Joseph of Arimathaea The Courage of Joseph of Arimathaea

When Christ was finally led out of the garden of Gethsemane, and on towards the scenes of judgment and condemnation, a great turmoil of heart and mind was felt in His immediate disciples. As Christ himself had announced, the Shepherd was going to be smitten, and the sheep would be scattered abroad. When He afterwards "gave up the ghost" on the cross, the turmoil of heart and mind settled into a deep depression among many of them. Those who were to "shine as lights in the world" found it difficult to raise even a glimmer during the dark night of the Lord's crucifixion. At that very point, the Almighty in heaven brought forth a "light" which, at that point, had been hidden under a bushel, and in so doing, began the exaltation of His Son, after the days of His humiliation in this world.

The light who came out from under a bushel was a man by the name of Joseph of Arimathaea. Mark tells us that he was "an honourable counsellor", (an honourable member of the Jewish Sanhedrin), "who also waited for the kingdom of God". Luke tells us that he had "not consented" to the judgment of the Sanhedrin in condemning Jesus to death, while Matthew informs us that he was, in fact, "Jesus' disciple". It is John however, who qualifies Matthew's remark, when he tells us that Joseph was, indeed, a disciple of Jesus "but secretly ", he says, "for fear of the Jews". Joseph had many qualities, and had even made some kind of a silent witness to Christ, in not voting for His death. For all that, however, he is still designated "a disciple, but presence of Pilate with his request, he must have known he was venturing into a potential den of lions. Yet he did it. Mark tells us that "he went in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body of Jesus." Quite obviously, then, the one who had been "a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews", was a secret disciple no longer. In his very bold and deliberate action, he stood identified with this Christ, and all His ways. What made the difference?

It is John, again, who records the time factor involved in the whole courageous affair, John 19:38, "And after this, Joseph of Arimathaea", etc. "After THIS"; and the preceding verses of John chapter 19 will show us what is entailed in "this ". It is all the scenes of the crucifixion of Christ, where John sees Him in all His gracious work on the cross for sinners. "And after THIS", he says, "Joseph of Arimathaea..." To what degree of fulness Joseph understood the crucifixion at that point is difficult to say; but one thing is sure, it was in the light of that crucifixion that Joseph's light first began to shine brightly for Jesus his Lord.

There is a beautiful old hymn by Thomas Kelly, which outlines some of the ways in which the Cross of Christ affects His people. Verse 3 says -

Joseph of Arimathaea was, surely, a"coward spirit" made "brave" by the sight of the Cross of Jesus Christ. "And after this..." It is thought by some that there is a prophetic reference to Joseph in Isaiah chapter 53, when it says that Christ "made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death". It is suggested that this could be read, "there was a rich man in his death". Whether or not this is the case, it should be seen that God's hand was in the provision of Joseph for Christ. Just what would have happened to the body of Christ after His crucifixion is open to speculation. He had, after all, been condemned as a "transgressor". Would there have been an "honourable" burial for Him? Or would it have been the mass grave of the pit of Gehenna outside Jerusalem? Another question for eternity! Whatever, God saw that the body of His Beloved Son would be laid in a place appropriate to One who had fulfilled all His perfect will. He had lain in a virgin "womb" until the time appointed for His appearance. Now that He had completed the work, He was placed in a virgin "tomb" - wherein was never man yet laid - until His emergence to everlasting glory. In all of this, God provided His lower light.