THE FULLER'S SOAP

            Sope:  middle English spelling for soap, an emulsifier, bleach and cleanser.
            Fuller:  a craftsman who softens, bleaches, purifies and cleanses wool cloth.

            Have you ever been around sheep?  Sheep are not clean animals.  Like a magnet to metal the thick wool of sheep attracts all sorts of impurities.  That's putting it lightly.  For every bit of dust stirred, every icky thing a sheep lays in not only stains, but permeates the fibers of wool.  In short sheep stink.  Ever wonder why Jesus calls us His sheep?  Could it have something to do with the stain of stinky sin?

            The Son of God came down from heaven to be born the Son of Man.  To be close to us, he became one of us.  What better way to communicate?  What better way to show His love?  Jesus also came down from heaven as both Good Shepherd and Lamb.  The Shepherd calls us His sheep.  Again, Jesus became one of us.  Jesus the deity became a sinless man among sinful men.  Jesus the Shepherd became a Lamb without blemish among a flock of dirty sheep.  On the cross Jesus, the spotless Lamb, gave his own blood to wash away the blemishes of his fellow sheep.  For Jesus is the Master Fuller, whose own blood is the fullers soap: that washes the wool of His sheep whiter than snow.  Thankfully, Jesus clothes us in His righteousness.  For no unrighteous thing, nothing with blemish, nothing with even a hint of the stain of sin enters heaven... The catch is:  Jesus clothes only those who ask...

            Malachi 3:2 KJ, "But who may abide the day of his coming?  And who shall stand when he appeareth?  For he is like a refiner's fire and fuller's sope."  Jesus, the fuller's soap that purifies and cleanses the wool and hearts of all us dirty stinky, sin stained sheep... who call upon him...

            Mark 10:46-52 KJ, "And they came to Jericho: and as they went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 47) And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus thou son of David, have mercy on me. 48)And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried out the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 49)And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called.  And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth. 50)And he casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. 51)And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. 52)And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."  By faith Bartimaeus saw to cast off his garment; saw to cast off the old and receive the new; saw to put on the whiter than snow garment of salvation... Indeed, Bartimaeus not only followed on the road, but followed Jesus ...in the way... the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  (Romans 10:13; 2nd Corinthians 5:17; John 14:6)

            Isaiah 35:8 KJ, "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Down the road from Jericho, Jesus continued on to Bethphage and Bethany on the slope of the Mount of Olives, then unto Jerusalem.  There, two of Jesus' disciples cast their garments upon the back of a never ridden donkey colt.  On cast off garments Jesus sat riding, and many spread their cast off garments on the road before him.  Not only did they spread their garments on the roadway in reverence to his divine royalty; but more so cast off those worldly sin stained garments, that sin and death be cast off and trodden; and that they be newly clothed in the way... clothed in the salvation and righteousness of Jesus.

            Mark 11:9 KJ, "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried saying, HOSANA; BLESSED IS HE THAT COMETH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD."  Hosana: from the Hebrew hoshiahnna & Greek hosanna: a cry of adoration and acclamation, and even more so a cry out, literally meaning... pray save us.  So may we also be clothed: Romans 10:13 KJ, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

            Isaiah 61:10 KJ, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and a bride adorneth herself with jewels."  Jesus clothes each Christian, His church, His bride in His whiter than snow garment of salvation and robe of righteousness (Rev. 19:7-16).  And you must wear His clothing and no other or be cast out of the wedding (Mat. 22:1-14).

            Atop a mountain, Peter, James and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus: Mark 9:3 KJ, "And his raiment became shining, exceedingly white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."

            "The Fuller's Soap," the only brand of soap that gets you squeaky clean and clothes you forever in the love of... Jesus...