Sermon nuggets Tues Dec 16
Verses- John 19:38 “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.”
The Burial Shows Courage as illustrated by Joseph
Joseph of Aramathea was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Arimathea was called the city of the Jews meaning that there were a great many Jewish people born and raised there. We know he was a wealthy man. Not only does Matthew reveal this to us, but to have his own hand hewn tomb in a garden also helps us know that he was a man of means. All the members of the Sanhedrin were wealthy compared to most of the other population. They were respected.
But one reason that Scriptures talk about Joseph is to show the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
Thousands of years before the Bible speaks of Jesus grave with the wicked. We know that two thieves were crucified on either side of Jesus. But instead of being taken from the cross and thrown on a heap, Joseph came on the scene by no accident. He came forward before Pilate asking for the body knowing that Jesus had no place to be buried. Jesus’ family would not have the money for a tomb. So he requested the body of Jesus and helped prepare the body to have buried in his own tomb. It was new. It was in a garden. It was the fulfillment that he was made his grave with the rich in his death.
The other thing that could be said about Joseph was that he was a secret disciple. I have heard it expressed often that people like to keep their religion private. Why? I think one reason might be to as not to offend others. People can get into arguments when they discuss religion and politics. When someone holds a minority opinion it is easier to keep quiet than to be excluded for your beliefs.
The text says he was a secret believer because he feared the Jews. He didn’t want them to know. That is true today. Some people who are Jewish don’t want their friends and relatives to know it if they are interested in Jesus Christ. Jews can be disowned by their families and thought to be traitors by their own people if they become Christians. In some countries in Asia and the Middle East they could lose their lives if families discovered they were believers in Jesus. But what about America?
There is social pressure to fit in. Joseph would have been disowned by his own people and his standing as a leader of the group that just condemned him would have also rejected Joseph. So he kept his faith quiet.
That is one main reason some Christians today don’t want to be public about their faith, because of pressures of friends, or social fear of what others might say or do. But there are others reasons. He might have known about the rich young ruler who was told to sell all that he had and give to the poor. Rich people don’t like to do that. That is easy for poor people. They don’t have much to lose. But if Jesus is Lord there is a different way in which we look at our possessions. We are aware that they do not belong to us but to the Lord.
Some might think they can’t be a good enough Christians and not a good enough witness so they don’t want others to know because their lives don’t live up to their profession. I was in a conversation recently with a man who was using all kinds of foul language until he discovered I was a pastor. It is amazing how quickly his conversation cleaned up. He told me he was a Christian and an active church man. But his tongue was still in the process apparently getting saved. Some want to keep faith a secret because they know they don’t live they way they want to-but who of us lives as we should?
There was an experiment done in psychology class in a High School of about 100 kids. They were put in groups of 10. They were instructed to tell which of three lines were the longest. 9 of the 10 kids were told to vote for the middle one. One person was the test subject and was not given any further instructions. When the instructor asked them to vote on the length of the lines each time 9 hands would go up and the person would look around and get a little embarrassed and slowly raise his hand repeatedly with the group. How many do you think voted for the obviously wrong answer? All of them.
Joseph wanted to fit in. He didn’t want to lose status, or maybe business. He feared what others would think if they knew he was a believer in Jesus.
But the cross changed his fear into courage. Joseph looked at the suffering savior and it gave him the courage that if Christ would so die as one who was innocent, then now he would come out in the open and let others think what they want. Truly this was the Son of God. He went and asked for the body.
Where are your fears? How can Jesus give you courage in your faith walk this coming year? When we see what He went through for your salvation may it be an encouragement to step forward and be counted in ways that are led by the Lord.
Pastor Dale
