The Collect
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Readings:
Reading: Job 14:1–14
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+14%3A1%E2%80%9314+&version=KJV
Psalm 31:1–4, 15–16
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+31%3A1%E2%80%934%2C+15%E2%80%9316&version=KJV
Reading: I Peter 4:1–8
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+Peter+4%3A1%E2%80%938&version=KJV
Gospel: Matthew 27:57–66
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
Commentary:
“When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:” (v. 57) To allow the body of an executed person to hang in public for a protracted period of time, as a potential deterrence to others, was a custom that survived—even here in the west—until well into the nineteenth century. In the case of the Romans, they preferred to allow a corpse to hang until it deteriorated or wild animals destroyed it.
However in the case of Jesus and those crucified that day, the Jews wanted the bodies removed as soon as possible so as not to besmirch their religious observance of Passover. Jewish law, based upon a passage from Deuteronomy 21:22-23, does state that a man executed for a crime, and hung on a tree, shall not remain all night on the tree but is to be buried the same day so as not to defile the land by hanging for a prolonged time.
Although their laws called for the body of Jesus to be removed before sundown and buried, they had—in the case of Jesus—already violated their own laws by denying him a fair trial. Therefore their motive for demanding the Romans to kill the three men and their bodies removed, probably had more to do with the placard, Pilate, the Roman Governor, ordered to be placed above Jesus stating “Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.” (John 19:19) The Chief Priests and Pharisees did not want the people to have any thoughts that the King promised by the prophets, had been murdered, so they wanted the evidence of their crime hidden away as soon as possible.
Joseph of Arimathaea, stepped up to petition Pilate for the right to take away Jesus’ body for proper internment. Matthew tells us that Joseph was himself a disciple of Jesus, however, John 19:38 tells us that Joseph hid his discipleship for fear of the Pharisees, the cult of which, he was also a member.
“The person that took care of the funeral was Joseph of Arimathea. The apostles had all fled, and none of them appeared to show this respect to their Master, which the disciples of John showed to him after he was beheaded, who took up his body, and buried it, ch. 14:12. The women that followed him durst not move in it; then did God stir up this good man to do it; for what work God has to do, he will find out instruments to do it. Joseph was a fit man, for, [1.] He had wherewithal to do it, being a rich man. Most of Christ’s disciples were poor men, such were most fit to go about the country to preach the gospel; but here was one that was a rich man, ready to be employed in a piece of service which required a man of estate. Note, Worldly wealth, though it is to many an objection in religion’s way, yet, in some services to be done for Christ, it is an advantage and an opportunity, and it is well for those who have it, if withal they have a heart to use it for God’s glory. [2.] He was well affected to our Lord Jesus, for he was himself his disciple, believed in him, though he did not openly profess it. Note, Christ has more secret disciples than we are aware of; seven thousand in Israel, Rom. 11:4.” (Henry)
Please allow me to digress, just for a moment, but as I read these words written by Matthew Henry three-hundred years ago, I find myself wondering—in these times when polls continue to show a decline in the number of people willing to admit they are Christian—how many individuals today, are like Joseph of Arimathaea was then, and are fearful of potential persecution, thereby preferring to remain closeted and to be secret disciples of Christ, as Henry put it.
“He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.” (v. 58)
“Pilate was willing to give the body to one that would inter it decently, that he might do something towards atoning for the guilt his conscience charged him with in condemning an innocent person. In Joseph’s petition, and Pilate’s ready grant of it, honour was done to Christ, and a testimony borne to his integrity.” (Henry)
“And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” (v. 59-60)
Matthew tells us that Joseph had hewn out in the rock, meaning he had contracted or ordered his servants to mine out a tomb from solid rock. We find that in their burial practices of that time, the body of the deceased would be placed in such a tomb, on a shelf like hollow carved form the wall, there while wrapped in burial linens, the body would lie until only the bones remained and then those would be gathered up and placed in a ossuary or box like chest as final internment.
Matthew makes no mention of it, but in John 19:39-40 we find that Nicodemus who was also a Pharisee—the one who came to Jesus in John 3:1—brought about a hundred pound weight of a mixture of myrrh and aloes for the purpose of anointing the body of Jesus, presumably in their custom of cloaking the smell of the deteriorating body.
“he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre” “This was the customary way to seal an expensive tomb. A rich man like Joseph of Arimethea probably had a tomb carved into solid rock; this tomb was in a garden near the place of crucifixion (John 19:41). The tomb would commonly have a small entrance and perhaps one or more compartments where bodies were laid out after being somewhat mummified with spices, ointments, and linen strips. Customarily, the Jews left these bodies alone for a few years until they decayed down to the bones, then the bones were placed in a small stone box known as an ossuary. The ossuary remained in the tomb with the remains of other family members” (Guzik)
These acts on the part of Joseph and Nicodemus, both men of wealth and influence, those whose livelihoods could be canceled in a heartbeat by their peers who detested anything or anyone who would follow Jesus and his teachings, demonstrates their devotion to Jesus and their sincerity as his followers, even though they chose to remain closeted.
“And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.” Although scripture does not tell us, one has to wonder if these women who maintained a vigil at the tomb—women who had heard Jesus say he would rise on the third day—maintained their vigil as part of a custom of the time or was it in the hopes that he would indeed arise?
“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that, that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” (vs. 62-66)
“Now the next day” “It must mean that the chief priests and Pharisees actually approached Pilate on the Sabbath with their request. If they did that, it is clear to see how radically they broke the Sabbath Law.” (Barclay)
This demonstrates how correct Jesus was when he accused them of being hypocrites. Remember in our study of John’s account of these events, they had ritually cleansed themselves in preparation of the Passover dinner and would not enter into Pilate’s presence when they brought Jesus to him. Lest they be defiled by being near a Gentile. (John 18:28) Also, although rhetorically we must ask, how many times did they attack Jesus for his “labors” on the sabbath day such as healing people. But here they are going to Pilate, a Gentile, on the Sabbath for purposes of business? This sheds a lot of light on the nature of the dark hearts of these men.
“Sir, we remember that, that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.” Here we have the ironies of ironies, those that despised Jesus the most, remembered his promise of arising from the tomb on the third day, better than even his own disciples.
“Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead:” The Pharisees on more than one occasion, allowed their fear of the masses following Jesus, to dissuade—at least temporarily—their intentions of seizing and disposing of him. They feared for their own safety in the face of the multitudes. Now they are fearful that the followers of Jesus will steal the remains away and suggest to the multitudes that he is risen, thereby inciting them, and potentially weakening their already precarious degree of control over the people.
“so the last error shall be worse than the first.” “ They think it was their error, that they had so long connived at his preaching and miracles, which error they thought they had rectified by putting him to death; but if people should be persuaded of his resurrection, that would spoil all again, his interest would revive with him, and theirs must needs sink, who had so barbarously murdered him.” (Henry)
It appears that Pilate granted their request; “Ye have a watch” (some translations use the word guard)
“It is unlikely that the Jews would have needed Pilate’s permission at all to deploy their own police; moreover the word for guard is (uniquely in the New Testament) a transliteration of the Latin word custodia. It is therefore more likely that it was Pilate’s troops who were used; the Jewish leaders are going for maximum security.” (France)
It is suggested by some that the Pharisees did indeed believe that Christ would resurrect.
“Vain men! As if the same power that was necessary to raise and quicken the dead could not also remove the stone, and break through the watch they had set. But by their excessive care and diligence, instead of preventing Christ’s resurrection, as they intended, they have confirmed the truth and belief of it to all the world.” (Poole)
“So they went, and made the sepulchre sure,”
“The tomb was secured by a stone, which was a material obstacle. These stones were large, and set in an inclined channel. This was a real obstacle. For sure, the stone could not be rolled away from the inside. The disciples, if you had enough of them, could roll away the stone – but not quietly. Besides, they would have to work together to roll it away, and that didn’t seem likely.” (Guzik)
“sealing the stone,” A rope was stretched across the stone with each end secured to the rock face by a glob of wax, it would be obvious to the superior officers that the entrance had been breached if they returned and found this seal tampered with.
“and setting a watch.” “A typical Roman guard had four soldiers. Two watched while the others rested. This guard may have had more. The soldiers would be fully equipped – sword, shield, spear, dagger, armor. We should also remember that these were Roman soldiers. They didn’t care about Jesus or Jewish laws or rituals. They were called to secure the tomb of a criminal. To them the only sacred thing at this tomb was the Roman seal, because if that were broken, their careers were ruined and they might be executed themselves. Soldiers cold-blooded enough to gamble over a dying man’s clothes were not the kind of men to be tricked by trembling disciples, or would not jeopardize their necks by sleeping at their post.” (ibid)
In this study, we might reflect upon the many nuances in theses verses.
Regarding the Pharisees, Chief Priests, the leadership of the Hebrew faithful in that time. Jesus once accused them of making rules so heinous that no one could obey the same. These men were sticklers for even the most minute detail of the Mosaic Law, but here in the case of Jesus’ murder we find them eagerly breaking their own rules and traditions. But with that said, even they—unlike his own disciples—are cognizant of his impending resurrection and therefore seek to prevent it.
Regarding the disciples: Those that swore to follow him to the ends of the Earth, are now nowhere to be found. But although not of the twelve, other disciples, Joseph, Nicodemus, and the two Marys, those rich men the writers of the Gospels called “secret” disciples as well as two of the women who were disciples and had followed him for months, are now with him in the end.
We have watched Peter, always the one to jump, to take action, only to deny Jesus three times the night he was betrayed.
And yet we must wonder that if in similar circumstances, would we be like Peter, and deny him, or would we be like Joseph, Nicodemus, and the two Marys, going to great expense or freely placing ourselves in harms way, in his name?
Benediction
Almighty God, you own everything in the heavens and on the earth; please break me from the sinful habits of greed, worldliness, covetousness, and indiscipline. What your Son has done for me is much greater than any of my fleeting and temporary accomplishments. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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