Buried In Another Man’s Tomb

Luke 23:50-56

“And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
” (Luke 23:50-52)

So often we judge others for their actions in one situation, failing to take human frailty into consideration. Peter looks like a super hero in some situations and a total failure in others. Paul and Barnabas split up because Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance. Later Paul specifically requested Mark’s help.

None of the disciples doubted Judas Iscariot’s devotion to the Lord, yet he was not a Christian at all. Nobody knew that Joseph of Arimathaea was a Christian, because he was afraid of the cost to him personally. It must have been a surprise when he went boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, as John 19:38 describes. “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.” For a man who was one of the ruling council to step forward and risk his career in such a manner took a lot of courage.

It often took three days for a crucified man to die, and even when they broke their legs, many lived twelve or sixteen hours, according to historical records. Torture records from as recently as the Vietnam war support this timing. It is not surprising that Pilate was surprised by Jesus death after only about six or seven hours, even after haven the prisoners legs broken.

“And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.” (Mark 15:44-45)

Pilate consulted the centurion to find out if he’d been dead long enough to be sure he hadn’t just fainted. When the centurion reported he’d already been dead when they broke the legs of the others, but that they had run a spear into him to make sure and the blood cells and plasma had begun to separate, proving he was dead, Pilate had no reservations about giving up the body.

Joseph was assisted in burying Jesus by another secret disciple, according to John 19:39. “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.” Nicodemus had come to Jesus in John 3, but made no commitment at that time. Now he provides some of the supplies needed for burial. John is the only one who records this, probably because he was the only one of the apostles present for the entire crucifixion.

“And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.” (Luke 23:53)

The tomb Joseph used was one he had had made for himself and his family. Matthew 27:59-60 states, “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” It was a mark of great admiration for a man to bury an non family member in the family tomb. It also makes the claim that the disciples just went to the wrong tomb ludicrous, as such a structure would not be easily forgotten by those who built it.

That Joseph put Jesus in his own family tomb is especially important to us because it fulfills another prophecy in Isaiah 53:9. “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” To be the Savior of the world, it was essential that Jesus fulfill all the prophecy concerning him.

Preparing the body for burial was something the women normally did. Joseph and Nicodemus, in a show of their love for the Lord, stepped up and performed the actions themselves, as John 19:40 describes. “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.”

“And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.” (Luke 23:54-55)

By the time Joseph and Nicodemus had buried Jesus, it was well past the evening sacrifices, and under the Jewish reckoning, Friday, the day of preparation for the Sabbath had started, since they started their day at six in the evening, rather than at midnight like we do. Though Joseph and Nicodemus had followed the Jewish burial customs the women still wanted to do one last thing for Jesus, so they watched where he was buried and then went home to sleep. Afterward, they made preparations for the Sabbath, but they also prepared things so they could finish preparing the body on Sunday, since it was against the law to do it on the Sabbath.

“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56)

Having watched and participated in both the modern burial process and the old way of the family preparing the body, I believe our society has been emotionally damaged by missing the opportunity to do those last things for the dead. It is an important step in the healing process for those who were close to the dead individual. There was a reason for the old rituals by different groups.

A great deal is made of the empty tomb, with several being touted as the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem. The Bible never tells us it was not used later, and it may well have been. The Bible never identifies which tomb it was, probably to prevent our worshiping the tomb rather than the Lord himself. After all, he is not buried there now.