SHARING BREAD
57 As evening approached, there came a rich man from
Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate
ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph
took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out
of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and
went away. 61 Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
Matt
27:57-61 (NIV)
From the other Gospels we discover that Joseph of Arimathea
was not only wealthy but also a prominent member of the Council who was himself
waiting for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43).
We discover as well that he went boldly to Pilate asking for our Lord’s
body (Mark 15:43). Luke tells us that
Joseph was a good and upright man. He
also states that he had not consented to the decision and action of the Council
to put Jesus to death (Luke 23:50-51).
In the Gospel that bears his name, John tells us as well that Joseph was
a disciple, a learner, a follower, and adherent of the Lord meaning he took
Christ’s instruction and made it his rule of conduct. Yet he was a follower
secretly because of his fear of the Jews (John 19:38). This is interesting in light of the fact that
we discover in our verses for today Joseph approaching Pilate, casting his
fears aside, boldly asking for Jesus’ body.
We act on what we believe to be true.
Joseph’s mind and heart had been moved – he was a changed man. His cold and waxy fears melted with the heat
of his faith, passion and purpose. Oh
for that to be true of us today as well!
I am reminded of the words of Deuteronomy that could have possibly rung
in Joseph’s ears:
13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your
oaths in his name. Deut 6:13 (NIV)
David also writes in the Psalms:
8 Taste
and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him
lack nothing. 10 The
lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good
thing. Psalms 34:8-10 (NIV)
“As humans, we have heads, and therefore
must be given facts and evidences and arguments in order to make reasonable
commitments. And we have hearts with longings and yearnings and hopes and fears
and desires. Therefore, if someone urges me to commit myself to a certain goal,
he must persuade my head that the goal is really there as he says it is; and he
must move my heart to feel the value of attaining it.” John
Piper
Jesus
tells us we are not to fear man rather God.
That is, btw, the beginning of wisdom:
4 “I tell you, my friends, do
not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you
should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw
you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
Luke 12:4-5 (NIV)
“The only fear a Christian should entertain is the fear of sin. All other fears are from Satan sent to confuse and weaken us. How often the Lord reiterated to His disciples, ‘Be not afraid!’” Isobel Kuhn
In our verses for today we also see Joseph carefully tending the abused body of our Lord Jesus as evening fast approached. Beaten, bruised, nailed, pierced – shredded flesh – this kind man lovingly places Christ’s torn body on clean linen cloth. Such tender sympathy of heartfelt compassion! Visualize this in your mind for a moment. How carefully he must have handled Him. How gently he must have removed His battered body from the cross. What a picture of a faithful servant kindly tending to the needs of his Master at His death – no service would be thought too low to stoop for the One he served. I am reminded of Paul’s call to all in Colossians:
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly
loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience. Col 3:12 (NIV)
“There must be a practical
outworking of our faith here in this present world, or it will never endure in
the world to come. We need fewer words and more charitable works; less
palaver and more pity; less repetition of creed and more compassion.” Billy
Graham
“The
Christian’s compassion must be like God’s – unceasing.” William
Barclay
Joseph laid Jesus in his own new tomb – a borrowed tomb. On earth, our Lord owned neither house to lay His head while living nor grave to lay His body in dying. He would not need either very long. Christ was buried to prove His death. He was placed in a prison tomb cut out of rock and sealed with rock and tightly guarded – there would be no room for suspect that His body could have been taken by His disciples.
Jesus took away the terror of the grave for us. He is no longer in the grave, He has risen. Death is swallowed up in sweet victory. Blessedly, because of the Cross of Christ, when we place our departed loved ones who followed Jesus in the grave and go home, it is not we who go home but rather they. He was buried to make His death more certain and His resurrection more glorious and illustrious.
53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written
will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O
death, is your victory? Where, O death,
is your sting?” 1 Cor 15:53-55 (NIV)
“Who
else has the answer to the frailty of life, the reality of death and the
certainty of judgment than Jesus, who by His death destroyed him who holds the
power of death and frees those whose lives are enslaved by the fear of death?” Alistair Begg
What
I glean from this:
·
I am to fear God not man. This
is the beginning of wisdom.
·
I am to clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.
·
Because of Jesus, death has been swallowed up in victory.
