Luke 23: 50 – 56 The Burial of Jesus.

Luke 23: 50 – 56 The Burial of Jesus.

Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried. It was the day of preparation, and the Aabbath was about to begin. The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

Joseph of Arimathea, a man of influence in the Sanhedrin, asks Pilate for Jesus’ body so that it can be buried. Luke’s gospel describes him as a “good and God-fearing man who looks forward to the reign of God”. Is he one of Christ’s followers or is he a Jew? Since he has influence in the Sanhedrin he must be a good Jew, and a wise one, since that is sort of the “supreme court” of ancient Israel. And yet the description of him as a person “who looks forward to the reign of God” marks him as a follower of Christ. Maybe we should think of him as a “closet” Christian, someone who leads a double life? That’s a bit harsh. It was not easy to follow Jesus at that time, especially in Jerusalem. Your very life was at risk and Joseph was not the only follower of Jesus to wilt under the pressure. Virtually all the disciples did, including Peter who would play a huge role in establishing the church. And if I am honest with myself, I’m sure I would not have done much better. We don’t know what happened to Joseph after his brief mention in the Gospels, but I would like to think he continued to help and support Christ’s followers. Maybe eventually he became an overt Christian. I think he did. After all, he was a good and upright man who looked forward to the coming of the Kingdom.