Since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Mark 15:42, Joseph of Arimathea had to act quickly, Luke 23:50. 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.
He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, Matthew 27:57 / Mark 15:43, 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 was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, Mark 15:43. 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 / Matthew 27:58 / Mark 1543 / John 19:38.
He must have been a very important person because not anyone could go and speak to Pilate. Pilate was surprised that Jesus died so quickly, Mark 15:44. 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, Mark 15:45 / John 19:38. He gathered the corpse up in a sheet, Luke 23:53 / Matthew 27:59 / Mark 15:46, and put it in a hole chiselled into the wall of a cave, Luke 23:53 / Matthew 27:60 / Mark 15:46, which served as a typical grave in that era.
He closed off the cave by rolling a large rock over the entrance, and went away, Matthew 27:60 / Mark 15:46. The tomb was Joseph’s own and was new, unused, Luke 23:54 / John 19:41, it wasn’t a natural cave but one dug out of the rock. This was Joseph’s own tomb, in his own garden which tells us he must have been wealthy too. 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. 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, Matthew 27:56 / Matthew 27:61 / Mark 15:47. These two women knew where the tomb was located, the women knew the exact location of the tomb, Luke 23:55, 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, John 19:39.
‘Myrrh’, John 19:39, 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, John 19:39, one-hundred litras, one letra being equal to twelve ounces.
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. The woman also brough spices, Luke 23:56. 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, Luke 23:52 / Matthew 27:60 / John 19:41. 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, Luke 23:56, but will return to complete the burial rites of the Saviour which they had begun on the day of His death, Luke 23:54 / Matthew 28:5-6.
Because this tomb was ‘close to hand’, and the Sabbath imminent, John 19:42, it appears to be a temporary arrangement. This suggests that Jesus was to be buried elsewhere after the Sabbath. 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.
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.’