Lo In The Grave He Lay Series

And you know… I think it’s really interesting that both Joseph and Nicodemus were “secret disciples” when Jesus was alive… but after He was crucified… when things were the most dangerous, when their own livelihoods were really on the line, they stepped up and were unashamed. Where was bold and boisterous Peter? Where was James? Where was Andrew and Matthew? And the rest?

It’s going to take the resurrection to transform them… but not Joseph and Nicodemus and the women who were at the cross. They’re already committed.

And here’s the thing. God wants us to be unashamed, totally committed followers of Jesus. But the reality is, not everyone starts out that way. The reality is that sometimes it takes something to shock us out of our fear, or apathy, or comfort zone.

Sometimes something has to happen to wake us up, and make us realize, it really is all about Jesus. And get us to the point where we’re “all in”. For some folks that’s the realization of their mortality. For others it’s seeing that Jesus is the only One who can fix this mess of a world we live in. For others still it might be coming to the realization that Jesus really is God, and the Bible really is true, and I either submit to His lordship now or suffer the consequences later.

For Joseph and Nicodemus, I truly believe that it was through their study of the Old Testament Scriptures. I think that they probably came to see that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy after prophecy, that He was doing miracles that only God could do. That He truly was the “Seed of the Woman.” The “Offspring of Abraham”. The Savior and Messiah – the Christ. Maybe it was the raising of Lazarus from the dead, or the walking on water, or giving sight to the man born blind… or maybe it was Palm Sunday that did it. But somehow, they came to believe.

Now I want to show you one more thing – another example of how Jesus was in complete control of all of this…. Turn with me to Luke 11:29 (READ). This is Jesus Himself prophesying about His own death, burial, and resurrection. He says an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign… that’s what they’re always looking for – “Oh look healing, miracles, tongues, prophecies, signs and wonders.” But Jesus says the ONLY sign He will give is the sign of Jonah. And you’ll remember that Jonah was in the big fish for 3 days. Jesus is saying that He’ll be in the grave for three days. And in order for that to happen, His body must be placed in the tomb before sundown. That’s when the Sabbath day would begin… so around 6:00 PM. Jesus died around 3:00. Joseph goes to Pilate and asks for the body. Pilate agrees after it’s confirmed by the Roman guards that Jesus is in-fact dead. Joseph and Nicodemus place Jesus’ body in the tomb before the Sabbath began. That’s day one. Saturday is the Sabbath, that’s day two… and Sunday – THE LORDS DAY, “up from the gave He arose! With a mighty triumph o’re His foes!”

Three days in the heart of the earth, just like Jonah in the belly of the Big Fish!

Church – God’s Word does not return to Him void. If God has said it, He will bring it to pass. And that’s what the burial of Jesus shows us.