Burial of Jesus

Burial of Jesus. As John 19 comes to a close we are privy to this rather touching account of Jesus' burial by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus. Time was short as the Sabbath was quickly approaching, so the men found a new sepulchre in a nearby garden for the burial of their Lord.

38. And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

39. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

40. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

41. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

42. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

John 19:38-42, King James Version

Burial of Jesus

As John 19 comes to a close we are privy to this rather touching account of the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus. Time was short as the Sabbath was quickly approaching, so the men found a new sepulchre in a nearby garden for the burial of their Lord.

Here we find two disciples of Jesus overcome by his death. In their sorrow how tenderly they must have wrapped his body with a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Gone was their leader! What would happen now?

We know the rest of the story; we know that Jesus would rise again from the dead, but they did not know this! The worst thing they could imagine had happened. The promise of new life with their Lord was gone.

Perhaps you have experienced a time such as this. Of course, it happens all the time in the movies. All hope is lost and suddenly the underdog is victorious. However, this is real life, it is not the movies. You are overcome by your circumstances and know of no way out.

In real life, our hero does not come riding through the clouds to save the day. As a matter of fact, our times of darkness often go on for a long time--maybe even years. What do we do? What should we do?

I can think of only one answer, but I do not think it is exactly what you expect me to say. Yes, you expect me to say, trust in the Lord Jesus. We all know that is true, but how can we do that when everything falls apart around us?

To trust someone fully, you must know that person. How well do you know Jesus? Oh how important it is that we, as professing believers, get to know our Savior personally. It is not enough to just read the Word and pray; rather, we need to get close to the Lord. In our times of prayer we need to stop and just fellowship with our Lord; as we meditate upon Him, He speaks to us through His Spirit, and grants us peace and comfort.

It is only through the Spirit of God that we can live beyond and above our circumstances no matter how bleak they become.

Joseph and Nicodemus were responsible for the burial of Jesus, and in time would experience the joy of His resurrection.

How I pray that we, even in times of great difficulty would walk in the peace and joy of Christ.

Next: The Body is Gone - John 20:1-2