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 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.
(verses 50-54)
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We only hear about Joseph of Arimathea at this point in the story,and we never hear about him again. But he’s in the spotlight long enough to inspire.
Each of the Gospel-writers give us different details about this man who appears so briefly. Luke tells us that he was “a good and upright man,” and that although he was a member of the Council, the Sanhedrin, he “had not consented to their decision and action” in condemning Jesus to death. Mark gives the further detail that the Sanhedrin trial had reached a unanimous decision regarding Jesus, leading to the conclusion that for whatever reason Joseph had been absent from that decisive meeting.
We get a sense of his spiritual devotion when both Luke and Mark tell us he was “waiting for the kingdom of God.” It indicates an orientation of life toward the things of God, yearning for something more, being anchored in the Scriptures and looking forward to the fulfilment of the Lord’s long-given promises. Both Matthew and John inform us that at some point prior to this time his spiritual yearning had drawn him to Jesus, and he had actually become one of his followers. But John gives us the additional insight that he did so secretly because he feared the Jews, namely the rest of his fellow leaders.
So, Joseph has much at stake. He has an established, respected position among the religious elite, no doubt accentuated by an authentic and obvious spiritual devotion. But all of that is now complicated by the fact that he has fallen in with Jesus who has disastrously fallen out with the Sanhedrin itself.
His action then, as reported by all four Gospels, is startling. He goes directly to Pilate, asking for Jesus’ body, that he might give him an honourable burial. Under Roman law, an executed criminal lost all right to any honour whatsoever in death, and the body of the crucified victim was often left on the cross to rot and be scavenged by birds of the air. Even the possibility of burial could only be realized if permission was given by the ruling authorities. This was especially the case for the burial of someone convicted of high treason (such as one claiming to be a King), a burial which was on principle disallowed and required special exemption.
In requesting Jesus’ body for burial, then, Joseph ran the risk of being viewed in the same treasonous category as Jesus himself. He also risked exposing his devotion to Jesus to the other members of the Sanhedrin. As one who up to this point “feared the Jews”(John 19:38), this was an unlikely move. No wonder Mark, in his account, tells us that Joseph “went boldly to Pilate” (Mark 15:43). He overcame fear, exposed himself to risk, and stepped forward, finally, with visible devotion to the one he had chosen to follow.
It’s the only moment that Joseph of Arimathea comes into view. But I’m so glad he does. His fear turns to courage, his timidity to boldness. He inspires us to do likewise.
All in devotion to Jesus.
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Lord Jesus, may you strengthen me by your Spirit to walk in increasing boldness as I follow you. May I, like Joseph, step forward, in devotion to you, setting aside fear, not worrying about risk. All in devotion to you.
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Reflect:
Consider whether you have been living in fear and timidity in some aspect of your life. Ask the Lord for boldness to step forward.
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Painting: Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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