Jesus was buried honorably, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin, gathered his courage and went to Pilot to ask for His body. Joseph was waiting for the Kingdom of God and had become a follower of Jesus. He purchased a linen cloth to wrap Jesus naked body in, preparing Him for burial. Nicodemus, a Pharisee who had earlier sought out Jesus privately to question Him about the Kingdom, also came with Joseph. Nicodemus purchased large quantities of oil for Jesus' burial. Together they removed Jesus lifeless body from the cross and took Him to a nearby tomb that belonged to Joseph. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched the men bury Jesus and close up the tomb with a large stone. It was becoming dark now so the women left to prepare more ointment in order to return on Sunday morning. The Passover day of preparation began at sundown Friday night and no work was allowed until Sunday. They would have to wait to come back and complete burial rituals, apparently not anticipating His resurrection. Fearing that the disciples may steal Jesus' body, the Pharisees arranged for Pilot to order a Roman military guard to seal and guard the tomb. Where Jesus was while in the grave, before He rose from the dead, is unclear but we do know that when the women returned Sunday morning they discovered His grave empty. An Angel who was at the tomb told the women to go and tell the disciples, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said".
Thank you to any who have read this blog, this devotion ends our 40 days together, we have journeyed throughout Perea, Judea, Galilee and into Jerusalem following Jesus each step of the way. It has been fun for me, and hopefully you as well, to learn more about the route He took in His last three months. It has helped me to understand His teachings better and the people whose lives He touched along the way. Tomorrow we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead and our redemption from sin for, "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him". Have a Blessed Resurrection Morning!
