Mat 27:57 | KingComments | STEP | Now a man comes forward who was earlier hidden. He has the courage to make himself one with the dead Christ. He acts so that it may be fulfilled that the Lord Jesus will be with the rich in His death ( ). God allowed him to be born to fulfil His Word. No doubt he will have done more for the Lord that God has not mentioned in His Word, but has written down in His book of memorial. He is not ashamed to make Pilate aware of his desire regarding the body of the Lord Jesus. Pilate allows his desire to be carried out. Then Joseph takes the body in his arms, as Simeon did when the Lord was newly born ( ). Then He was wrapped in cloths, here Joseph wraps Him in a clean linen cloth. Then he lays Him “in his own new tomb”. It is his tomb, but instead of Joseph being laid in it himself, he lays the Lord in it. This is a beautiful symbol of the place the Lord has taken to free Joseph from the consequences of sin. It is also a new tomb, which means that this place has not yet been in contact with death. It indicates the completely new state of affairs that is beginning with the death and burial of the Lord. At the grave two Mary’s are also present. They do not depart from the Lord Jesus. They want to be where He is. Their love and dedication to Him are touching, although here too Mary of Bethany is missing. She is not missing because her love and dedication are lesser. They are greater. She has Him in her heart and is always with Him. What is more, she is aware that He is always with her, despite the fact that He died, because for her He lives, even though He died. She believes that.

‏ Matthew 27:57

The Burial

Now a man comes forward who was earlier hidden. He has the courage to make himself one with the dead Christ. He acts so that it may be fulfilled that the Lord Jesus will be with the rich in His death (Isa 53:9). God allowed him to be born to fulfil His Word. No doubt he will have done more for the Lord that God has not mentioned in His Word, but has written down in His book of memorial.

He is not ashamed to make Pilate aware of his desire regarding the body of the Lord Jesus. Pilate allows his desire to be carried out. Then Joseph takes the body in his arms, as Simeon did when the Lord was newly born (Lk 2:28). Then He was wrapped in cloths, here Joseph wraps Him in a clean linen cloth. Then he lays Him “in his own new tomb”.

It is his tomb, but instead of Joseph being laid in it himself, he lays the Lord in it. This is a beautiful symbol of the place the Lord has taken to free Joseph from the consequences of sin. It is also a new tomb, which means that this place has not yet been in contact with death. It indicates the completely new state of affairs that is beginning with the death and burial of the Lord.

At the grave two Mary’s are also present. They do not depart from the Lord Jesus. They want to be where He is. Their love and dedication to Him are touching, although here too Mary of Bethany is missing. She is not missing because her love and dedication are lesser. They are greater. She has Him in her heart and is always with Him. What is more, she is aware that He is always with her, despite the fact that He died, because for her He lives, even though He died. She believes that.