Joseph of Arimathea Buries Jesus

Matthew 27:57-60 New International Version (NIV)

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb^(B) that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

This year marked my first real observation and participation in the season of Lent. Having been born again at the age of thirty into the Evangelical Christian Church, I never quite understood the tradition. It seemed to begin with dirt on one’s forehead, a giant party in New Orleans, and giving up sugar or booze for six weeks. The Evangelicals I met never seemed to put much stock in it, so neither did I.

This year was different. For the first time since I met Jesus in 1986, I no longer put much stock in the Evangelical Church. I spent the first two years of Trump’s presidency convinced they would realize his policies bore no resemblance to Jesus’ teachings. The Religious Right political juggernaut is like a runaway train, commandeered by leaders in a quest for power. Like a movie where the bad guys toss the hapless sidekick off the caboose, I landed alone in the bushes, miles from anywhere. I finally picked myself up, dusted myself off, and went in search of another life.

Love For Lent

Through Red Letter Christians, I found a forty-day series of Lenten devotions by Pastor Tim Otto of The Church of the Sojourners.  “Love for Lent” walked me through the Sermon on the Mount,  coincidentally overlapping my own in-depth journey through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Professor William Barclay (1907-1978) and I had already covered the earlier chapters in his series The New Daily Study Bible. Armed with Barclay’s excellent historical reference guide and Pastor Tim’s perspective on this sacred season, I came into the home stretch of my Lenten journey, studying what surely must have seemed like The Worst Day Ever.

Dark Saturday. That’s what Pastor Tim’s devotion for this day is titled, sandwiched between Good Friday and Easter. In these last messages, he led us through Holy Week as recounted through the eyes of Matthew, the tax collector. Dark Saturday’s devotion illuminated the last event of The Worst Day Ever. Professor Barclay offered this observation on Joseph of Arimathea:

“Now none of Jesus’ relatives was in a position to claim his body, for they were all Galileans and none of them possessed a tomb in Jerusalem (according to Jewish law, even a criminal’s body might not be left hanging all night, but had to be buried that day). So the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea stepped in. He went to Pilate and asked that the body of Jesus should be given to him; and he cared for it, and put it in a rock tomb where no one had ever been laid…It is certainly true that in the end Joseph displayed the greatest courage. He came out on the side of a crucified criminal; he braved the possible resentment of Pilate; and he faced the certain hatred of the Jewish authorities.”¹

There are several possibilities regarding Joseph, but it is known that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, and Luke tells us that “he had not agreed to their plan and action” (Luke 23:51). It’s quite possible that Caiaphas left him out of the murderous plot. His church, of which he was a ruling judge, elder, and rabbi, set the tragedy in motion. Joseph stood alone, loving his Savior and King.

As I mediated this morning on Joseph’s actions, I tried to put myself in his place. Jesus’ body had been absolutely torn to pieces. The thorn of crowns shoved down upon his brow no doubt tore holes in his face. He was beaten beyond recognition. The lash, studded with sharpened bone and bits of rock, shredded the flesh on his back. Tufts of his beard had been ripped out. Spikes had been driven through his wrists and feet, and a spear had been thrust into his side. Only on television do most of us ever see such a stomach-turning sight. To lift the lifeless, broken body of our best friend, our Lord and Savior, and have his blood stain our clothes while we prepare his body for burial- we cannot even imagine.

Did Joseph sob as he wrapped the shroud? Did he gag from the stench? Did he ever get that sight out of his mind? Did he throw his clothes away? What happened when he closed his eyes? Did he eventually recover from his worst day ever?

There’s no Biblical record of whether Joseph of Arimathea ever saw our resurrected Savior here on this earthly plane. But considering that he was a follower of our Lord, they’ve undoubtedly met in glory. That horrific memory is now a sacred scene shared by Joseph and Jesus, forever celebrated as a beautiful act of love. The agony was part and parcel of the greatest miracle the world has ever known- the empty tomb, sunlight scattering the darkness when the stone was rolled away.

Challenging the Status Quo

I’d love to ask Joseph what happened after Resurrection Day. Did he ever go back and take his place among those who murdered Jesus? If not, how did he build a new life outside the walls of the church? What did he do with the time he had left? What would he say to encourage those of us who challenge the status quo?

The events of Holy Week, specifically Good Friday, Dark Saturday, and Resurrection Sunday, should challenge all Christ-followers to examine our overriding, unbridled passion for loving Jesus. How are we living out His commands here on Earth?

After months of prayer seeking direction, I am volunteering with a nonreligious, nonpolitical non-profit organization that lends aid to traumatized refugees on our southern border. Trump’s policies have violated many of Jesus’ commands, but I believe the ones that break my heart the most are Biblical mandates and instructions regarding care for aliens, strangers, and refugees. Talk is cheap, but time is valuable. Being the squeamish sort, I would never have survived Joseph’s task of burying Jesus. Thankfully I’ve been welcomed to assist an organization that provides the comfort He would have provided. The truth shines brightly even without the label.

On the night before he was crucified, Jesus offered this mixed blessing to his disciples, as well as those of us who follow in their footsteps: “In this world you will have trouble…” This side of Heaven, we will always have evil to contend with. But then comes the promise we can cling to without reservation:

“..but take heart! I have overcome the world.”- John 16:33 NIV

So take heart, my friends. Stand up for what is right. Pray hard. Don’t give up. Heaven’s coming! Happy Easter.

©Rachel Ophoff, Coconut Mountain Communications LLC 2020. All Rights Reserved.

1 The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of Matthew Volume Two, William Barclay. WJK Westminster John Knox Press. ©The William Barclay Estate, 1975, 2001.