Bible Study with Danelle

As we patiently wait for Easter morning, today I want to read and reflect on the significance of Jesus’ burial.

Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy, highly respected man of the council (the same council who had sentenced Jesus to death), but he was a secret follower of Jesus. We find out that Joseph goes to Pilot to beg for the body of Jesus. And while it is not noted in Mark’s account, we also know from John’s account that another wealthy Pharisee, Nicodemus, also helped Joseph take down Jesus’ body and took it back to Joseph’s tomb to be buried.

This was not done in the dead of night but would have been very publicly done before sundown. This was a bold move for them both to come out as supporters of Jesus. They had a lot to lose, and we don’t know much about what happened to them afterward, but I am sure it caused trouble for them. Even with their wealth, I am sure they had trouble after. It was a risky move for them.

Joseph and Nicodemus had to be quick to perform the burial before sundown as that would have been the start of the Sabbath. Also, if they would have left his body on the cross (as was a tradition of the Romans in the past to send a message to others), it could have easily been stolen, thrown in a trash heap, or worse. They knew they had to move fast. They only had about three hours until the Sabbath. The disciples had scattered and were scared. There was no way that the disciples would have had the means to properly bury Him. This was something only Joseph and Nicodemus could do.

Jeff Stott has a great commentary regarding the urgency and risk surrounding Jesus’ burial if you are interested.

What I didn’t know until researching these verses, is that Jesus’ burial fulfilled another prophesy in Isaiah.

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.

Isaiah 53:9

Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb. The tomb was owned by Joseph, but he gave it to Jesus. This is a clear fulfillment of prophecy. Honestly, you really should read all of Isaiah 53. It describes Jesus perfectly. It is like it was written after Jesus died and rose again, not about 700 years prior.

As we wait for the joy that comes tomorrow morning, I pray we will reflect on all of Jesus’ teachings that we have read over the past 40+ days. I pray we reflect on the significance of what Joseph and Nicodemus did. Remember that we have to sometimes take risks for our Lord and I pray that our hearts have been challenged and changed to one that is closer to Jesus.