Basic HTML Version
Jesus Rests in Joseph’s Tomb
At last the long day of shame and torture was over. As the setting
sun ushered in the Sabbath, the Son of God rested in Joseph’s tomb,
His work completed.
In the beginning, the Father and the Son had rested on the Sab-
bath after their work of Creation. See
Genesis 2:1
. All heavenly
beings rejoiced in looking at the glorious scene. Now Jesus rested
from the work of redemption, and though there was grief among
those who loved Him on earth, there was joy in heaven. God and
angels saw a redeemed race that, having conquered sin, could never
fall—this was the result to flow from Christ’s completed work.
When there will be a “restoration of all things” (
Acts 3:21
), the
creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph’s
tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. “From one Sabbath to
another” (
Isaiah 66:23
) the nations of the saved will bow in joyful
worship to God and the Lamb.
The closing events of the Crucifixion day saw a new witness to
Christ’s divinity. When the Savior had uttered His dying cry, another
voice spoke up, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Matthew
27:54
.
These words came in no whispered tones. Who had spoken?
It was the centurion, the Roman soldier. The divine patience of
the Savior, His sudden death, the cry of victory on His lips, had
impressed this heathen. In the broken body hanging on the cross,
the centurion recognized the Son of God. On the very day of the
Redeemer’s death, three men had declared their faith—the one who
commanded the Roman guard, the one who carried Jesus’ cross, and
the one who died by His side.
As evening approached, an unearthly stillness hung over Calvary.
Many had flocked to the crucifixion from curiosity, not from hatred
toward Christ. Still, they looked on Christ as a criminal. Under
unnatural excitement they had united in shouting abuse against Him.
But when the earth was wrapped in blackness, they felt guilty of a
461