One of the leaders of the Jewish people had not agreed to the evil plans against Jesus; his name was Joseph and his home Arimathea, near Jerusalem. He had listened to the words of Jesus and believed Him.
No doubt Joseph was with those who watched while Jesus suffered on the cross, for when he saw He was dead, he went to Pilate and “craved,” or desired very much, to be allowed to have the body of Jesus.
Death by crucifixion is very slow, lasting many hours, so Pilate thought that Jesus could not be dead yet. He called the captain of the soldiers, called by the Romans a centurion, to inquire of him. This man confirmed the word that Jesus was dead. Then Pilate gave permission for Joseph to take Jesus’ body.
Joseph bought fine linen cloth and went to the cross and took down the body of Jesus. Another leader who believed in Jesus helped Joseph wrap and prepare His body for burial, and they laid Him in a tomb nearby, belonging to Joseph. They rolled a great stone over the entrance and went away.
Divine Witness
The centurion who had charge of the soldiers may never have seen Jesus before that day, yet he too believed He was the Son of God. It was his duty to carry out the sentence of Pilate, but the patience and meekness of Jesus in bearing the mocking, the words He said and His prayer to God taught the centurion that Jesus was not like any other man. He said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
Later the centurion would know how the tomb of Jesus was guarded and of His resurrection, which must have taught him more.
Deep Grief
The women who stood where they could see the cross of Jesus had known Him in Galilee, where they had listened to His words, known His love for their children and His cures of all sickness and that He fed the hungry and raised some from death. Some of them had “ministered” to Him, which means they had in some way served Him — that may have been if He came to their homes, they provided food and a room, or however they could serve His needs.
Those women believed Jesus to be the Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures, and they were deeply grieved at the cruel treatment He received that day. Two of them stayed to see where Joseph laid the body of Jesus in the tomb. Then they returned to the places where they stayed to prepare sweet spices and ointments to bring to His tomb after the Sabbath.
It was then near sunset when the Sabbath day began, and by the law of God to their nation, no work was to be done on the Sabbath, the seventh and last day of the week. For that reason, the day before the Sabbath was called “the [day of] preparation,” when all work was finished to be ready for the day of rest.
Further Meditation
1. Who saw Jesus after the soldier pierced His side and before His ascension back into heaven?
2. When will the unbelieving world next see Christ?
3. For brief articles on the cross, crucifixion, resurrection and related subjects, you might consider reading the Concise Bible Dictionary by G. A. Morrish.