In The Word
Read Mark 15:42-16:8
Jesus Is Buried
42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.2 Very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. 5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” 8 They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In today’s scripture and the parallel accounts, we find two “secret disciples,” Joseph and Nicodemus.
- Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man and a prominent member of the Jewish Council who himself had become a disciple of Jesus.
- Nicodemus was the one who came to Him by night. He was a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. (John 3)
How many of us live our lives as secret disciples? Do the people we work with, our neighbors, or better yet, our own relatives know that we are followers of Christ?
Maybe we had a real encounter with Christ, but that is where our journey has stopped. We never moved beyond that first step in our walk with Him. Maybe we spend time with Him in private, go to church, and even tithe. Maybe we strive to live rightly and not be involved in anything that is wrong, but we are afraid of how others will react. So, we try to follow Him quietly and privately. Jesus said, “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words…the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him.” (Mark 8:38)
Joseph of Arimathea finally decided to move beyond that kind of life. He gathered up courage and stood before Pilate, the Governor, to ask for Jesus’ body. May that be an example for us today! May we no longer live as secret disciples, but may we be bold and courageous. (Romans 1:16)