep.\u201d Of course we know famously that Jesus wept. He did so at the death of Lazarus, his friend.<\/p>\n

But We Don\u2019t Grieve as Those Who Have no Hope (1 Thess. 4)<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Christians grieve death, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4v13-14, \u201cBut we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.\u201d<\/em> The chapter goes on describing the return of the Lord and then at the end of the chapter it says, \u201cTherefore, encourage one another with these words.\u201d<\/em> Ladies and Gentlemen, 1 Thessalonians 4v13 tells us that Christians do \u201cnot grieve as others do who have no hope.\u201d For we believe Jesus died and rose again. It doesn\u2019t say that we don\u2019t grieve. It says we don\u2019t grieve as<\/em> others do, who have no hope. It is\u00a0saying that\u00a0Christians grieve with<\/em> hope. Particularly we grieve with hope in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and that all those who are in Him, are kept in Him. The presence of pain and grief does not signify a lack of faith. In fact, proper grieving, grieving with hope in Jesus reveals a great work of faith in us.<\/p>\n

What did Abraham do in his mourning? He did not grieve as the Hittites grieved over their loved ones. He grieved with hope, and he showed us this by purchasing land to bury his dead in the land that he knew God promised to eventually give him.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Why do we Bury the Dead? To Signify that we Hope for Resurrection<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In his commentary on Genesis, John Calvin talks about how Abraham displayed faith in God by simply burying his wife. He said that Abraham gave proof that he had hope of resurrection by burying Sarah. Now, I wouldn\u2019t say that cremation is necessarily wrong or sinful,\u00a0and certainly not that it could somehow affect the eternal state of that person. However, there is a reason that Christians in particular have historically buried the bodies of their dead, beginning here with Abraham, our father in the faith. Why do we bury the dead? To signify that we hope for resurrection. We do so to show that we believe in resurrection, and that our Lord was buried and experienced bodily resurrection on the third day. Even our burials are a gospel opportunity and a gospel witness to those who do not have hope, and encouragement to those who do.<\/p>\n

Sin, the Reason we Experience Death<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For the Christian, death is an opportunity to say that sin is the reason we experience death, and that the wages of sin is death. The universality of death is due to the universality of sin. Why does everyone have to die? Because we are all sinners. This is one reason death is a sad thing. Death is a recognition or a reminder that we are all sinners. Why do good people die? They don\u2019t. Sinners die.<\/p>\n

As a child I would spend many nights terrified, unable to sleep, because I was afraid to die. I would have thoughts and dreams of going to hell, burning, and seeing the devil. It tormented me for many years of my childhood. Some people today will attribute that to the “Left Behind” scare culture of the church\u00a0at that time\u00a0and call it bad, and say that\u00a0I should never have had to experience those fears. I have my issues with the Left Behind scare culture, but I reject that. I attribute what I experienced as a child, at least in part,\u00a0to the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

Why was I afraid of dying as a child? Because of my sin. Because I knew what the punishment for sin was. Because I believed (and still do) that Hell is real. Some preachers today refuse to\u00a0preach about Hellfire and\u00a0damnation because they don’t want to scare people or be labeled a “fire and brimstone”\u00a0preacher. (But insofar\u00a0as\u00a0Christ is proclaimed\u00a0“fire and brimstone” preaching is actually quite biblical). But a serious assessment of our culture should make us believe that maybe what we need is more unbelievers terrified of eternal flames! Maybe we need more unbelievers tormented by the wages of sin! It’s not a scare tactic, it’s the truth. Biblical warnings are meant to be declared and heeded.<\/p>\n

Throughout history, the Holy Spirit pierced the consciousness of sinners with the reality of hell, thus bringing them to comfort in Christ.\u00a0He still does this. Let the piercing of our consciences\u00a0drive us to Christ, who was pierced for our\u00a0transgressions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Back in our text we saw that Sarah died. Abraham mourned for her. He bought land and buried her. And she stayed there, dead. Later Abraham joined her. And later their son Isaac joined them. But years and years later a descendent from Sarah would live and die, and be buried, placed in a tomb, but He wouldn\u2019t stay there. He would get up, three days after dying, and walk.<\/p>\n

The Death of Death in the Death of Christ<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The answer to our fears of death is the death of Christ because the answer to our sin problem is the death of Christ. Even more so we can say that the answer to our fear of dying is the reality that Jesus died, but didn\u2019t stay dead. The answer to our fear of death is that Jesus is alive, alive today. The answer to our fear of judgment is that Jesus was judged for us. The answer to our fear of pain is that Jesus has removed death\u2019s stinger, he has defanged death\u2019s bite. It will still bite us, but it won\u2019t hurt us.<\/p>\n

The Lord Jesus, when He died, bearing the sins of his people, was bit by death, but death wasn\u2019t ready for a God-Man that would bite back. Jesus bit back so that \u201cDeath was swallowed up in Victory\u201d as 1 Corinthians 15v54 says. I love the vision that John sees of Jesus in Revelation 1: \u201cWhen I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, \u2018Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.\u2019\u201d<\/em> \u201cFear not!\u201d Jesus says. Jesus died, and behold! Behold He is alive forever more! And he holds the keys of death and hades in His hands! Our Lord is all powerful, He beat death. Jesus put death to death for the believer. Jesus died for our sins, under the wrath of God, was buried, resurrected from the dead, thus putting death to death burying death in it\u2019s tomb, sealing the grave, and taking the keys for it never to come back and haunt us again. This is the victory of Christ! How can a Christian fear death when this is the guy that we follow? \u201cFear not\u201d Jesus says, \u201cFor I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gospel prepares us to die, because it promises us resurrection. Jesus makes us ready to die, because in Him we know that we will rise again. Christ comforts us in death because he removes our fears. On his deathbed, the Puritan Richard Baxter was asked how he was. He replied, \u201cI am almost well.\u201d There is no comfort for the soul, there is no cure for our fears, there is no remedy for death like the blood of our Lord Jesus, and His Spirit that walks us through the doors of death holding on to the hand of Christ.<\/p>\n

If you ever experience the death of your spouse who is a believer, just know that they\u2019re okay. They have been escorted by Christ Himself through doors of death and into the full presence of God. While it is painful for you, the Spirit of Christ remains with you, believer, to carry you the rest of the way. This is a great balm for the soul, that because of Jesus, death can do us no harm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1 Thess. 5v9-10, Christ \u201cdied for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps the greatest comfort in death is that we will be with Christ. In fact, scripture tells us that the greatest comfort is that in death we will actually\u00a0live<\/em> with Christ. As I mentioned, when I was a child I feared death and hell, and the punishment for my sin. But oh what a promise and a comfort 1 Thessalonians 5v9-10 is for me today and for all who are in Christ. It says this, \u201cFor God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.\u201d<\/em> Our Lord Jesus Christ died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live him. That is our promise; that we will be with him. For the Christian, death is good because it means life with Jesus.<\/p>\n

Sarah, though she died, she, right now, at this very moment, is alive. She is with Christ in the presence of God experiencing pleasures and joy forevermore. Her reward is so far beyond all the struggles and doubts and waiting and trusting that she went through in her life.<\/p>\n

Our comfort in death is this, that whether we are awake or asleep, Jesus died for us so that we might live with Him. Therefore we do not grieve as others do who have no hope.<\/p>\n

It is interesting that God designed it so that the cross, the place of Christ\u2019s greatest discomfort and torment, is where we find our greatest comfort and our torments are put to rest. Jesus died for our sin there, He took God\u2019s wrath for our sin there, He took our punishment, our pain, He beat death, He rose again, and lives to comfort us, to pray for us, and when we pass through the waves of death, we will find ourselves on the shore of eternal life in the presence of Jesus Himself. There our battered and bruised bodies will hear those words, \u201cWell done, my good and faithful servant\u201d \u2013 just as Sarah has heard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post is based on Genesis 23 thus making it best understood after reading that passage. As human beings, our mortality is an inescapable reality of our existence. Death is something that surrounds us, our entire lives. Everyday thousands of people around the world are born, and thousands of people die. The indiscriminate reality of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":3199,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,27,30,32],"tags":[96,244,274,355,412,485,539,557,602,603,619,678,679,699,747,1014,1031,1050,1056,1092,1114],"class_list":{"0":"post-3130","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-faith","8":"category-gospel","9":"category-preaching","10":"category-theology","11":"tag-abraham","12":"tag-burial","13":"tag-christ","14":"tag-death","15":"tag-dying","16":"tag-fear","17":"tag-genesis","18":"tag-god","19":"tag-hell","20":"tag-help","21":"tag-hope","22":"tag-jenkins","23":"tag-jesus","24":"tag-joshua","25":"tag-life","26":"tag-rags","27":"tag-reformed","28":"tag-resurrection","29":"tag-riches","30":"tag-sarah","31":"tag-sermon","32":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/09\/imagesuse0qz4c.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3587,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-promise-is-coming-commentary-on-genesis-50v22-26\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":0},"title":"The Promise is Coming: Commentary on Genesis 50v22-26","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Well we come to the end of Genesis, much like we come to the end of life \u2013 with death. Genesis concludes by wrapping up Joseph\u2019s life, telling us that he stayed in Egypt, living to 110 years, seeing many grandchildren, giving instructions about his death, and dying.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/07\/wayechi-parsha-burying-the-body-of-joseph-illustration-from-the-1890-holman-bible.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/07\/wayechi-parsha-burying-the-body-of-joseph-illustration-from-the-1890-holman-bible.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/07\/wayechi-parsha-burying-the-body-of-joseph-illustration-from-the-1890-holman-bible.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3581,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/embracing-death-commentary-on-genesis-49v28-50v14\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":1},"title":"Embracing Death: Commentary on Genesis 49v28-50v14","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"July 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Embracing Death Jacob is a man who has spent much of his life, on the run, fearing for his life, running for his life, to preserve it. First he ran for his life from Esau, then he ran for his life from Laban, then he wrestled with God for his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/07\/jacobs_death_22-57.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3469,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/resurrection-in-genesis-31\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":2},"title":"Resurrection in Genesis 31","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"January 15, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Genesis 31 contains the narrative that describes Jacob's exodus, or departure, from Laban after working for him for 20 years. If you are familiar with the story, you will know that Laban didn't treat Jacob with the most integrity. Laban famously tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, Laban's eldest daughter, whom\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"31\"","block_context":{"text":"31","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/31\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/01\/fog-dawn-landscape-morgenstimmung-163323.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4752,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-burial-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":3},"title":"The Burial of Christ","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"February 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"38\u00a0After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly\u00a0for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.\u00a039\u00a0Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[a]\u00a0by night,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/the-garden-tomb-jerusalem-nigel-radcliffe.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/the-garden-tomb-jerusalem-nigel-radcliffe.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/the-garden-tomb-jerusalem-nigel-radcliffe.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/02\/the-garden-tomb-jerusalem-nigel-radcliffe.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":452,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-gospel-for-depraved-humanity\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":4},"title":"The Gospel for Depraved Humanity","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"August 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This post\u00a0is essentially on the doctrine of the total depravity of man and the hope brought to him. The total depravity of man is not a culturally acceptable belief. Our culture wants us to believe that we are good people, with good hearts, and we can do great things. Some\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4999,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-land-was-filled-with-them\/","url_meta":{"origin":3130,"position":5},"title":"The Land Was Filled With Them","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:\u00a02\u00a0Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,\u00a03\u00a0Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,\u00a04\u00a0Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.\u00a05\u00a0All the descendants of Jacob were\u00a0seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.\u00a06\u00a0Then\u00a0Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/05\/Exodus.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3130\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}