Joh 19:39-40 | KingComments | STEP | After the testimony of John and the Scriptures, it is wonderful to see someone who is going to openly confess the Lord when at first he did not. Pilate is visited again. Before the bodies are taken from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea comes to him asking if he may take the body of the Lord Jesus from the cross. Joseph turns out to be a disciple of the Lord, but had not yet come out openly with it. Fear of man had kept him from making himself known as a follower of Christ. But if there is real life from God through faith in Christ, the time comes when this life can no longer remain hidden. Life must show itself. For Joseph, the moment has come to confess Him as He hangs dead on the cross. Now is the time to do it. He steps forward and commits himself to the Christ Who has died. It is a clear evidence of new life when a person commits himself to a Christ Who has died and thus confesses his faith in Him. The courageous testimony of Joseph is followed. Someone joins him who also had not previously come to openly testify for the Lord. Nicodemus once sought the Lord by night and heard impressive things from Him ( ). Perhaps he remembered what He said to him about His exaltation ( ). The Lord then sowed the seed of the Word in him. That Word has begun to germinate. A first tentative confession passed the lips of Nicodemus when his fellow Pharisees spoke of taking Christ captive. He then expressed a reservation that caused him to receive scolding remarks from his colleagues ( ). Here he joins Joseph with a quantity of ointment. He has prepared this moment. Together, with great reverence and caution, they take down the body of the Lord Jesus from the cross. They wrap His body in linen cloths in which they also put spices. This is customary among the Jews when they bury someone. This counters the smell of decay. They do not remember that God has said in His Word that He will not see decay ( ). The Lord comes into a tomb that has never had any contact with death. In this respect also He has not seen decay, He has not been in contact with it, nor has His body known it. Preparation also plays a role with Joseph and Nicodemus. John mentions that “Jesus” is laid in the tomb. Note that it does not say “His body”; He is, even though He died, the Person Jesus. Jesus is laid in that tomb “because the tomb was nearby”. We know that God’s hand directed everything in this way. What seemed to be a humanly practical solution that fit well within the circumstances was included by God in His counsel. It could not have been anything other than this tomb.

‏ John 19:39-40

The Burial

After the testimony of John and the Scriptures, it is wonderful to see someone who is going to openly confess the Lord when at first he did not. Pilate is visited again. Before the bodies are taken from the cross, Joseph of Arimathea comes to him asking if he may take the body of the Lord Jesus from the cross. Joseph turns out to be a disciple of the Lord, but had not yet come out openly with it. Fear of man had kept him from making himself known as a follower of Christ. But if there is real life from God through faith in Christ, the time comes when this life can no longer remain hidden. Life must show itself.

For Joseph, the moment has come to confess Him as He hangs dead on the cross. Now is the time to do it. He steps forward and commits himself to the Christ Who has died. It is a clear evidence of new life when a person commits himself to a Christ Who has died and thus confesses his faith in Him.

The courageous testimony of Joseph is followed. Someone joins him who also had not previously come to openly testify for the Lord. Nicodemus once sought the Lord by night and heard impressive things from Him (Jn 3:1). Perhaps he remembered what He said to him about His exaltation (Jn 3:14).

The Lord then sowed the seed of the Word in him. That Word has begun to germinate. A first tentative confession passed the lips of Nicodemus when his fellow Pharisees spoke of taking Christ captive. He then expressed a reservation that caused him to receive scolding remarks from his colleagues (Jn 7:50-52).

Here he joins Joseph with a quantity of ointment. He has prepared this moment. Together, with great reverence and caution, they take down the body of the Lord Jesus from the cross. They wrap His body in linen cloths in which they also put spices. This is customary among the Jews when they bury someone. This counters the smell of decay. They do not remember that God has said in His Word that He will not see decay (Psa 16:8-11). The Lord comes into a tomb that has never had any contact with death. In this respect also He has not seen decay, He has not been in contact with it, nor has His body known it.

Preparation also plays a role with Joseph and Nicodemus. John mentions that “Jesus” is laid in the tomb. Note that it does not say “His body”; He is, even though He died, the Person Jesus. Jesus is laid in that tomb “because the tomb was nearby”. We know that God’s hand directed everything in this way. What seemed to be a humanly practical solution that fit well within the circumstances was included by God in His counsel. It could not have been anything other than this tomb.