Image; Joseph of Arimathea Among the Rocks of Albion, engraving, 1773, reworked c. 1810, by William Blake (1757-1827). Medieval legends suggested Joseph brought the "Holy Grail" to Britain.
Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on John 19:36-42.
And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus (John 19:38).
And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus (John 19:38).
John agrees with the other three Gospels (cf.
Matt 27:57-58; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51-52) in saying that a man named Joseph of
Arimathea took the lifeless body of the Lord Jesus from the cross. Who was
Joseph?
Each of the Gospels give us bits of information
about him:
In Matthew 27:57 he is described as “a rich man”
and as “Jesus’s disciple.”
In Mark 15:43 he is described as “an honorable
counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God.”
In Luke 23:50 he is also described as “a
counsellor” but also as “a good man, and a just” man.
And in John 19:38, John says he was “a disciple
of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews.”
Why was Joseph a secret disciple? Perhaps because
of his wealth, or because of his position as a counsellor among his fellow Jews,
or because as a good and just man he feared having cast upon him the scorn and
opprobrium that was cast upon Christ.
Joseph indeed stands forever immortalized in
Scripture as one who tried to keep quiet his commitment to Christ due to fear
of man.
We need to remember, however, that though Joseph
had been a secret disciple, at this moment of crisis, at the very time after
Christ had been crucified, his fear was taken away and he stepped forward to
honor Christ by giving his body a proper and respectful burial.
Think of the courage it took for him to approach
Pilate to beseech him “that he might take away the body of Jesus.”
Calvin notes that here we have “a striking proof
that [Christ’s] death was more quickening than his life.” Christ now
extinguished the passions belonging to the flesh of Joseph. So long as ambition
and love of money reigned in Joseph the grace of Christ had no charm for him,
but now he began to disrelish the whole world.
Ryle said: “But his case teaches us that there is
sometimes more spiritual work going on in men’s minds than appears. We must not
set down every one as utterly graceless and godless, who is not bold and
outspoken at present. We must charitably hope that there are some secret
disciples, who at present hold their tongues and say nothing, and yet, like
Joseph, will one day come forward, and be a courageous witness for Christ.”
Joseph had indeed been changed by the passion and
death of Christ on the cross, and he is, therefore, a harbinger of myriads of
timid and fearful men who are made bold when they are gripped by this great reality
(cf. John 12:24-26).
Grace and
peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
No comments:
Post a Comment