57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
Verses 57 through 61 record the burial of Jesus.
27:57
Now when evening had come [towards six o’ clock in the evening], there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
Joseph was one of the few rich men who followed Jesus as his Messiah. He was a member of the Sanhedrin but a secret disciple of Jesus (Jn 19:38).
27:58
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
No known arrangement was made for Jesus’ burial. Normally the Romans would take the bodies of criminals to a garbage dump for burial. Those associated with Jesus at this time were under suspicion from the Roman government. For Joseph to go to Pilate was an act of courage (Mark 15:43).
Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
Pilate granted Joseph’s request to bury the body.
27:59
When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
When Joseph took possession of Jesus’ body, he put it in a clean linen cloth.
27:60
and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.
Joseph buried Jesus in a new tomb where no one else had been entombed. There is a tomb of Jesus’ day cut out of rock today in Gordon’s Calvary near Golgotha (Jn 19:42; we cannot determine with certainty whether this is the actual site). Joseph secured the tomb with a large rolling stone.
27:61
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and the mother of James and Joses witnessed the burial. They returned on Sunday morning to find the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus gone. They found an angel who announced that Jesus rose from the dead (Mark 16:5-7).
PRINCIPLE:
Burial confirms the death of Christ to validate the resurrection of Christ.
APPLICATION:
God fulfilled prophecy in the burial of Jesus. Isaiah clearly predicted that an attempt would be made to bury Him with criminals, but that He would be buried in a rich man’s tomb.
Is 53: 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
