It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid” (Mark 15:42-47).

Think of the gospel writers as literary photographers. They place their word cameras in different positions, and it requires us to examine all their photographs to gain a composite understanding of the burial of Jesus.

Their main perspective is to establish clearly that Jesus was dead. He didn’t swoon or fall into a coma on the cross. The centurion who oversaw the crucifixion affirmed to Pilate that Jesus was indeed dead. Then they took Jesus’ body down from the cross and buried it in a tomb.

You don’t bury someone who is alive. Had there been any sign of life, pulse or breath in Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wouldn’t have swathed Him in burial cloths and placed Him in a dark tomb.

Even though Jesus was dead, they were still looking for the kingdom of God. Jesus wouldn’t disappoint them! And He will never disappoint you!

A subtheme to the burial is the story of the ones who took Jesus down from the cross and buried Him. All the Gospels identify Joseph of Arimathea as the one who took initiative to secure the body of Jesus; however, John’s Gospel notes that Nicodemus assisted in removing the body from the cross, wrapping it with spices, in strips of linen, and burying Jesus in a new tomb near the place where He was crucified.

If you visit Jerusalem today, you know that there are two different sites that are held as possibilities for the crucifixion and burial: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden Tomb. It matters not which one is the “real” site; the important thing is that Jesus is not in either place! He is alive and is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high!

Both Joseph and Nicodemus were prominent members of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Jewish elders. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus talked with Nicodemus about the importance of being born again. That conversation must have borne fruit in Nicodemus’ heart because we see his love for Jesus in his defense of the Lord at the Feast of Tabernacles and in his participation in the burial (John 3:1-21; 7:45-42; 19:38-42). Certainly, such an act would not have had the approval of his colleagues, who disdained Jesus.

Luke’s Gospel notes that Joseph had not consented to the action and decision of the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:50-51).

These two prominent religious leaders showed a loyalty to Jesus that not even His own disciples demonstrated. They risked their lives by going to Pilate and asking for the body of Jesus, and risked their reputations with their religious colleagues as well.

Why did they do this? Because even though Jesus was dead, they were still looking for the kingdom of God. Jesus wouldn’t disappoint them! And He will never disappoint you!

A Prayer
Lord Jesus, I too have hope because I know You are the King of the kingdom of God.

This article is adapted with permission from George O. Wood, Fearless: How Jesus Changes Everything (Springfield, MO: Vital Resources, 2015).