34 

How God Buried His Son
(Mark 15:42–47) 

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid. (15:42–47)

In his first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul identified three historical facts that comprise the essence of the gospel: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). As those verses demonstrate, an event of fundamental importance lies between the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. The burial of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels (cf. Matt. 27:57–66; Mark 15:42–47; Luke 23:50–56; John 19:38–42), underscoring its significance as that which affirmed both the deity of Christ and the veracity of Scripture. Though it did not involve miracles like those that accompanied the crucifixion and resurrection (cf. Matt. 27:45, 51–53; 28:2–6), Jesus’ burial put the handiwork of God on stunning display by showcasing the wonder of divine providence.

The Scriptures repeatedly assert the absolute sovereignty of God over every person and event in the universe, explaining that He ordains all things and brings them to pass (cf. 1 Chron. 29:11–12; Job 23:13; Pss. 115:3; 135:6; Prov. 21:30; Isa. 46:9–10; Dan. 4:34–35; Eph. 1:11). Though God has rarely intervened in history through miracles (like the twelve plagues in Egypt or the parting of the Red Sea), He always works by providentially orchestrating natural processes and ordinary events to accomplish His purposes. Miracles are rare and involve a temporary suspension of the laws of nature, but providence is constant (cf. John 5:17) and incalculably more complex. Because He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-wise, God has predetermined everything and is able to direct every part of His creation (including seemingly random events, cf. Ps. 103:19; Prov. 16:33) to accomplish exactly and completely all that He has planned and promised to do. He sovereignly coordinates a near infinite number of contingencies and superintends the behaviors of all His creatures, so that all things, including people’s choices and actions, ultimately align with His perfect purposes (cf. Rom. 8:28). Still, He is not the source of any sin (James 1:13), nor is human responsibility lessened or removed.

Many places in Scripture illustrate divine providence in action, emphasizing God’s control and power over the desires and determinations of people (cf. 1 Sam. 2:6–9; Job 5:12; Pss. 33:10; 76:10; Prov. 16:9; 19:21; 20:24; Isa. 8:9–10; Jer. 10:23; Phil. 2:13). Time after time, God providentially moved in the hearts of men, including unrighteous kings, to accomplish His purposes (Prov. 21:1; cf. Deut. 2:30; Josh. 11:18–20; 2 Sam. 17:14; 1 Kings 12:15; 1 Chron. 5:26). It was His providential hand that superintended the evil schemes of Joseph’s brothers so that Joseph would be elevated to a position of leadership in Egypt (Gen. 39:2–3, 23; 45:7–8; 50:20). Divine providence motivated Pharaoh to harden his heart so that the glory of God would be displayed in Israel’s deliverance from slavery (cf. Ex. 14:4; Rom. 9:17–18). The providential working of God moved the pagan ruler Cyrus to allow the Jews to return home after seventy years of captivity (Ezra 1:1–4; cf. Isa. 44:28–45:5). And providence placed Esther in a position of influence in Persia so that her people would not suffer genocide (Est. 4:14).

Divine providence is similarly seen throughout the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus, as evidenced by numerous fulfilled prophecies (cf. Matt. 1:21–23; 2:15, 17, 23; 26:56; 27:9–10; Mark 14:49; Luke 22:37; 24:44; John 13:18–19; Acts 1:16; 3:18). Even before Jesus was born, God providentially prompted Caesar Augustus to decree that a census be taken (Luke 2:1), requiring Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem so that Old Testament prophecy might be fulfilled (Matt. 2:5–6; cf. Mic. 5:2). And after Jesus died, the providence of God similarly orchestrated the events so that His burial took place exactly according to plan. God’s will was being precisely fulfilled at the burial of His Son.

From the indifferent soldiers to the loving saints to the spiteful religious leaders, the human figures surrounding the burial of Jesus were all motivated by personal desires, emotions, and responsibilities. But even though their words and deeds were their own, God controlled every detail so that the choices they made worked together to fulfill biblical prophecy and accomplish precisely His purposes.

THE INDIFFERENT SOLDIERS

God’s superintending hand in the burial of Jesus is manifest first by the actions of Pilate’s soldiers, who had no particular interest in Christ other than to carry out their orders. Though Jesus died at about 3:00 P.M. (cf. Matt. 27:45), having laid down His life by His own authority (cf. John 10:17–18), the two thieves who were crucified with Him were still alive as the afternoon transitioned into evening. The Jewish leaders, in keeping with Old Testament law (cf. Deut. 21:22–23) and especially because it was Passover, wanted all three bodies removed from the cross before the Sabbath day began (which, according to the Jewish reckoning of time, started at sundown, or approximately 6:00 P.M.). Ironically, though the hypocritical religious leaders had just participated in the murder of the Messiah, they nevertheless remained fastidious in their self-righteous efforts to avoid religious defilement.

Knowing the Romans would not remove the victims until they were dead, the religious leaders asked Pilate to accelerate the execution. As John 19:31 explains,

In order to breathe, the crucified victim had to push up with his legs, thereby elongating his diaphragm and allowing his lungs to fill with air. Soldiers could therefore hasten death by using a massive iron mallet to crush the femurs of both legs (a process known as crurifragium). Unable to push up for air, the victim would die of asphyxiation shortly thereafter.

Acquiescing to the religious leaders (as he had been doing all day), Pilate gave his soldiers the order. As John explains, “So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs” (John 19:32–33). As professional executioners, the Roman soldiers knew when a crucified victim was truly dead. In order to be sure, “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (v. 34). The flow of blood and water (serous pleural and pericardial fluid) demonstrated beyond any doubt that Jesus was no longer alive.

What probably seemed like an insignificant decision to the soldiers, that they chose not to break Jesus’ legs but instead to pierce His side with a spear, exactly fulfilled messianic prophecy (cf. John 19:36–37). Psalm 34:20 prophesied of the Messiah that “He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.” In order to be acceptable to God, Passover lambs could not have any broken bones (cf. Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12). Thus, it was imperative that the perfect Lamb of God not have His legs broken. The prophet Zechariah further predicted that the Messiah would be pierced (Zech. 12:10), a detail fulfilled at Calvary by a Roman spear. The pagan soldiers would have been utterly unaware of those Old Testament passages. Even if they had been, they had no motivation for trying to bring them to pass. Yet, their behavior was guided by the invisible hand of almighty God. The unwitting actions of the indifferent soldiers stemmed from their own motives, impulses, and will; yet they were also under the absolute governing control of God so that Scripture would be fulfilled and the Messiah affirmed.

THE LOVING SAINTS

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid. (15:42–47)

During the final few hours before sunset on Friday, the providence of God was again put on display through the actions of Jesus’ followers, and of one man in particular. As Mark explains, When evening (lasting from about 3:00 to 6:00 P.M.) had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea came to take charge of Jesus’ body for burial. Not much is known about Joseph of Arimathea, since he is only mentioned in Scripture in connection to this event. The exact location of Arimathea is unknown, though some scholars associate it with the birthplace of Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1, 19; 2:11). Luke explains that it was “a city of the Jews” (Luke 23:51), indicating that it was in Judea.

Incredibly, Joseph was a prominent member of the very Council (namely, the Sanhedrin) that had falsely accused, wrongly convicted, and illegally sentenced Jesus to death earlier that morning. Yet, unlike most of his fellow councilmen, Joseph was “a good and righteous man” (Luke 23:50), who had been brought to saving faith in the Lord Jesus. Though he was a member of the Sanhedrin, Luke 23:51 clarifies that “he had not consented” to the religious leaders’ malevolent treatment of Jesus, likely indicating that he was not present when Jesus’ trial occurred (cf. Mark 14:64–65).

Both Matthew and John describe Joseph as “a disciple of Jesus” (Matt. 27:57; John 19:38), indicating that he was a true believer who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Joseph understood the Old Testament promises of salvation and had come to the conviction that the Lord Jesus was indeed the messianic king. Yet, he kept his opinions about Jesus secret “for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38). Joseph must have been elated earlier that week when Jesus entered the city to shouts of messianic expectation from the people (Mark 11:8–10). The following day, when the Lord attacked the corruption of the temple (11:15–18), the secret disciple would have endorsed that as a righteous act of cleansing. He eagerly hoped Jesus would usher in the Old Testament promises regarding the messianic kingdom. But when Jesus was crucified, those expectations turned to heartbreak.

After being declared dead, the body of a crucified victim would be taken down from the cross and disposed of in one of two ways—either by giving it to members of the victim’s family, if they requested it, or by tossing it into a hastily made common grave or even the garbage dump. With the women still lingering at the cross (cf. Mark 15:40, 47), and the apostles having fled (except for John, who was caring for Jesus’ mother, cf. John 19:26–27), the request to claim Jesus’ body came from an unexpected place. Joseph of Arimathea, motivated by love and sympathy for his Lord, gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. The verb tolmaō (gathered up courage) means “to dare” or “to be bold.” Joseph realized his actions would raise the ire of the other council members because his loyalty to Jesus would be exposed.

Having been asked by the religious leaders to make sure the crucified victims were off the cross before the Sabbath began (John 19:31), and having ordered his soldiers to hasten the execution (v. 32), the Roman governor was still waiting for confirmation when Joseph arrived. Thus, Pilate wondered if Jesus was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining that Jesus was dead from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. With permission received, Joseph returned to the crucifixion site to dispose of Jesus’ lifeless body.

On the human level, Joseph (whom Matt. 27:57 notes was wealthy) was clearly motivated by a desire to honor Jesus. He wanted to see Him buried properly and not dumped in a mass grave. But on the divine level, God was orchestrating Joseph’s actions to fulfill biblical prophecy. In Isaiah 53:9, the prophet predicted of the Suffering Servant, “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” It would not have been possible to fully comprehend the implications of that prophecy until after Jesus died. Only then did it become clear that, although the Romans planned to discard His body as if He were a common criminal, the Messiah would actually be buried in the tomb of a prominent and wealthy man.

God was also at the burial, working to ensure everything happened according to the divine schedule. The timing was crucial, so that Jesus’ body would be in the grave for at least part of three different days, just as He had predicted (cf. Matt. 12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19). To assure that, God moved the religious leaders to demand that the bodies be taken down on Friday and prompted Pilate to grant their request. Then, He compelled Joseph to be courageous and ask for Jesus’ body, and again moved the governor to give permission. Now, God enabled Joseph to secure, transport, prepare, and bury Jesus’ body, and do it all before the Sabbath began so that He was in the tomb on Friday.

The Jews did not embalm, which explains why Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, “took Him away” (John 19:38), and wrapped Him in the linen cloth. The body was wrapped using cloth strips that were packed with aromatic spices to combat the odors caused by decomposition. In preparing Jesus’ body for burial, Joseph was not alone. As the apostle John reports,

Nicodemus, the prominent Jewish teacher who met with the Lord at night, early in Jesus’ ministry (John 3:1–21), was also a member of the Sanhedrin (John 7:50). Like Joseph, he too had been given the faith to embrace Jesus as Lord. His desire to honor Christ in His burial is indicated by the significant amount of spices he brought.

After the preparations for burial were complete, Joseph laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock. Matthew explains that it was Joseph’s own tomb (Matt. 27:60); and John notes that it was located in a garden near Golgotha (John 19:41–42). In ancient Israel as elsewhere, it was common for tombs to be reused. The body would decompose until only the bones were left; then the bones would be collected in an ossuary and the tomb would become available again. But Joseph placed Jesus in a tomb in which no one had ever been buried (Luke 23:53; John 19:41). In order to keep out any unwanted intruders, whether animals or grave robbers, he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. In keeping with God’s will, all of this took place before sundown on Friday.

Some of the women who had been watching the crucifixion from a distance (v. 40), including Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses (and possibly others from Galilee, Luke 23:55), were still at the cross when Joseph arrived to claim Jesus’ body. The text does not indicate whether or not the women knew Joseph or if they assisted him and Nicodemus in Jesus’ burial. In any case, they followed him, looking on to see where Jesus was laid.

Any skeptical claim that the women went to the wrong tomb on Sunday morning is easily dispelled by the fact that they had seen the tomb on Friday evening. Moreover, both Joseph and Nicodemus knew which tomb was the right one, as did the hostile religious leaders (cf. Matt. 27:66). If Jesus’ followers had mistakenly gone to a wrong tomb that was empty, His enemies could have easily pointed them to the right one that He still occupied. That they did not do so demonstrates they knew that the women had gone to the correct location and that Jesus was not there.

The women watched Jesus’ body be interred in the tomb before returning to their homes that evening. As the sun began to set on Friday, they were beginning to prepare their own spice mixtures, which they planned to take back to Jesus’ tomb after the Sabbath (Luke 23:56; 24:1). But when they arrived at the tomb on Sunday morning, they would be in for a shocking discovery.

THE SPITEFUL LEADERS

Clearly, God was ruling over and controlling the actions of both Pilate’s indifferent soldiers and Jesus’ loving followers. He was also accomplishing His purposes through His enemies, the hateful religious leaders.

The gospel of Matthew records a meeting between the religious leaders and Pilate that took place the following day, during the Sabbath.

Aware of the predictions made by Jesus during His ministry (cf. Matt. 12:38–40), the religious leaders worried that His disciples would steal His body to make it look like He had risen from the dead. To prevent that possibility, they made the tomb secure by stationing a guard and setting a seal (probably given to them by Pilate to signify Roman protection) on the stone. In truth, the disorganized and deserting disciples (cf. Mark 14:50) had no such intentions. That they did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead is seen in the fact that they went into hiding, fearful that the religious authorities would target them next (John 20:19). Moreover, if they had faked the resurrection by stealing Jesus’ body, they would never have given their lives as martyrs for what they knew was a fraud (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14–19).

The intent of the religious leaders was to avert a hoax. But in God’s providence, their antagonistic actions unwittingly validated the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. Because Christ’s enemies sealed the tomb and put it under Roman guard, they made it impossible for Jesus’ body to be removed, unless He did in fact rise from the dead. Though they later claimed the disciples stole the body (Matt. 28:11–14), their allegations were falsified by their own actions. The security measures they put in place around the tomb ensured that the disciples could not have stolen Jesus’ body.

The numerous details and contingencies surrounding the burial of Jesus vividly demonstrate the remarkable nature of divine superintendence. The indifferent soldiers, loving followers, and hostile religious leaders all acted in keeping with their own motives and desires. Yet, whether they were apathetic, sympathetic, or antagonistic toward Jesus, their actions accomplished God’s predestined and sovereign will. Consequently, the Messiah’s legs were not broken; His side was pierced; He was with a rich man in His burial; His body was in the grave for three days; and His tomb was sealed and guarded by His enemies, making it impossible for His disciples to have stolen His body, thereby affirming the truth of His resurrection. The invisible hand of God left its prints on every detail, perfectly fulfilling biblical prophecy and further affirming the messiahship of the Son, the Lord Jesus (cf. Mark 1:1).