The inevitable happened! He was tried in a travesty of injustice, sentenced for blasphemy and treason, found guilty for being who He said He was, both Son of God and King of the Jews, and killed for the sin of the whole world, not His own.
1 John 2:2 NIV
[2] “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
And the world looked on, jeered, and celebrated.
Luke 23:35-37 NIV
[35] “The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” [36] The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar [37] and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
One man cared…
John 19:38-42 NIV
[38] “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. [39] He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. [40] Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. [41] At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. [42] Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
John’s words sound so final. The body of Jesus…His remains! Only one man had the courage to do something about it. He asked permission to give Jesus’ remains a decent burial. If Joseph of Arimthea had not intervened, Jesus’ remains would have been thrown on the city garbage dump to be burned along with the bodies of the criminals who were crucified with Him.
Joseph had been a secret believer. He was afraid of the repercussions of his faith if the members of the Sanhedrin got to know about it. Was he finally ready to reveal his connection with Jesus, now that his Messiah was safely dead and out of the way? How would Jesus’ death affect Joseph’s faith?
Nicodemus also came out of hiding to join him in this final act of love towards their Messiah.
Two men, despite the hatred and contempt their fellow Sanhedrin members had shown towards Jesus, by their act of compassion, finally made a public declaration of their faith and would be remembered for their loving gesture and generosity towards Jesus. They spared no cost to give Him a dignified burial…Joseph’s new tomb, the linen cloth, the expensive herbs and spices to mask the smell of decay… nothing was too good for Jesus’ remains.
Even Joseph’s tomb, prepared for his own burial, was freely given to Jesus. Joseph was wealthy enough to have another tomb prepared for himself and his family. One wonders, after Jesus’ resurrection, if Joseph’s family ever used that tomb again or would it be dedicated as a religious shrine to be visited by millions in the centuries to come?
How much did Jesus’ prediction that He would rise again affect the actions of these two men? Did they know about His prophecy or did the disciples’ unbelief silence them from speaking about something they didn’t understand? Is seems that the actions of Joseph and Nicodemus indicated that Jesus’ remains would be prepared and left to decay like any other body after death.
… But something was different! Jesus had spoken a word, and His Word would never be unfruitful.
Isaiah 55:10-11 NIV
[10] “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, [11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Jesus had made a promise, and His promises were guaranteed…
2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV
[20] “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
Jesus had said He would rise again after three days, and Jesus never lied…
Matthew 16:21 NIV
[21] “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
John 10:17-18 NIV
[17] “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Since He had spoken the word, and His Word was His bond, Jesus, would rise again…not at the end of time but after three days. His prediction was as specific as that.
Whatever the two men had done for Jesus, as permanent as His death might have been in their thoughts, Jesus walked from the tomb three days later, through the impenetrable and immovable stone, smelling like the fragrant spices of His burial. Even greater than that, He returned with the fresh breath of heaven on Him, finally bringing the hope of heaven coming to earth as the foretaste of all that His death and resurrection had promised.
So, Paul could declare with unshakable confidence…
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 NIV
[55] “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” [56] The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. [57] But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”