When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
When the evening came after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich, honorable councillor and ruler of the Sanhedrim who knew Pilate, came as His disciple to take charge of His burial. While Jesus lived, Joseph and Nicodemus had not openly accepted Him for fear of hatred and exclusion from the Sanhedrim, hoping by their influence in its councils to protect Him, but the priests favored against Him and condemned Him in their absence. In that emergency they no longer hid their attachment but boldly and openly asked Pilate for the body and received official permission, though as one condemned for treason He would otherwise have been buried dishonorably by rough soldiers, which the Galilean women, John, and the other disciples had no favor or influence to prevent. Joseph gave his own new tomb hewn from stone near Calvary wherein no one had ever lain, and with Nicodemus bringing costly myrrh and aloes and the women watching, they gently took down the body, cleansed it, wrapped it in fine linen with spices, laid it there and rolled a heavy stone to the entrance, hurrying because the Sabbath was near so it could be kept according to the commandment. Their wealth, standing, and influence let them do for their dead Master what the poorer disciples could not do and shielded them from malice, their open courage contrasting with the acknowledged disciples who were too disheartened and afraid to show themselves, until His resurrection and appearances from Joseph's tomb revived the hopes of those who had grieved believing their hopes had died with Him.
Joseph and the Burial
When evening came after Jesus' death, Joseph of Arimathea came and took part in arranging His burial. He was the rich man from Arimathea who was himself Jesus' disciple, a wealthy, influential, honorable councillor and ruler, a member of the Sanhedrim who was acquainted with Pilate. His standing and influence enabled him to obtain the body from Pilate in order to secure an honorable burial for Jesus.
While Jesus was living, Joseph and Nicodemus did not openly accept Him because they feared the Jews' hatred and exclusion from the Sanhedrim, and they hoped to protect Jesus by their influence in its councils. The priests saw their favor to Christ and thwarted their plans, and in their absence Jesus was condemned and delivered to be crucified. Jesus had been executed as one condemned for treason against the Roman government, for whom burial was normally by common, rough and unfeeling soldiers in a dishonored burial ground set apart for such criminals. John, the Galilean women who stayed at the cross, and the other disciples treasured His body and longed to give Him an honored burial rather than leave Him to that outcome, but they had no favor with the Jewish authorities and no influence with Pilate to prevent it.
In that emergency Joseph stepped forward with Nicodemus, also a wealthy, influential member of the Sanhedrim, no longer concealing his attachment but boldly and openly asking Pilate for Jesus' body. He received official permission and obtained the order for the body of Christ. Pilate believed Jesus innocent and, learning that He died just as the darkness passed when crucified persons often lingered for days, was convinced He was no ordinary man and deeply regretted his part. Nicodemus came with a costly mixture of myrrh and aloes for the burial.
Joseph provided his own new tomb hewn from stone near Calvary, which he was reserving for himself and wherein no one had ever lain. With his own hands and with helpers he gently and reverently took down the bruised and lacerated body, wept over it, bathed and cleansed it from blood, wrapped it carefully in fine linen with the spices, carried it to the sepulcher, laid it there, straightened the mangled limbs and folded the bruised hands upon the breast, and rolled a heavy stone against the entrance. The Galilean women including Mary Magdalene and the other Marys watched until it was done, were last at the cross and last at the tomb, and lingered weeping about the resting-place as the evening shades gathered. Angels guarded the tomb, waiting for the command to release Him from death. The burial was hurried because the Sabbath was near so the day could be kept according to the commandment, and Jesus lay in Joseph's tomb during the Passover as the slain antitypical Passover Lamb.
Meaning and Lessons
Joseph and Nicodemus were able to do for their dead Master what the poorer disciples could not do, and their wealth, standing and influence shielded them in great measure from the malice of the priests and rulers and from criticism. In the emergency after the death, when John and the Galilean women and the other disciples treasured the body and longed to give it an honored burial but had no favor with the Jewish authorities and no influence with Pilate to keep it from unfeeling soldiers and a dishonored criminals' grave for one condemned for treason against Rome, these two rich and honored Sanhedrim members stepped forward to help the disciples and secured an honorable burial. Their help was greatly needed at that hour. Their open courage then contrasted with the acknowledged disciples, who were too disheartened and sorrowful and afraid to show themselves openly as His followers, while Joseph and Nicodemus no longer concealed their attachment and astonished the fearful disciples by their interest.
The priests knew of the power to raise the dead, including the raising of Lazarus, and feared a rising from the dead. The disciples had witnessed the body hanging between heaven and earth, treated as a sinner though undeserving. They grieved over the burial in the tomb, believing their hopes had died with Him, and in their sorrow felt how much they needed the living Saviour whose worth they had not fully appreciated. Yet the tomb that received the body taken down from the cross, Joseph's new tomb, became the place from which Christ rose, and His resurrection and appearances from it revived their hopes and showed Him risen triumphant.
The verse belongs to the history of professedly pious Jews recorded in Matthew 27 and 28, to be read with the commission to the disciples in Matthew 28.
When the evening came after Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich, honorable councillor and ruler of the Sanhedrim who knew Pilate, came as His disciple to take charge of His burial.
While Jesus lived, Joseph and Nicodemus had not openly accepted Him for fear of hatred and exclusion from the Sanhedrim, hoping by their influence in its councils to protect Him, but the priests favored against Him and condemned Him in their absence.
In that emergency they no longer hid their attachment but boldly and openly asked Pilate for the body and received official permission, though as one condemned for treason He would otherwise have been buried dishonorably by rough soldiers, which the Galilean women, John, and the other disciples had no favor or influence to prevent.
Joseph gave his own new tomb hewn from stone near Calvary wherein no one had ever lain, and with Nicodemus bringing costly myrrh and aloes and the women watching, they gently took down the body, cleansed it, wrapped it in fine linen with spices, laid it there and rolled a heavy stone to the entrance, hurrying because the Sabbath was near so it could be kept according to the commandment.
Their wealth, standing, and influence let them do for their dead Master what the poorer disciples could not do and shielded them from malice, their open courage contrasting with the acknowledged disciples who were too disheartened and afraid to show themselves, until His resurrection and appearances from Joseph's tomb revived the hopes of those who had grieved believing their hopes had died with Him.
Joseph and the Burial
When evening came after Jesus' death, Joseph of Arimathea came and took part in arranging His burial. He was the rich man from Arimathea who was himself Jesus' disciple, a wealthy, influential, honorable councillor and ruler, a member of the Sanhedrim who was acquainted with Pilate. His standing and influence enabled him to obtain the body from Pilate in order to secure an honorable burial for Jesus.
While Jesus was living, Joseph and Nicodemus did not openly accept Him because they feared the Jews' hatred and exclusion from the Sanhedrim, and they hoped to protect Jesus by their influence in its councils. The priests saw their favor to Christ and thwarted their plans, and in their absence Jesus was condemned and delivered to be crucified. Jesus had been executed as one condemned for treason against the Roman government, for whom burial was normally by common, rough and unfeeling soldiers in a dishonored burial ground set apart for such criminals. John, the Galilean women who stayed at the cross, and the other disciples treasured His body and longed to give Him an honored burial rather than leave Him to that outcome, but they had no favor with the Jewish authorities and no influence with Pilate to prevent it.
In that emergency Joseph stepped forward with Nicodemus, also a wealthy, influential member of the Sanhedrim, no longer concealing his attachment but boldly and openly asking Pilate for Jesus' body. He received official permission and obtained the order for the body of Christ. Pilate believed Jesus innocent and, learning that He died just as the darkness passed when crucified persons often lingered for days, was convinced He was no ordinary man and deeply regretted his part. Nicodemus came with a costly mixture of myrrh and aloes for the burial.
Joseph provided his own new tomb hewn from stone near Calvary, which he was reserving for himself and wherein no one had ever lain. With his own hands and with helpers he gently and reverently took down the bruised and lacerated body, wept over it, bathed and cleansed it from blood, wrapped it carefully in fine linen with the spices, carried it to the sepulcher, laid it there, straightened the mangled limbs and folded the bruised hands upon the breast, and rolled a heavy stone against the entrance. The Galilean women including Mary Magdalene and the other Marys watched until it was done, were last at the cross and last at the tomb, and lingered weeping about the resting-place as the evening shades gathered. Angels guarded the tomb, waiting for the command to release Him from death. The burial was hurried because the Sabbath was near so the day could be kept according to the commandment, and Jesus lay in Joseph's tomb during the Passover as the slain antitypical Passover Lamb.
Meaning and Lessons
Joseph and Nicodemus were able to do for their dead Master what the poorer disciples could not do, and their wealth, standing and influence shielded them in great measure from the malice of the priests and rulers and from criticism. In the emergency after the death, when John and the Galilean women and the other disciples treasured the body and longed to give it an honored burial but had no favor with the Jewish authorities and no influence with Pilate to keep it from unfeeling soldiers and a dishonored criminals' grave for one condemned for treason against Rome, these two rich and honored Sanhedrim members stepped forward to help the disciples and secured an honorable burial. Their help was greatly needed at that hour. Their open courage then contrasted with the acknowledged disciples, who were too disheartened and sorrowful and afraid to show themselves openly as His followers, while Joseph and Nicodemus no longer concealed their attachment and astonished the fearful disciples by their interest.
The priests knew of the power to raise the dead, including the raising of Lazarus, and feared a rising from the dead. The disciples had witnessed the body hanging between heaven and earth, treated as a sinner though undeserving. They grieved over the burial in the tomb, believing their hopes had died with Him, and in their sorrow felt how much they needed the living Saviour whose worth they had not fully appreciated. Yet the tomb that received the body taken down from the cross, Joseph's new tomb, became the place from which Christ rose, and His resurrection and appearances from it revived their hopes and showed Him risen triumphant.
The verse belongs to the history of professedly pious Jews recorded in Matthew 27 and 28, to be read with the commission to the disciples in Matthew 28.