Burial
Joseph from Arimathaea was a counsellor. He was a good and a just man who waited for the kingdom of God. He was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. He hadn’t consented to the counsel against Jesus or the actions the Jews had taken. (Luke 23:50-51)
As evening drew near, Joseph went boldly to Pilate and begged that he might take away the body of Jesus before the evening came. At evening the sabbath began and no more work could be done. The body could not be lifted from the cross or carried to the tomb once the Sabbath began.
Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead, since criminals often hung on the cross suffering for days. He called the centurion to him and asked if Jesus had been dead for a while. Once the soldier confirmed that Jesus was dead, Pilate gave the body to Joseph. (Mark 15:42-45)
Joseph had bought a fine linen cloth for the burial. The Pharisee Nicodemus also came and brought a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Then they took the body of Jesus down from the cross and wound it in the clean linen clothes with the spices. This was the custom of the Jews for preparing a body for burial. (John 19:39-40)
Joseph and Nicodemus took the body to Joseph’s own new tomb. Joseph had hewn the tomb out of a great rock, and no man had lain in it before.
By dying with the criminals and being laid in a rich man’s tomb, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled.
“He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death.” (Isaiah 53:9)
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses sat against the rock of the tomb and watched as Joseph and Nicodemus placed the body inside. Then the men rolled a great stone across the entrance and hurried away, because the high Sabbath drew near. (Matthew 27:59-60, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:54)
Tomb Secured
The next day, the chief priests and Pharisees came together and went to Pilate.
“Sir, we remember that the deceiver said, while he was yet alive, ‘I will rise again after three days. Command that the tomb be made sure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come by night, and steal his body, and say to the people, ‘He is risen from the dead’ and things would be worse than before.”
Pilate agreed, “You will have a watch. Go your way, make it as sure as you can.” The chief priests and Pharisees left to make sure the tomb was secure. Roman soldiers arrived to stand guard at the tomb, and the Roman seal was placed on the stone. For anyone who broke the Roman seal, the penalty would be death.
Pilate agreed, “You will have a watch. Go your way, make it as sure as you can.”
The chief priests and Pharisees left to make sure the tomb was secure. Roman soldiers arrived to stand guard at the tomb, and the Roman seal was placed on the stone. For anyone who broke the Roman seal, the penalty would be death. (Matthew 27:62-66)
