Holy Saturday, April 7, 2007

John 19:38-42 (The Message)
 38After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.
 39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

Matthew 27:62-66 (The Message)
 62-64After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, "Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while he was still alive, 'After three days I will be raised.' We've got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There's a good chance his disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, 'He's risen from the dead.' Then we'll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first."
 65-66Pilate told them, "You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can." So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.

After his death on the cross, Jesus’ body was taken by two of his disciples, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. We have heard of Nicodemus before. In John 3 we read about how Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark of night to ask questions about being “born from above.” Now, Nicodemus no longer sneaks around at night. He comes to prepare Jesus’ body for burial in broad daylight. Joseph and Nicodemus followed their customs of getting a person’s body ready to be entombed.

Then they placed Jesus in a new tomb.

These men did not have much time to spend with Jesus’ body. It was almost time for the Sabbath, the holy day of rest, to start. Once the Sabbath started they were no longer allowed to be working or be in the presence of the dead.

According to Matthew’s gospel, the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders started to worry. They remembered Jesus had talked about being raised after the third day. They were afraid there would be some sort of conspiracy that Jesus’ disciples would steal his body on the third day and then everyone would believe Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Pilate hears their concern and offers guards for the tomb. The stone was sealed, and the guards took their posts.

But is that enough to stop the God who created the universe, a big rock and a few soldiers? His power knows no bounds…