One of the majestic attributes of God is His absolute sovereignty, His supreme rulership and ultimate control over all things in the universe. He has created and He sustains all things that exist, and He ordains and brings to pass all things that happen.
Nowhere in Scripture is God’s incredible and amazing providence more evident than in Jesus’ burial. In the examination of His crucifixion, His burial is often passed over as being simply a necessary event between His death and resurrection. There is a strong tendency to rush immediately from His immediate death to His resurrection, mentioning His burial only in passing Yet the account of His burial as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, conveys several astounding truths that give remarkable testimony to the superintendency of God.
Although a touching and interesting story, the burial of Jesus seems somewhat mundane and ordinary compared to His dramatic and substantive death and resurrection. Yet even His burial provides its own demonstrations of God’s sovereign control. There were no miracles in the trial of Christ, in His crucifixion, or in His burial, but the providence of God controlled every detail.
Especially in Matthew’s account, every detail of Jesus’ burial, including the scheming of His enemies, is a testimony to His Sonship, messiahship, and kingship. There is no human explanation for these events. He is again shown to be none other than the promised Son of God and the sovereign Ruler of God’s kingdom. We can see this in God’s: 1) Directing the Rich: Joseph of Arimethea (Mt. 27:57–60), 2) Directing the Relatives: The Two Marys (Mt. 27:61), 3) Directing the Religious: The Chief Priests and Pharisees (Mt. 27:62–66)
God’s:
1) Directing the Rich: Joseph of Arimethea (Mt. 27:57–60)
Matthew 27:57-60 [57]When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. [58]He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. [59]And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud [60]and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. (ESV)
The purpose of this section is to record the burial of the obviously dead body of Jesus (Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Mt 27:57–Jn 19:42). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.).
When it was evening refers to the period from 3:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M., which period the Jews considered to be the end of the day and the beginning of the evening. It was “about the ninth hour,” or 3:00 P.M., that Jesus spoke His last words from the cross and “yielded up His spirit” (Matt. 27:46–50).
For two reasons it was imperative that Jesus die several hours before the end of the day. First, because the Sabbath began at six o’clock that day, He had to be taken down from the cross before then and prepared for burial in order not to profane the Sabbath. According to Jewish law they could not be left on the crosses overnight (Deut. 21:22–23); ... Josephus tells us that even the bodies of crucified malefactors were taken down and buried before sunset (War 4.317). But burial had to be completed by sunset, for that marked the beginning of the Sabbath, on which no labor should be performed (specifically a corpse might not be moved on the Sabbath, nor even any member of it, Shab. 23:5) (Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (728). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.).
Second, Jesus had to be buried before the end of that day, Friday, in order to be in the earth at least a part of three separate days before His resurrection, as He Himself declared He would be (Matthew 12:40).
By the time Jesus died, even John apparently had left Golgotha and only the few faithful women remained. They were not able to care for the body by themselves, especially in the short time remaining before the end of the day, and, in any case, they had no burial place for Jesus. But at the exact moment necessary, God moved in the heart of a godly man. Therefore, when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also/himself was/had also become a disciple of Jesus. Rich people rarely showed up among Jesus’ disciples, especially when pressure became serious (19:24; 26:18). Yet Joseph here is a disciple of Jesus, a model to be imitated, one of the few rich men who squeezed through a needle’s eye by God’s grace (19:23–24) (Keener, C. S. (1997). Vol. 1: Matthew. The IVP New Testament commentary series (Mt 27:57). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.).
• Anything that captivates our mind and heart is our God. For some it is sex, for others it is general entertainment, and for many it is wealth. For those in Christ, our wealth is found in Him. He is our inheritance and we become rich in mercy and grace.
Please turn to Isaiah 53
Joseph not only was a rich man, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa. 53:9). Elsewhere, there are further descriptions of Joseph mentioned in Mark (“expecting the kingdom of God”) or John (“a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews”) (France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (1089). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.)
Isaiah 53 prophesized the elements of the life of Christ, and highlighted the role of Joseph in verse 9
Isaiah 53:1-9 [53:1]Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? [2]For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. [3]He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [4]Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5]But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. [6]All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7]He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. [8]By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?[9]And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Joseph was “a prominent member of the Council,” the Sanhedrin, and “was waiting for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43). Contrary to the other members, however, he was “a good and righteous man” who “had not consented to their plan and action” to condemn and execute Jesus (Luke 23:50–51).
• The circumstances that God worked in the death of Jesus, show that even in the bleakest of circumstances, God is working out His plan. Even when it seems the opposition has one, God is sovereign and will work out His plan.
At some point during the past three years, Joseph had become a disciple of Jesus, although “a secret one, for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38). The Greek text uses the verb form of disciple and could be translated, “was discipled to (or by) Jesus.” Joseph was a follower of and learner from Jesus, suggesting that he must have heard our Lord preach and teach and that he probably witnessed many of His miracles. Because, as already noted, he was a secret disciple, Joseph had followed and learned from Jesus at a distance. It is possible he had first heard Jesus in the company of other Sanhedrin members as they came to criticize and condemn Him and, while listening to Him preach, was convinced of Jesus’ messiahship. But to have made his allegiance to Christ public not only would have cost him his place in the Sanhedrin but would have jeopardized his economic, social, and family welfare as well.
• You may be here this morning and have heard the story of the crucifixion of Jesus many times yet continue to remain a secret disciple. What do you fear losing by publicly professing Christ?
But now Joseph “gathered up courage” (Mark 15:43) and verse 58 says that he went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. We learn from Mark that “Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph” (Mark 15:44–45). The body of a victim normally would be given only to a family member. Often, however, even that humane consideration was not permitted, because public desecration of the body by throwing it into an open grave or onto a garbage heap was sometimes used as an additional warning about the serious consequences of opposing Rome.
But having already granted the Jewish leaders’ request to make sure the crucified men were dead and removed from their crosses before the Sabbath, and not wanting to anger those leaders any further, Pilate may have been glad to grant the body of Jesus to Joseph and have the matter ended. Because of their humiliation and intimidation of him, Pilate had no inclination to do the Sanhedrin a favor. But he could ill afford offending them again. He would not have known Joseph’s motive and perhaps assumed he was acting in behalf of his colleagues. Without asking for an explanation, Pilate immediately ordered Jesus’ body be given to Joseph.
Joseph probably came to Pilate with little hope of receiving the body, and there are many reasons why his request might not have been granted. He certainly did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead or else he would not have given such careful attention to the body’s preparation and permanent interment.
Yet his great love for Jesus led him to face the wrath of his fellow Council members and friends as well as the wrath of Pilate in order to offer this last gesture of respect to Christ.
• When things don’t happen as we expect them to, what’s our reaction? When it seems that God has not fulfilled our desire, and let us down, do we secretly blame God, or continue to do the right thing, at the right time? God was working in a way that Joseph did not expect.
The Lord had sovereignty caused the Jewish leaders to do their part in demanding that the bodies be taken down from the crosses before the end of the day. He had caused Pilate to grant that permission, caused Joseph’s request for the body, and caused Pilate’s permission once again. Now the Lord caused Joseph to secure, prepare, and inter Jesus’ body before Friday evening ended. None of those people realized they were fulfilling prophecy. As far as his own motives and understanding were concerned, even the godly Joseph did what he did for personal reasons. It seemed only right that this innocent Man in whom he had placed his faith have a respectable burial.
After removing it from the cross, verse 59 and 60 read that Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud/cloth, [60] and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut/hewn out in the rock. Because of his devotion to Christ and because the tomb was very near Golgotha (John 19:42), it seems probable that, although he was a wealthy man and had many servants, Joseph carried the body himself. (Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (367). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
Joseph begins preparing Jesus’ body for burial by placing it in a clean linen cloth or “shroud” (RSV; 27:59). John’s Gospel fills in some other details, such as another secret disciple, Nicodemus, unveiling himself at this critical moment to aid Joseph (John 19:39–40; cf. 3:1–21). Together they prepare Jesus’ body. The Jews did not practice cremation or full embalming of corpses, but the body was prepared for burial by washing it, dressing it in special garments, and packing it in the linen cloth with fragrant spices. Along with stifling the smell of the body decaying, myrrh and other aromatics represented the preservation of the body, which to the Jewish mind was the prerequisite of resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus perform acts even more significant than they themselves understand (Wilkins, M. J. (2004). The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (912–913). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
After the body was wrapped, Joseph rolled a great/large stone to/against the entrance of the tomb and went away. Graves were commonly secured in some way, often with a great stone placed over the entrance, in order to prevent desecration of the body by animals or birds and to prevent grave robbers from stealing the valuables that were often buried with the deceased. It was the custom to bury in tombs carved out of rock, at least where this could be afforded, and to roll a huge stone in front of the opening to seal the tomb (Hagner, D. A. (2002). Vol. 33B: Word Biblical Commentary : Matthew 14-28. Word Biblical Commentary (858). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
• There are great similarities with the beginning and ending of Jesus’ life: It involved two different men named Joseph. Jesus also received the treatment of a king: first with the gift of myrrh, then embalmed with myrrh as a king would have. His triumphal entry into Jerusalem as king, the week before, on Palm Sunday, would result in the burial like one.
The clean linen shroud/cloth in which the body was wrapped was similar to the cloth in which Christ was wrapped as a baby (v. 59; Luke 2:7)—He had been born to die. John tells us that Nicodemus joined Joseph at the tomb with about 100 pounds of spices and ointment (John 19:38–42; see also Mark 15:42–47). Aloe was a fragrant wood pounded into dust, and myrrh was an aromatic gum that would be mixed with it. A semiliquid unguent such as nard was usually added to the other ingredients to help them adhere to the body (Robertson, A. K. (1983). Matthew (159). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.).
• When we minister for Christ, we will be used by God in ways that will not immediately be seen or understood. But, they will indeed have significance for the Kingdom of God.
2) Directing the Relatives: The Two Marys (Mt. 27:61)
Matthew 27:61 [61]Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (ESV)
A second group of people at Jesus’ burial were used to give evidence of the deity of Christ in an unusual and wonderful way. The purpose of this...incident... is to make it plain that the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ death and burial were convinced of His death (Mills, M. (1999). The Life of Christ: A Study Guide to the Gospel Record (Mk 16:1). Dallas, TX: 3E Ministries.)
Of the “many women” who had observed the crucifixion from a distance and who had faithfully served Jesus during His Galilean ministry (vv. 55–56), only Mary Magdalene … and the other Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joseph (Mark 15:47), had followed Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb. This verse explains how they know where to go on Sunday morning and should refute all allegations that they went to the wrong tomb! (Blomberg, C. (2001). Vol. 22: Matthew (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (423). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
After they perhaps helped Joseph and Nicodemus wrap Jesus’ body in the spices and after the great stone was rolled into place to secure it, the two Marys were sitting opposite the tomb/grave. Apparently the two men had left, and these women were now alone at the tomb, engulfed by deep sorrow. Of special interest is the observation that in none of the resurrection accounts is there any dispute about the matter of the empty tomb. It is rather the explanation of this fact that causes division and at the same time reveals the difference between belief and unbelief (Newman, B. M., & Stine, P. C. (1992). A handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. UBS helps for translators; UBS handbook series (872). New York: United Bible Societies).
• There is a sure reality of death and suffering, especially for followers of Christ. To either deny it or try to cover it up with wishful thinking, is to fail to consider the world around us and the emotions within us. The difference for the Christian, is the fact that we are to grieve, but not like those without hope (1 Thes. 4:13). In the midst of grief we have the comfort of each other, the Holy Spirit, God’s promises and in them the assurance that His plan is working for our benefit and His glory.
Please turn to Mark 16
Immediately in the story of the entombment of Jesus, the special contribution of those two women is not evident until early on Sunday morning, when they returned to the sepulcher to finish anointing Jesus’ body. At that time they became the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection.
Mark 16:1-7 [16:1]When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. [2]And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. [3]And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" [4]And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back--it was very large. [5]And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. [6]And he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. [7]But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you." (ESV)
• God did not choose any of the disciples but rather two women to be the priority witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. Mary Magdalene not only was one of the first two persons to know of Jesus’ resurrection but was the first person to whom He appeared (John 20:11–17).
• It is so amazing that God chose these two witness first for the resurrection. In the first century, a woman’s testimony was generally discarded. Regardless of marginalized you might be in the world’s eyes, never discount your gifts or situation for how God wants to use you. God chooses what the world despises to display His greatness (1 Cor. 1:26).
If we really consider it, the burial of Christ is a theological foundation of Christian faith itself: It speaks of eternal life, which begins at belief. In Romans, Paul speaks of Christians being buried with Jesus in his death, just as they are raised with him in his resurrection. He does this while discussing the Christian life, explaining why believers cannot continue in sin. For example, “We were … buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom. 6:4)....Burial puts the deceased person out of this world permanently... when it is placed in the ground and covered with earth, it is removed from the sphere of this life permanently. It is gone. That is why Paul, who wanted to emphasize the finality of being removed from the rule of sin and death, emphasizes it. He is repeating but also intensifying what he said about our death to sin earlier. “You have not only died to it,” he says. “You have been buried to it.” To go back to sin once you have been joined to Christ is like digging up a dead body (Boice, J. M. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (630–631). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.).
3) Directing the Religious: The Chief Priests and Pharisees (Mt. 27:62–66)
Matthew 27:62-66 [62]The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate [63]and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ’After three days I will rise.’ [64]Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ’He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first." [65]Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." [66]So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. (ESV)
The third group God providentially directed in relation to Jesus’ burial was the chief priests and the Pharisees. Unwittingly, and certainly unintentionally, they provided still further testimony to Jesus’ deity.
As already noted, the next day after the crucifixion was the Sabbath, for which the previous day was the day of preparation. Also as noted, it was not an ordinary Sabbath but was Passover Sabbath and therefore a high holy day (John 19:31).The chief priests were largely Sadducees and therefore were strong theological opponents of the Pharisees. The gospels record only one other instance of those two groups being together (Matt. 21:45), and in both instances their only common motivation was hatred of Jesus.
Please turn back to Matthew 12
Although Jesus was now dead, these men were still concerned about His continuing influence. They therefore said to Pilate as noted in verses 63-64: “Sir, we remember how that impostor/deceiver said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will/am to rise. [64]Therefore, order the tomb/grave to be made secure until the third day.” Even in His death, Christ’s enemies despised Him so vehemently that they would not utter His name, referring to Him only as that impostor/deceiver. The allegation that Christ’s disciples stole his body thus holds the dubious honor of being the oldest alternative to faith in the risen Christ as a response to the fact of the empty tomb, even though it is one of the least plausible alternatives, in view of the subsequent events Matthew narrates. Ironically, had the disciples wanted to steal the body, they could have done so earlier. Had the Jews wanted to make their countercharge (28:13) more credible, they could have claimed that the body had been stolen before the guard arrived. ... The whole burial scene also stresses the literal, physical death of Christ. The circumstances of his burial make quite silly the theory that he only “swooned” and then recovered in the tomb... Christ’s burial also becomes an integral part of the gospel proclamation (cf. 1 Cor 15:4).( Blomberg, C. (2001). Vol. 22: Matthew (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (424). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
It must be remembered, that the burial itself proves that Jesus was really dead. If Jesus had not been buried after the centurion had certified to Pilate that Jesus was truly dead (Mark 15:44–45); by Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, accompanied by Nicodemus (John 19:39); after a careful preparation of the body; in a new tomb that was then sealed with a large stone (Matt. 27:59–60), it would have been possible for skeptics to argue that Jesus had not really died (Boice, J. M. (2001). The Gospel of Matthew (630). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.)
At some point during or just after the crucifixion, the Pharisees remembered that several years earlier, when they had demanded a sign from Jesus:
Matthew 12:38-40 [38]Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." [39]But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40]For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (ESV)
• Because Jonah came out alive after the three days and nights, the Pharisees rightly understood that Jesus was claiming He would be buried in the earth and arise alive after that same period of time.
The expression “three days and three nights” that Jesus had used in the prediction of His burial (Matt. 12:40) did not refer necessarily to three full twenty-four hour days. “A day and a night” was a Jewish colloquialism that could refer to any part of a day.In the same way, people today speak of visiting a certain place for three days, without necessarily meaning three full twenty-hour periods. To arrive on a Monday morning, for example, and leave on the following Wednesday afternoon is generally considered a three-day visit.
That Jesus had in mind only a part of the first and third days is made clear by the numerous references to His rising on the third day (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). It is also clear that the Jewish religious leaders themselves took Jesus to mean on the third day. Although they used the phrase after three days in giving Pilate the reason for their request, they asked Him to post a guard over the tomb until the third day, indicating that they used those two phrases synonymously.
The crucifixion is specifically said to have been on Friday, “the day before the Sabbath” (Mark 15:42), and the resurrection to have been sometime before dawn on Sunday, “the first day of the week” (Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Their telling Pilate to order the tomb/grave to be made secure reflects the religious leaders’ continued control over the governor because of his fear they would report him to Caesar and cause his downfall. The precautions His enemies took to “make the sepulchre sure, sealing it and stationing a guard,” 62–64, only resulted in God’s overruling the plans of the wicked and offering indisputable proof of the King’s resurrection (Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Handbook, p. 491.).
Ironically, their fear was that Jesus’ disciples go and steal Him away and tell/say to the people, “He has risen from the dead.” That fear was totally unfounded, because, despite Jesus’ repeated teaching about it, the disciples still did not believe that He would literally rise from the dead. Jesus was so certain of His resurrection that he literally said: “after three days I am raised.” This is a PRESENT PASSIVE. He spoke of a future event as if it had already occurred (Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 9: The First Christian Primer: Matthew. Study Guide Commentary Series (233). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International).
But whether the chief priests and Pharisees knew of that disbelief or not, they assumed the disciples would make the claim in Jesus’ behalf in order to perpetuate His memory and perhaps keep some of His following for themselves. If such a thing were to happen, they assured Pilate, the last fraud/deception will be worse than the first. The implication was that Jesus’ claim to kingship would then be verified in the eyes of the gullible people and, though dead, He would become an even worse threat to Rome than before. They were saying, in effect, ”If the multitudes hailed Him as their Messiah and King on His entry into Jerusalem a few days ago, think how much more they will acclaim Him as their King if they are led to believe He has conquered death and risen from the dead. Even though the idea is preposterous, if they really believe He is alive, they will also believe Rome has no power over Him and that He is invincible. Then you will really have an uprising on your hands.”
Wanting to take no risks, either of offending the Jewish leaders or of facing another insurrection, verse 65 records that: Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can/know how.” No doubt pleased with themselves for once again making the powerful Roman governor bow to their demands, verse 66 concludes that they went and made the tomb/grave secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Guards were posted, probably four men on each of the eight-hour shifts (v. 65). The seal was usually a wax-covered cord connecting the stone and the side of the rock tomb. The cord was impressed with the seal of Rome so that any efforts to tamper with the entrance would be detected. To tamper with the official seal was a crime worthy of death. The guards were probably Roman soldiers... The penalty for a Roman soldier quitting his post was death! ...Everything that could humanly be done to prevent a resurrection was set in place (Robertson, A. K. (1983). Matthew (160). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.).
The internment of Christ shows that sin results in death. Although Christ was without sin, he was God’s appointed representative for His people. He lived, suffering for their sins and paid the price that no one could pay. It doesn’t matter if we’re rich, for we can’t buy God’s favour. It doesn’t matter if we are related to a Christian, for we can’t transfer personal faith. Finally, it doesn’t matter that we’re religious, for it was the religious that put Christ to death.
Christ was interned in a tomb purchased and intended by to be used by someone else. If we live for ourselves, we spend our lives building our own tomb. If Christ is the one to occupy the space on our behalf through faith in Him, then at that moment we go from dying, to living.
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (1989). Matthew (Mt 27:57–61). Chicago: Moody Press.)
