Jesus, the true Nazirite - Num 6:1-21, Mk 14:22-25

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50104530397

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>> 22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” <<

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In the Old Testament, there are various offerings a man offers up to God. People could give God not only cows and sheep but also grain. And there was a Nazirite-system in which a man offered himself to God. The system is recorded in detail in chapter 6, Numbers. “Say to the people of Israel, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink, and shall not drink any juice or grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. (Num 6:2-4)” A Nazirite must not touch a corpse during the separation. And he can't cut off his hair during the period, and should burn the hair to God on the day when the time of separation is completed, a hair that has grown during the period. The animal is killed and offered up to God while the man is not killed but only his hair is cut and burnt to God as a burnt offering symbolically. In other words, the Nazirite is one who separates himself holy and offers himself as a sacrifice to God.

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In the text, Jesus declared that he would never eat anything from the vine after the last supper with his disciples (until the kingdom of God came). This means that he would live as a Nazirite from then on. Yes! He decided to offer himself to God as a sacrifice, not symbolically but his whole body. A Nazirite of the Old Testament cut only his hair and burnt it to God while Jesus, like an animal sacrifice of the Old Testament, sacrificed himself and offered himself to God as a sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind.

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Unusually, however, Jesus said that he would give his body and blood to his disciples. This means that Jesus' life and his holy body were entirely for God and man. Some parts of the sacrifices offered to God were eaten by man in the Old Testament. Jesus became a true Nazirite, giving his life to God, his flesh and blood to humans.

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Today's text of the Bible tells us in what kind of mindset Jesus lived his whole life. He lived 'a life of Nazirite'. He lived a holy life with no blemish and sacrificed his holy spirit and body to God. All of this was for the glory of God and for the good of man.

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Let us imitate our Lord Jesus! Let's have the spirit of Nazirite until we enter the kingdom of God.

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