The Secret Disciple

Hello everyone.

We will wrap up chapter 23 today, by looking at the burial of Jesus.  Here is my translation of verses 50-56:

50 There was a man there named Joseph, a member of the ruling council.  He was a good and righteous man.  51 (He had not agreed with these plans or these actions.) He was from a Jewish city called Arimathea.  He had been waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 He had gone to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. 53 He took down the body, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of rock, in which no body had ever been placed. 54 It was the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.  55 There were women following along.  These were the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee.  They saw the tomb and how his body had been placed in it. 56 Then they returned home and prepared the spices and perfumes.  They rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commands.

Not all of the Jewish leadership was trying to kill Jesus.  Joseph of Arimathea did not consent to any of this, and is described by Luke as a good and righteous man.  John states that Joseph was secretly a disciple of Jesus, but had kept his discipleship secret due to fear of the other Jewish leaders.  (John 19:38) 

Joseph, however, in a bold move, goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus in order to bury him. It appears that the secret is out. Joseph, in spite of his fear, goes public with his discipleship.  Honestly, it seems like an odd time to make an association with Jesus known.  Jesus is dead and therefore has the appearance of defeat at the hands of the very people that Joseph fears.  But Joseph, perhaps prompted by the Holy Spirit, steps forward at this moment, to set up the greatest of Jesus’ miracles by burying him in an unused tomb. 

John’s account also includes Nicodemus in the burial preparations, and it states that they used seventy-five pounds of spices for the burial..(John 19:39) Darrell Bock states using spices for burial was normal, but the amount that they used was unusual.  It was an amount that was generally reserved for kings. (Bock, 1875.) (Of course, it is fitting, since Jesus is a king, but he is a king of a different kind.)

As Joseph is taking charge of the burial of Jesus, there were women following.  This group of women had been following Jesus since his Galilean ministry.  They see the tomb that Joseph places Jesus’ body in.  It is not clear how large this group is.  Luke 24:10 mentions three by name and then says “and a few others.”  The three mentioned by name are Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, the mother of James. 

After seeing where Jesus was buried, the women returned home to prepare spices and perfumes for Jesus' body.  Joseph and Nicodemus had already prepared Jesus/ body for burial with enough spices for a king.  Perhaps these women were unaware, or possibly they wanted to do more for the one who was their king and their Messiah.  

This all happens on Friday.  Saturday being the Sabbath, they all rest in accordance with the law.  The women had a plan and that was to go to the tomb early on Sunday to anoint the body of Jesus, not knowing that they would be the first to witness the greatest miracle of all-time.  

All seems bleak.  The would-be Messiah is dead and buried.  It appears that the dream is over and that the dark forces of evil have won. But, I will close today, as I did in my previous post, with the timeless words of Baptist minister S. M. Lockridge, “It’s Friday! But Sunday's a-comin’”

     Darrell Bock, Luke: Volume 2 - 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996.