Joseph of Arimathea Goes to Pilate

Jesus experienced much dishonor in His death, being killed by crucifixion, the most shameful method of execution known in the ancient world. His burial, however, would be different. As we see in today’s passage, our Lord received honor in the burial of His body.

Luke 23:50–53 tells us that Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus. Scholars debate the identity and location of Arimathea, though some have suggested that it was the town that in the Old Testament is called Ramah, the birthplace and hometown of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1–20). We do know that this Joseph was “a member of the council”—that is, he was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin that brought Jesus up on the capital charges that led to His crucifixion (Luke 23:50; see vv. 1–4). Unlike the other men on the Sanhedrin, Joseph of Arimathea was “good and righteous.” He had not consented to their decision, and he was looking for God’s kingdom to come (vv. 50–51). John 19:38 even tells us that he had been a disciple of Jesus in secret. All this is to say that even though many of the Jewish religious leaders were opposed to our Savior, not all of them hated Jesus. Joseph went to Pilate, secured Jesus’ body, and buried Him in a tomb “where no one had ever yet been laid” (Luke 23:53). Graves were ceremonially unclean in ancient Judaism because of the presence of dead bodies, but Jesus’ grave was clean because no body had ever been put there. It was a fit place to be buried for the One who knew no sin. John 19:39 indicates that the Pharisee Nicodemus assisted in burying our Lord. Jesus received a burial fit for a king, for the amount of myrrh and aloe that Nicodemus contributed to the interment of our Savior was normally used only in the burial of monarchs.

As noted, Joseph of Arimathea had been a disciple of Jesus in secret, with John 19:38 telling us that he kept his discipleship hidden because he was afraid of the Jews. He did not want to be rejected or persecuted by others for following the Lord. Yet finally, in a moment of great importance, Joseph stepped forward to honor Him publicly with a dignified burial. Earlier he had been afraid of what others would think of him or do to him, but he stood finally with Christ when the time came. We can conclude only that God granted Joseph courage to finally step forward as a follower of Jesus. John Calvin notes the special work of divine providence in Joseph’s burial of Jesus: “When the Son of God was buried by the hand of Joseph, it was the work of God.”