In Joseph’s Tomb
85
with the death of Jesus, which disheartened the disciples, and shook
their faith, only proved to these rulers that He was the true Messiah,
and led them to take their stand firmly as believers in Him.
The help of these rich and honored men was greatly needed at this
time. They could do for their dead Master what it was impossible for
the poor disciples to do.
Gently and reverently they, with their own hands, removed the
body of Christ from the cross. Their tears of sympathy fell fast, as
they looked upon His bruised and torn form.
Joseph owned a new tomb hewn in a rock. He had built it for his
own use; but he now prepared it for Jesus. The body, together with the
spices brought by Nicodemus, was wrapped in a linen sheet, and the
[151]
Redeemer was borne to the tomb.
Although the Jewish rulers had succeeded in putting Christ to
death, they could not rest easy. They well knew of His mighty power.
Some of them had stood by the grave of Lazarus, and had seen the
dead brought back to life, and they trembled for fear that Christ would
Himself rise from the dead, and again appear before them.
They had heard Him say to the multitude that He had power to lay
down His life and to take it again.
They remembered that He had said, “Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up” (
John 2:19
), and they knew that He was
speaking of His own body.
Judas had told them that Christ had said to His disciples on their
last journey to Jerusalem:
“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be
betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall
condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock,
and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise
again.”
Matthew 20:18, 19
.
They now remembered many things He had spoken which foretold
His resurrection. They could not forget these things, however much
they desired to do so. Like their father, the devil, they believed and
trembled.
Everything declared to them that Jesus was the Son of God. They
could not sleep, for they were more troubled about Him in death than
they had been during His life.