The Gospel of Matthew records the visit of the Magi. Shortly after Christ’s birth, wise men followed a star to Bethlehem. When they found Jesus, they presented gifts; one of those gifts was derived from the sap of certain bushes and called myrrh. There may have been many uses for myrrh, but it was also used to anoint a dead body prior to burial. Whether intended or not, the magi’s gift pointed to that moment when Jesus was laid in the tomb.
John records, “After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:38–42, NASB95)
If you visit Jerusalem today, there are two locations that claim to be Jesus’ tomb. But it really doesn’t matter which one is correct. Scattered around the world are the tombs of the important and powerful. A 90-minute drive from where I live is the tomb of Abraham Lincoln. I’ve been there several times. Under a towering monument is a small room that allows visitors to view the crypt. It is always a sobering and somber experience when I view the large granite stone, knowing that his body is just a few feet away. But the difference between Lincoln’s tomb and Jesus’ tomb is that Jesus is no longer there; more on that next week.
After the Romans confirmed Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea approached Pilate and asked to take the body for burial. There’s a lot that we don’t know about Joseph. When did he become a disciple or student of Jesus? Where was Arimathea? Its location has been lost in history. What happened to Joseph after he came out as a disciple of Christ? We don’t know. We do know that according to the other Gospels, he was part of the ruling Jewish council, he was wealthy, and the tomb was his.
Joseph and Nicodemus, we met Nicodemus all the way back in chapter three of John’s Gospel, saw to Jesus’ entombment. Assuming they had some help, they carried the body and about 75 pounds of spices, including myrrh, along with the necessary linens to prepare the body. Without these men, Jesus would probably have been thrown into a common mass grave. Jesus was instead provided a proper burial according to the practices of that place and time.
The important part of John’s narrative is that Jesus was placed in a rock tomb, wrapped and anointed according to custom, and the tomb was secured by a heavy stone. Other gospels note that the tomb was sealed and guarded by a contingent of Roman soldiers.
In this passage, we also see that moment when Joseph and Nicodemus came out of the shadows. Both were respected and influential in their community. They lived in the tension of wanting to follow Jesus but also being fearful of the society they kept. It reminds me a bit of the story of Esther. She also kept her faith a secret until that fateful dinner with her husband king and Hamman. But, as Mordecai said, she was there for “such a time as this.” Perhaps Joseph and Nicodemus said those very words as they found the courage to say and do what needed to be done.
After this passage from John, both men fade from the scene. We don’t know the rest of their story. Both were important men in Jerusalem, but neither is seen or heard from in the early chapters of Acts which unfolded in that place. It doesn’t take much of a leap to imagine that they were rejected by their Jerusalem friends and moved out into the countryside somewhere. We often look to the benefits of following Jesus without also considering the costs.
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I want a clarity about baptism,can baptismal deny somebody who has received salvation to go to heaven?help through scripture please.