Introduction

‘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

Joseph of Arimathea was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, Matthew 27:57 / Mark 15:42-47, and also didn’t consent to the execution, Luke 23:50-54. He was ‘rich’, Matthew 27:57, ‘a respected member of the council’, Mark 15:43, ‘a good and righteous man,’ Luke 23:50 / John 19:38, who had ‘not consented to their purpose and deed’, Luke 23:51.

He was ‘a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews’, John 19:38 / John 12:42-43. Evidently, he had kept his belief secret until now. He ‘took courage and went to Pilate’, Matthew 27:58 / John 19:38 / Mark 15:43, asked Pilate for permission to bury Jesus’ body, Luke 23:52. He must have been a very important person because not anyone could go and speak to Pilate.

He had to act quickly since according to Jewish law He couldn’t bury the body on the Sabbath day, which officially began at sundown, Mark 15:42. He wished to give the body a proper burial.

It’s also worth noting that the Romans didn’t take the criminals down from the cross, they left them there to rot, to act as a warning to anyone who walked by if they broke the Roman laws and the soldiers at the cross couldn’t leave to go home until the criminals were officially dead, hence why they drove a spear in Jesus’ side and didn’t need to break any of His bones, John 19:31-37.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus died so quickly, Mark 15:44-45. Not one bone in His body was broken, Exodus 12:46 / Numbers 9:12 / Deuteronomy 21:22-23 / Psalm 34:20 / Zechariah 12:10.

Being able to remove Jesus from the cross was a huge privilege for Joseph. He gathered the corpse up in a sheet and put it in a hole chiselled into the wall of a cave, which served as a typical grave in that era.

He closed off the cave by rolling a large rock over the entrance. This was Joseph’s own tomb, in his own garden which tells us he must have been wealthy too.

He closed off the cave by rolling a large rock over the entrance. This was Joseph’s own tomb, in his own garden which tells us he must have been wealthy too.

Significantly, Matthew and Mark include the statement that the two Marys saw where Jesus was laid, Mark 15:42-47. These two women knew where the tomb was located, the women knew the exact location of the tomb and so, because of that we can be sure that they were valid witnesses that when they returned three days later, the tomb was empty.

Nicodemus, John 3:1, joined Joseph in preparing the customary burial of the body of Jesus, John 19:39. Nicodemus joined him for His burial, John 19:38-42, he too was a member of the Sanhedrin, and a believer, John 3:1-2 / John 7:50.

John 12:3-5 indicates that Nicodemus was a rich man also. The amount brought suggests that they intended to completely cover the corpse with spices.

Both were willing to risk their own reputation and physical safety came and took Jesus’ body down to arrange the burial. Pilate, surprised that Jesus was already dead, first confirmed the fact by asking the centurion in command, they released the body, Mark 15:44-45.

‘Myrrh’ was a gum resin used as a perfume and embalming fluid, ‘alces’, pounded wood of the aloe tree, also used for embalming, Psalm 45:8 / Proverbs 7:17 / Matthew 2:11.

A hundred pounds weight, 100 litras, one letra being equal to 12 ounces, John 12:3-5 indicates that Nicodemus was a rich man also, the amount brought suggests that they intended to completely cover the corpse with spices.

The ‘lined cloths’, Luke 23:53 / John 19:40, were linen strips were bandages. The wrapping the body in linen and the use of spice was the custom of the jews, John 19:40.

One layer of bandages would have been applied followed by another layer of the spices Nicodemus brought along, and His body would have been finally wrapped in a sheet-like piece of linen.

Both men would have been unclean as a result of this action and wouldn’t have been able to participate in the Passover.

Joseph’s ‘new tomb’ had not been used and was in a garden close to Golgotha, Matthew 27:60 / John 19:41 / Luke 23:52. Joseph the owner of the tomb was a believer, so Jesus’ body was always in the hands of believers.

It was now close to the Passover, and they hurried to arrange Jesus’ body in a nearby tomb, John 19:42. In keeping with the law of Moses, they had rested on the Sabbath but will return to complete the burial rites of the Saviour which they had begun on the day of His death, Matthew 28:5-6 / Luke 23:54.

Because this tomb was ‘close to hand’, and the Sabbath imminent, it appears to be a temporary arrangement. This suggests that Jesus was to be buried elsewhere after the Sabbath.

The tomb was Joseph’s own and was new, unused, Luke 23:54, it wasn’t a natural cave but one dug out of the rock. It was very convenient as it was so near the place of the skull and the Sabbath was fast approaching, Luke 23:54 / John 19:42.

He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb, Matthew 27:60-61.

Constable, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Luke 23:55-56.

‘This reference to the women prepares for the account of Jesus’ resurrection. When they went to the tomb on Sunday morning, they did not go to the wrong one. They had previously been there and had seen Jesus’ corpse in it. They prepared spices for their return visit on Sunday to honour Jesus further. Luke’s reference to the passing of the Sabbath with no disciple activity confirms Jesus’ prediction that He would be in the grave three days, Luke 18:33 / Luke 24:7. It also shows that Jesus’ followers observed the Sabbath as obedient Israelites, Exodus 20:10.’