Joseph Places Jesus in The Tomb
June 12, 2021
Commentary
Since Jesus died about 3 o’clock in the afternoon and Jewish law forbid any burial on the Sabbath which began at sunset (v. 42). God had a higly respected and wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea (a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38) ready to take care of the body of Jesus (Matt. 27:57) (v. 43). He was assisted by Nicodemus, also a member of the counsel (John 19:38-42). It does not appear that these two men suddenly decided to bury Jesus because what they did demanded much preparation. Historical records state that frequently the bodies of criminals were never buried but were simply taken down and left for the vultures.
When Joseph went to Pilate for permission to get the body of Jesus, Pilate couldn’t believe that He was already dead (vv. 44-45). It was not unusual for criminals to hang for days on the cross before they died. In some cases the victims died of starvation rather than their wounds. This is only more proof that Jesus laid down His life and it wasn’t taken from Him.
Joseph took His body down from the cross and wrapped it with strips of linen cloth which was the Jewish manner of burying (vv 46-47). Then he took Jesus to a tomb that was prepared for his own burial. It has been said that Joseph was the man who gave Jesus a tomb when He was dead, but was silent when He was alive. It is still true today that man tends to provide a good burial for people when they are dead but fail to give them any help when they are alive. There is a certain tragedy about Joseph. He was a member of the Sanhedrin and yet we have no hint that he spoke one word in Jesus’ favor or intervened in any way on his behalf while He was alive.
Application
If my Christian witness ever endangers my reputation, I need to remember Joseph. Today he is remembered with admiration but how many other members of the Jewish Sanhedrin can you name?
Mark 15:42– 47 (NET)
42 Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 45 When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 After Joseph bought a linen cloth and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was placed.
Illustration: Wanted a Christian Burial For His Dog
A man came to the Lutheran Church and asked to see the pastor. “Pastor,” he said, “My dog died and I would like a Christian burial for him.” The Pastor said, “I’m sorry to hear about your dog, but we Lutherans don’t do funerals for dogs. You might try the Baptist church down the street. Baptists will do most anything.” The man turned sadly and said, “I’m sorry you won’t do my dog’s funeral, but I understand. I’ll try the Baptist church. But would you tell me how much is appropriate to leave for a memorial for the church? I was thinking of giving a $10,000 memorial in honor of my dog.” “Wait a minute,” the pastor said. “You didn?t tell me that your dog was Lutheran.” (Source Unknown).