With Dale Ratzlaff
John 19:38-42
In these four verses, coupled with the information in the other Gospels, we can fill in a few of the details of the burial of Christ. First, we will list the verses in John and then portions of the record from the Synoptics that add information not found in John. Then, we will seek to pull these details into a likely scenario. Granted, some of our conclusions may be assumptions, but they are assumptions based upon the evidence we have. I have highlighted the additional information from the Synoptics.
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body.
By comparing the other Gospels, we can learn a few more things about Joseph of Arimathea which I have highlighted.
When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away (Mt. 27:57-60).
Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus (Mk. 15:43).
And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain (Lk. 23:50-53).
Joseph of Arimathea is not mentioned either before these events or afterword. However, he, with Nicodemus, play important roles in the burial of Jesus.
From these verses, we learn the following regarding Joseph of Arimathea:
- He was from Arimathea “a city of the Jews” known as Rama today. He is named by the city where he lived to distinguish him from other “Josephs” which was a common name at that time.
- He was a sincere Jew, “waiting for the kingdom of God.”
- He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin.
- He was a “secret disciple” of Jesus for fear of the Jews. Probably the other members of the Council would have kicked him out had he publicly shown himself to be a disciple of Jesus.
- He did not go along with the vote of the Sanhedrin to put Jesus to death.
- He was a rich man.
- He “gathered up courage” to go to Pilot and ask for the body of Jesus. By this act, Joseph “came out” as a disciple of Jesus and in so doing doubtless cut his influence or even membership in the Sanhedrin. At this time his associates in the ruling Council knew where his loyalties were.
- He had previously made a new tomb cut into a rock, a type of vault typical for a wealthy person of nobility. Doubtless, he did not cut it out himself. He was well-to-do and would have had one of his servants do the work.
- He laid Jesus in his own new tomb which no one else had used. There was no smell of death. All was clean and pure.
- He wrapped Jesus in clean or new, linen clothes.
We now turn to Nicodemus.
39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.
In John 3, we have the record of Nicodemus coming to Jesus one evening. John describes Nicodemus as a Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and “the teacher” in Israel. In that interview, Jesus told Nicodemus that one must be born again of the water and of the Spirit. Nicodemus did not understand, so Jesus pointed him to the story recorded in Numbers 21.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life (Jn. 3:14-15).
Later in John 7, we meet Nicodemus again.
Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” (Jn. 7:50-51).
From these passages, we learn the following regarding Nicodemus:
- He was a leading Pharisee.
- He was a ruler of the Jews.
- He was “the teacher” in Israel.
- He was a member of the Sanhedrin.
- He knew Jesus had told him that Jesus was going to be “lifted up”—crucified.
- He spoke up against the majority of the Council when they were judging Jesus contrary to Jewish law.
- He remembered that all he had to do to be saved was to look at the uplifted “serpent”—Christ on the cross who had been made to be sin for us.
- He brought about a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes to the cross.
By putting all these biblical details together, we can construct the following.
Because both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were secret disciples of Jesus at this time, there was no reason for them to flee from the crucifixion scene as did the known disciples of Jesus, except for John. Doubtless, they knew of each other’s “secret faith” in Jesus and met together at the cross. While we cannot prove these details, it appears that when Jesus died, they each set out on a mission to get the needed supplies for a “kingly burial.”
40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
Now we note that there is more than one person doing the work of preparation for burial. Working with the clean, or new, linen wrappings that Joseph of Arimathea had purchased and the spices Nicodemus brought, they combine these together “as is the burial custom of the Jews.” It is thought that the amount of spices used in the preparation of Jesus’ body would have been such as used for a royal burial. The fact that John mentions there were about a hundred pounds of spices may be another subtle way he is showing that Jesus is the Divine King. It appears that both Joseph and Nicodemus were wealthy men. Thus, we see a fulfillment of Isa. 53:9
His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth (Isa 53:9).
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
By now it was late on Friday afternoon. There was no time to carry Jesus’ body a long distance from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea willingly provided his own new tomb, one fit for a wealthy king!
Application
- This last week there was a considerable discussion on Facebook about how many Adventist pastors still believe in the investigative judgment, Ellen G. White’s authority, and the Sabbath as the “seal of God.” Many concluded that they thought most Adventist pastors no longer believed these doctrines. However, these pastors stayed in Adventism for financial and social reasons. We should be careful not to judge these “secret disciples of the gospel.” God may be using them to reach people in their congregations with the gospel. At the same time, there will come a time when, like Joseph of Arimathea, they will need to gather courage and take a public stand for the gospel and renounce the errors of Adventism.
- A true disciple of Jesus will freely provide what is needed for the gospel.
- Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus played an important part in the burial of Jesus. In the same way, there may come a time when we can play an important role in Christ’s kingdom.
- We can trust God’s providence to work all things together for good. †
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