The Men Who Buried Jesus
By Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell
Scripture Readings: Matthew 27:57-66; John 3:1-21; John 19:31-42
Key Verse: John 3: 21
“But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Jesus was dead. His closest friends had left him and gone into hiding. The women close to him stayed nearby, observed from a distance. Two stepped forward to ask for his body, to take him down from the cross—two who had been secret disciples because of their fear of the Jews: Joseph of Arimathea who was himself a prominent member of the council but who had not consented to Jesus’ crucifixion and Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had come to Jesus at night when he wouldn’t be seen. These two individuals who had not openly followed Jesus but who were nonetheless his disciples both stepped forward after He died. They sought a proper burial for Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body and after it was confirmed that Jesus was dead, Pilate consented to his taking the body for burial. Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus down off of the cross and took Him to his own unused tomb which was nearby and laid Him there. Nicodemus brought aloes, myrrh, and spices. These two together prepared His body and buried Him in the tomb.
It took courage for Joseph and Nicodemus to come forward now. And did they even understand what had happened or who Jesus was when they did this kindness? They clearly had believed in Jesus and must have grieved for him. What did they believe at this point? We can hardly imagine. Jesus died a criminal’s death. He was gone. No angels stopped his death. Did they understand that He was the Christ?
We don’t know much about Joseph of Arimathea from the scriptures except that he was prominent and rich, that he asked for Jesus’ body and buried Him in his own unused tomb. But, we do know a little more about Nicodemus. Nicodemus is the one who came at night seeking to talk to Jesus and to whom Jesus said the most famous scripture that Christians around the world quote—John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus revealed much about the darkness and the light to Nicodemus who likely had little understanding of these spoken words and of what was yet to come. And here was Nicodemus at the darkest time. The light was yet to be fully seen and understood by Nicodemus or Joseph. The light was yet to shine its brightest.
Joseph and Nicodemus were believers. Nicodemus had said to Jesus, “‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; or no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’” (John 3:2). But, at this point when Jesus was dead, I can’t help but wonder what was going on through their minds. Even Jesus’ closest friends and disciples did not fully understand who He was–I can’t help but think what their reaction to the living Christ was when they fully understood how they had been involved, how their faithful acts would be understood, how they must have felt when it was revealed to them the full impact of the fact that Jesus is the Christ, when they knew it without question.
“But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). I know that I don’t know everything and that I cannot know even in the moment the full impact of my actions, so I ask that you show me the way that I may do your will, that I may act in faith. Your will be done.
IGW3 - In God's Word, In God's Will, In God's Work 