The Burial of Jesus

Good Friday is the message of Christ’s death, and it is also a message of salvation, meaning that the salvation of the Church, as merited by Christ, will now have saving power in the life of all those that are given to Christ by the Father. The bold action of Joseph of Arimathea is an example of a precious fruit upon the labours of Christ. In Joseph’s craving the body of Jesus, we notice something of Lord’s Day 12 of our Heidelberg Catechism where the true Christian is described as one that confesses Christ’s name and presents himself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him.

Notice: the dead body of Christ is craved or coveted. It is the blessed body of the Son of God as smitten by the justice of God. It is the sacrifice of God, the ultimate price for sin, the ultimate atonement provided by God Himself. There lies the Shepherd, now smitten of God, but it is also that same God who will turn His hand upon the little ones. Who are the little ones? They are such who cannot redeem their brother, nor give to God a ransom for themselves or another, but the redemption of their soul is precious. Their eyes need to be opened for the way in which this must be accomplished. Let us see how this took place in the man mentioned in the text.

Joseph of Arimathea, who was this man? Until now we had never heard of him and after this, we will hear nothing further about him. With the deceased body of Jesus in the center, this honourable counsellor named Joseph steps forward. In a way, he becomes the funeral director. Would you not have expected the disciples, the Boanerges, or the Peters to have undertaken this task? No, not now. Out of the shades of darkness, as it were, appears Joseph of Arimathea, just for a moment. All four evangelists mention his bold actions. Matthew mentions that he was rich and a disciple of the Lord Jesus. Mark speaks of him in the above text. John points out that he feared the Lord secretly, for fear of the Jews. Luke relates more of Joseph’s spiritual condition; he himself waited for the kingdom of God. Much remained covered in his godly life and walk because of fear of the Jews.

Let us not be rash in condemning Joseph for this fear. We live in opposite times today, it seems. The boldness with which things are spoken of ought truly to concern us more. Not all talk is real; consider that next to Joseph’s fear. Scripture relates beautiful things of this man’s spiritual life—a life often explained in the strife with which souls must contend. You can read of this in the psalms: “Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive against me”; “they be many that fight against me”; “man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.” God’s people are converted by Him but unconverted in themselves—possessing everything yet missing everything; dying yet behold they live; poor but made rich. “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10). Therefore, their walk is biblical; they are needy sinners. They long for solutions, but they cannot grasp them themselves; they need help. Undertake for me Lord, for I am oppressed.

The time has now come, right at the moment when the Lord has died. “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come.” “He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” Right now, with Jesus’ death, the work of God flourishes in Joseph, not any earlier…is it not remarkable? When Jesus was alive Joseph did not dare, but now that He has died…look! Hear! When Jesus has paid the price and commends His Spirit into His Father’s hands, all fear of the Jews is taken away, and Joseph boldly steps forward. Amazing! When the cause and the honour of Jesus is cut off for good, Joseph demands it back—for Him! Although all seems to have become a failure, Joseph’s faith takes courage—takes hold of a fully paid sacrifice. “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.”

Dear reader, right now, Jesus has paid the price fully and satisfied all the demands of God’s justice; He is no more to be found in the hands of enemies but carried in the loving and caring hands of faith. Here is the blessed fruit and blessed exercise with the message of Good Friday. Fear must now depart because in faith there is no fear. The fruit of Good Friday causes Joseph to esteem the reproach of Christ greater than riches and to choose to suffer affliction with the people of God. The snare breaks and Joseph escapes, an immediate fruit upon the labour of Christ. Even in His death Christ draws His people to behold the beauty of the Lord. Here, Christ sees the travail of His soul, and God divides Him a portion with the great while He is with the rich in His death.

The fruit of Christ’s suffering and death, the full payment of it, flows over into a liberty whereby all fears are overcome. Many waters cannot quench that love; neither can the floods drown it. Mark the element of boldness. Here is a real disciple of Christ. Love overflows. What is there to celebrate with a dead body of Jesus? Come, listen for a moment to the message of Christ’s death; Jesus has died and now indeed Satan’s head is bruised. “Alleluia”; salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the LORD our God and the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne. If Jesus has died, then God’s justice is now fully satisfied; there is nothing between Father and Son anymore. Then righteousness and peace have kissed each other; is that not a reason for rejoicing? If Jesus has died, all is finished, everything is paid, and God’s wrath against sin which is shown in its fiercest form is appeased. Now God who perfectly hates sin can love the sinner in His Son Jesus Christ.

My dear friend, Pilate does not grasp all this like many others, even today. All we read is that he marveled if He were already dead. Pilate, is there nothing more to say? Is this often not the case when people react to someone’s passing away? ‘Now, already?’ Statements like these are poor in content, empty and void of anything real. My friend, if the message of Good Friday is merely met with statements like those of Pilate, we miss the application, blessing, and fruit altogether.

Finally, “the body of Jesus buried,” meaning placed in the vestibule of death and in a beautiful comparison—God’s waiting-room. “For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” The burial of Christ belongs to His Mediatorial work. The grave of Christ assures me that Christ’s payment is real and complete. In the grave is buried the body of sin. The handwriting of my sin was against me. That handwriting lies now lower than the cradle of Bethlehem, lower than the curse of the cross; it lies in the dust of death, never to return. In this waiting room for Christ lies also the promise for and of a risen Saviour, and may God grant the blessing of it on Easter: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” p

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