PT-1 "Christ's Power Over Death Was Manifested In His Burial" (John 19:38-42)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/21/2017 6:44 AM

My Worship Time      Focus:  PT-1 “Christ’s Power Over Death Was Manifested In His Burial”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  John 19:38-42

            Message of the verses:  “38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”

            First we want to look at Isaiah 53:9 “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”  Notice the fulfillment of this prophecy in our verses for today.  Also notice that Jesus exhibited His divine power over death as He controlled not only the details of His dying as we saw in our last SD, but He also controlled the circumstances of His burial after He was dead, and as mentioned fulfilled prophecy about His burial.  John MacArthur writes “The Romans normally refused to allow those executed for sedition to be buried, leaving them to the vultures and scavengers as the ultimate indignity.  The Jews did not refuse burial to anyone, but buried criminals at a separate location outside of Jerusalem.”

            MacArthur asks the question:  “how was Jesus to be buried with a rich man?”  He then answers his own question:  ‘“Jesus, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit’ (1 Peter 3:18), moved upon the heart of a rich man, ‘Joseph,’ from ‘Arimathea’ (the location of Arimathea is unknown; some identify it with Ramathaim-zophim, the birthplace of Samuel [1 Samuel 1:1]).  Joseph appears in all four Gospels but only in the accounts of Jesus’ burial.  He was rich (Matt. 27:57), a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), who had not agreed with its decision to condemn Jesus (Luke 23:51), although ‘a secret one for fear of the Jews.’ The apostle John usually took a dim view of secret disciples (cf. 12:42-43).  However he presented Joseph in a positive light in view of his courageous action in asking ‘Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.’  Joseph had exhibited sinful, cowardly fear of losing his prestige, power, and position while the Lord was alive.  But now he exposed himself to even greater danger than he had tried to avoid by approaching Pilate (who by now had his fill of the Jewish leaders) and asking for the body of a man who had been executed as a rival king to the emperor.  From beyond the grave, however the Lord moved in Joseph’s heart to expedite His burial.  After making sure Jesus was really dead (Mark 15:44-45), ‘Pilate granted permission’ for Joseph to take His body.”  I have to say that I have never thought of Jesus controlling all of this from the grave, but I now believe that just because I have never thought about it does not mean that it is not true, for Jesus being God could certainly control things from the dead as well as when alive.  I use to have a fairly wealthy man who lived across the street from me.  When he got older he was moved to a nursing home.  The story is rather complicated, but the point of it is that once he died he actually was controlling his money from the grave due to how he set up his will.  Jesus was controlling things from the grave because of who He is.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Joseph had courage later on in his life, as it was a courageous thing to go to Pilate and do what he did, and this is a lesson for me in a couple of ways.  First I need to trust the Lord to cause me to do the right thing in difficult times in my life so that I don’t have to do it later on.  However if I fail I still need to do what is right as Joseph did.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Be courageous in doing the right things that bring honor to the Lord.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Turned water into blood” (Exodus 7:20).

Today’s Bible question:  “Whom was Timothy not to rebuke?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/21/2017 7:13 AM