Jesus’s Burial Defied All Expectations
By Petar Nenadov, TGC.
At the close of Friday, there was hurried activity. The Sabbath was approaching.
All four Gospel writers tell good news before the good news. They tell of an unexpected triumph before the unexpected triumph. There are many important details in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that only one or two of the Gospel writers tell. So we should take notice when all four heralds draw our attention to the same story.
New Person
After Jesus died, we’re introduced to Joseph of Arimathea (Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–41). There’s no mention of him, not even a hint, before Jesus died. Who is this new person? Why introduce him now?
After Jesus’s death, we learn Joseph was a “rich man from Arimathea” (Matt. 27:57), a “respected member of the council” (Mark 15:43), a “good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action” (Luke 23:50–51), and a “disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38).
Who could’ve anticipated this news?
In the final days of Jesus’s earthly ministry, as one of his disciples, Judas, began to conspire with the council, a member of the council was quietly devoted to Jesus. At the time when Judas accepted a bribe to betray Jesus to the religious leaders, one of their own began to plan a generous offering that would honor Jesus.
Satan entered Judas, and he got outflanked. Jesus had captured the heart of Joseph.
New Place
Next, the Gospel writers tell of a new place. Joseph had “his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock” (Matt. 27:60), where he “rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb” (Mark 15:46), “where no one had ever yet been laid” (Luke 23:53), and he buried Jesus with help of Nicodemus who “earlier had come to Jesus by night” (John 19:39).
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