Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. Luke 23:50-56
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9
Questions:
- (This Joseph was not the same as Jesus' adoptive father. His adoptive father died at some point before Jesus' public ministry.) What do we learn about this Joseph?
- What did Joseph ask of Pilate?
- How do you think the Jewish council would view Joseph's request and action?
- What did he do to Jesus' body? (If he had not done this, Jesus' body would have been thrown into a pit with the other common criminals and it would not have been possible for the disciples and others to witness the empty tomb)
- What did the women do? Why?
- What prophecy did Jesus' burial fulfill?
Thoughts:
We find in Joseph a man of moral courage. Mark 14:53 says: 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, and Matthew 27:57 tells us: there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. He believed in Jesus despite what those around him were saying. He was most likely not present at the secret trial the night before. When he found out about Jesus' murder, he must have been stricken with grief. Doing the only thing he could think of, he bravely approached Pilate for Jesus' body in order to show his love for and belief in Jesus. Pilate, after a centurion confirmed the death, allowed Joseph's request. Joseph immediately purchased fine linen (Mark 15:46) and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, according to John 19:39, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body, wrapped it in the fine linen, and applied the myrrh and aloes Nicodemus had brought. The disciples then placed Jesus' body in Joseph's own tomb, a man-made cave hewn from rock in the garden of his house nearby.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your love gives us courage. Courage to go against what others may say, courage to follow You and show our love for You. Help us to be bold for You. We love You Jesus.
For Further Study:
There are many children throughout the world who are very bold in their faith in Christ, especially in nations where it is hard to be a Christian. Sharing their stories can encourage a bolder faith in your children. A wonderful resource is Kids of Courage
* Some of the content of this blog is based on the book Family Celebrations at Easter by Ann Hibbard.*
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