Now after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 And Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a [s]mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about [t]one hundred litras. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:38-42
Introduction
Several times, John references the day of Jesus’ death as “the day of Preparation.” He did so in verse 31, and then again in 42. It is important for the timeline of things, because the day of Preparation precedes the Sabbath, the day of rest. When we say that Jesus died and then rose on the third day, we count this day of Preparation (1), the next day of the Sabbath (2), and finally the first day of the week which is Sunday (3). On this, all the gospels agree: Jesus died on a Friday, which we call Good Friday.
Because the day was waning, and a dead body could not be left out all night through the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 21:22-23), they had to act quickly. A Jewish burial typically occurs the same day as one’s death, and so two unlikely followers stepped up.
Better in secret than not at all
First was a man named Joseph of Arimathea. Nowhere else in the gospels is he mentioned but here, a man who was deeply concerned about the body of his teacher approaching Pilate and asking for the body of his teacher. But John is quick to mention that while Joseph was indeed a disciple, he was such secretly out of fear of his countrymen.
The second mentioned here is of a similar ilk. Nicodemus was first introduced in John 3 as a “ruler of the Jews”, a key Pharisee and teacher among the people. There he learned from Jesus secretly, opting to converse with Him at night. Presumably he also did this out of fear of his fellow Pharisees.
Two men, both exhibiting cowardice, are also both highlighted for their faith. God does not need us to be strong, powerful, and bold in order to use us. Martin Luther once quipped that God can strike a straight blow with a crooked stick. While that does not mean we should celebrate these men for their crooked cowardice, we absolutely can recognize their faithfulness in seeking to serve their teacher even when all seemed hopeless.
The life of a saint is not as such because of all the good they have done. It is such because of the good that Christ has done in redemption. Because He is good, we can do good. And so Joseph and Nicodemus did good in caring for Jesus’ body after His death when no one else was willing. Your life does not need to look perfect in order to be saved. In fact, it is because you are not perfect that salvation is necessary.
Life and death; a garden
As a side note, the prominence of gardens in scripture is not something to miss. When God made man, He placed him in a garden. When that man sinned, he did so in that garden and was expelled. When God gave His people a dwelling for Himself among them, it was in a garden. And when God put on flesh, coming to die, He prayed first in a garden. He was arrested in a garden. And He was buried in a garden.
A garden is a place of nature, but tamed. It is a picture of the first command God ever gave to man, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that creeps on the earth.”
The vision Isaiah has in chapter 11 of the renewal which results from the Messiah’s coming is one of a garden: animals that would otherwise be rivals lay down together, each with its needs fully met, children are unafraid of dangerous animals, and knowledge of God covers the whole earth. God never abandoned His purpose for creation, and He intends to make the world into a garden paradise where He will reign with His children for eternity. This is the wonderful hope we have in Him, taking part in this new creation.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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