PRAYER + PRAISE
Displaying Hopeful Expectation in Burial Process/Period of Christ
- Adam R. Cole // April 11, 2009
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. —John 19:38-40
And then silence, for it was finished.
Leading up to the death of Christ was a tumultuous string of moments. When you flip through the Word, you can almost feel the anguish and hear the screams from onlookers and then Christ Himself as He breathed His last.
In death, in the finale of such suffering, is almost nothingness.
Following the death of Jesus, He was buried in a tomb by Joseph a member of the Jewish council, Sanhedrin, that had begun the plot to put Jesus to death. Joseph was a member of that council, who is said to have secretly followed the Way of Christ. While he may not have stood up to the outcries of the Sanhedrin, he was able to persuade Pilate to preserve the body—and then buried Him in the tomb that was his eventual tomb. Joseph did this along with Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who met Jesus as night, and followed Jewish customary law in doing this.
The fact that the burial was accomplished—amidst such contempt over Jesus—and done in a worthy manner says a lot. So many of the disciples—save for a couple of the woman—had already gone their way, had already drifted back home and to old ways of life. But these two men, led by the Spirit, wrapped up the body of Jesus with delicate care.
As we be restful today, on what was (and still is for Jews) the Sabbath, the holy day, where not a single bit of work was done, let us be in quiet expectation of Christ’s resurrection. For though it was ‘finished’ on the cross, His rise from death made everything complete: the prophesies about Him, the truth that He was God, and the prospect that we too can rise, with Him, after death (both after the dying to our sinful selves and after He brings up with Him after real physical death).
Those then, at that time, though they knew the prophesies, and believed on Him, still walked away, after seeing Him collapse on the cross, they walked away feeling a false sense of hope (so we can infer), as if it was the end, as if Jesus was a great man, a prophet, but not God in the flesh…for He did not save Himself…but perished there…would He really rise again? So many minds were in despair…shattered hearts…to really contemplate that prospect.
Because of His Word, we know that he would indeed rise. But today let’s blind ourselves to that revelation…and put ourselves at that moment in time, go about today with that expectation, through faith that He is who He said He is, and will do the impossible—will rise.
Praise: That Christ gives us something to believe in, a hope for something more, even in His death.
Prayer: That we have an expectant faith, that allows us to believe in the something more, which was His resurrection.
Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, we know that today, on this particular Sabbath day, a day of rest, that Jesus rested in His tomb. And the body of believers waited expectantly, yet many in doubt, many unbelieving. Give us a spirit of expectation and a faith that believes that Your promises will come to be, always. We place our minds on that resurrection and when He will come again. You are worthy, Lord, of our assured hope that all things will come to pass. In Jesus Name, Amen.