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| Volume 25 Number 8 August 2023 |
Page 6 |
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| Volume 25 Number 8 August 2023 |
Page 6 |
Mark McWhorter
Jesus was crucified. His dead body was hanging on the cross. A soldier had already pierced His side with a spear. Everything Jesus had undergone had been prophesied. His body could not remain on the cross on the Sabbath. This was against Jewish law. Yet, who would take our Lord’s body down from the cross? A rich man named Joseph from Arimathaea was a disciple of Jesus. Joseph was a member of the elite Sanhedrin. He had kept his belief in Jesus a secret up to this moment. He went to Pilate and asked for authority to take Jesus down. Joseph had a new tomb in Jerusalem that was for his family. He took Jesus to that tomb.
Another disciple helped Joseph. His name was Nicodemus, who had approached Jesus at night (John 3). He was also wealthy. We are told in John 19:39 that he brought about a hundred pounds of aloe and myrrh to put on Jesus for His burial. Some skeptics have said this was too much for one burial, and so, the Bible must be a mistaken. However, such an amount was used for those who were given special honor in death. It is reported that Rabbi Gamaliel was buried with eighty pounds of these items, while it is recorded that King Herod was accompanied to his tomb by five hundred servants carrying these items for his burial. So, Joseph and Nicodemus were not flaunting their wealth. Instead, they showed great honor toward Jesus.
Study your Bible. Learn all you can about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Give Him the honor He deserves by living the life of a Christian. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
