Chose A Side

Joseph knew he had to act quickly. He could no longer keep quiet about whose side he was on. Joseph believed Jesus was the Messiah.

Joseph was a wealthy man from Arimathea and member of the Sanhedrin, the 71-person court that controlled Jewish judicial and political issues. He did not agree with what had happened that day. He did not go along with the majority of the Sanhedrin who chose to sentence Jesus to death. He could not stop the chief priests, pharisees, and scribes from insisting that Pontius Pilate must crucify Jesus. They had stirred up the crowds to call for crucifixion and they got their way.

Now, Jesus was dead. This left Joseph wondering if he should have done more-or could have done more-to stop them from putting Jesus to death.

He understood that if he aligned himself publicly as a follower of Jesus, he would suffer some consequences. He was afraid of what might happen. He would likely be snubbed by the Jewish leaders and maybe even forced to leave the Sanhedrin-or worse. He might even be put out of the temple. But none of that mattered now.

The time had come to take a stand.

Joseph of Arimathea asked to see Pilate. When he saw the governor, Joseph got right to the point.

“May I have your permission to take the body of Jesus for burial,” he asked.

“Is he already dead?” asked Pilate. “Call for the centurion.” When Pilate questioned the soldier, the man confirmed the death of Jesus. Pilate gave Joseph permission to take the body of Jesus.  

Joseph recently had a tomb built for he and his family. The tomb was carved out of rock but it had not been used yet. Joseph decided to place Jesus in his tomb. (A fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9.)

After getting permission from Pilate, Joseph stopped to buy the finest linen he could find.

Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin, also found the courage to step out as a follower of Jesus. After meeting Jesus at night at the beginning of His ministry, Nicodemus came to understand that he must be born again. He was born again when he believed Jesus was the Son of God.

Not Jesus was dead. Regardless of what might happen to him, the time had come to take a stand for Nicodemus. He bought a hundred pounds of burial spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

Joseph and Nicodemus made their way to Calvary.

As they approached the cross, they saw the lifeless body of Jesus hanging there. He was battered, bruised and bloody. Joseph and Nicodemus looked in the still face of their Savior.

It was a struggle to take Jesus down as He was nailed by both arms and feet. They hurried because darkness was coming and the Sabbath would soon begin.

Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped the body of Jesus in linen along with the spices. At the tomb they lay Jesus’s body on the slab. They wrapped His head with a separate piece of linen.  

With one last look at the wrapped body of Jesus, they stepped outside the tomb. The two of them rolled the huge stone along the trench until it closed the opening of the tomb.

The Lamb of God lay in the tomb. Jesus’s once-for-all sacrifice was finished.

Friday, day one in the tomb, was almost over, . . .

But Sunday was coming.

Carla Killough McClafferty