The Most Important Funeral

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (ESV)

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The burial of Christ is part of the record of the Gospel story, and part of the Gospel Message, for a reason. There are lessons to be learned and truths seen even in this very simple fact, “he was buried.”

But beyond the simple facts, we are given much detail in the scripture about his burial. It is, after all, the most important funeral to ever take place.

But even still, it pictures for us another all-important funeral. That of our own, and not the one when they place our vacant body in the cold earth, but the one where we ourselves are buried with Christ by his own power.

Yes, Christ’s burial serves as a sermon unto itself, teaching us about our spiritual life with him, and our mindset as we walk with Him.

The events of Jesus’ burial show us that his death was real, but they also serve as a witness to the attitude we should take in living and following Him.

1. The Borrowed Burial - Vs. 57-61

A. The Gift of Joseph

Arimathea is probably Ramathaim in the Old Testament, the birthplace of Samuel. That was around 20 miles from Jerusalem, but this Joseph had apparently moved at some point closer - for he had himself a tomb made very near to the place where Jesus was crucified.

Burial was important, especially for the Jews, for a body hanging on the cross overnight would have defiled the land, and seeing that the following day was a high Sabbath, it was all the more important.

Usually, criminals were buried in mass graves or simply tossed into a pit to be burned.

But here, we see that this Joseph asked Pilate specifically for the body. Was this already a wrench in the gears for the Jewish leaders? Were they hoping he would be simply laid away with the other criminals?

Well, this was part of the Lord’s plan. For Joseph was a rich man, with his own stone tomb.

Isaiah 53:9 (ESV)

And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

His grave was to be with the wicked, but he was actually buried in the tomb of a rich man.

A borrowed tomb. It pictures for us a bit of the condescension of christ, for he was humble and lowly, not even having his own home to claim. Here, he had no tomb of his own. And even in the tomb of a rich man, he was still buried with the wicked - for death is the wage of sin, and Christ had no sin of his own. Yet, he took ours, and the burial itself shows that.

B. The Care of Jesus

We are told that Jesus’ body was given honor and care, wrapped in clean linen and placed in the tomb, which by the way, was new. Never used, cut out of the rock for Joseph, but given in love to Jesus.

All of these things show respect and honor for our Lord’s body, and they also show a willingness of sacrifice on the part of Joseph.

Simply using the tomb to bury Jesus did not mean that Joseph would have to find himself another one, for more often than not, multiple bodies would be buried in the same tomb.

But since Jesus was condemned as a criminal, the Jews would not allow other bodies to be buried there. It was a total gift to the Lord he had come to know and love.

Joseph, as a disciple, is only mentioned in conjunction with the burial. He had apparently become a follower of Jesus at some point, though we are told that he was a member of “the council” - the sanhedrin, one of the ruling class of Israel at the time. More on that later.

C. The Witness of the Women

Matthew is sure to give us this detail, in verse 61, that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there watching. They witnessed the body being brought there, being wrapped and laid in the tomb, and they witnessed this large stone being rolled over the entrance to it.

These women, who were witnesses of the cross, and now witnesses of the burial, would also be the first witnesses of the resurrection.

Not only is this a high honor, and a mark of discipleship, but it is critical. For while all other disciples had fled away except John, even John is not here to see this. These alone have seen all three of the elements of the simple Gospel story. He died, he was buried, and he was raised.

2. The Guarded Burial - Vs. 62-66

A. Fear in Unbelief

What we are told next is something that Matthew specifically wants us to know, for only he of the four Gospels gives us the record.

All along, Matthew has been showing us that Christ is King, but he is careful to compare that and hold it in tension with the other rulers around.

Here, then, we see a picture of the chief priests and Pharisees gathering with the Roman governor Pilate, to do what they can.

By their powers united, they will make a plan to guard the tomb. And what is the purpose?

To suppress the possibility that people might actually believe this happened.

Did they believe that a resurrection was possible? I’m sure that the did believe that.

Did they believe that Jesus’ own words about his resurrection would come true? Perhaps it was a mixed crowd - we aren’t told.

They gave the reason that “his disciples might steal him away and tell the people that he is risen.” And it may be a simple as that, but they clearly saw the message as powerful enough, and worried that enough would believe, that they didn’t want any possibility of it - true or false.

Their fear? “That the last fraud will be worse than the first.”

They saw Jesus’ claims to be Messiah, his teaching and authority in his life to be a “fraud” and an “error.” They discounted everything he said and did as deception, but this deception of a resurrection, in their minds, would be the worst of all.

Why? Because it would confirm in people’s minds that what he said and did was true.

Do you see this battle? What they see as fraud, is true. What they are truing to suppress and prevent is life and truth in abundance.

This is a picture of us.

Romans 1:18–19 (ESV)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

The suppression of truth is never out of honor, it is never out of a regard for what is right, it is out of fear and hatred for what is right, and out of shame and distaste for what is good and true.

These Pharisees and chief priests, gathering on this Sabbath day of all days, were doing so to suppress the truth, and fight against the God that they claimed to serve. They had rejected his messenger and message, and all they can do is wage a war against him by their own schemes.

B. False Security

And just as the war against God is waged out of fear and dishonor, any security or feeling of victory in that war is a false comfort.

“You have a guard, go make it as secure as you can.”

We’re really not sure whether Pilate was telling them to use their own guard, i.e. the Temple Police, or whether he was giving them a guard. But either way, they were left to use these resources to make it as “secure as possible.”

It has been this way all along, mankind trying to make it on his own with inadequate resources.

Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, who, after their sin, and discovering shame for the first time, made themselves clothing out of leaves, and tried to hide themselves and their shame from the presence of God.

And out of that, their tempter and enemy, the Serpent the Devil, we are told that he would bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, but that he would crush the serpents head.

This battle, then, all along, has been lopsided. There may be moments and seasons of what appears to be victory for the enemy, but even those victories are held only in fear. Just like this one.

A false sense of security.

Do you have a false sense of security in something, finding security in pushing against the Savior?

C. Unforeseen Affirmation

Ironically, in making the tomb very secure, in setting the guard, in sealing the stone, they were only adding to the proof and display of power that was to come on Sunday morning.

Their little attempts to wage war against the “fraud” of resurrection would be proven themselves to be fraud in just a matter of hours.

Every attempt that mankind makes against God, his Word, and his ways, is just another layer of witness against them.

The bigger they come, the harder they fall.

Overflow illustration, trying to dam it up and make a small pond. The more debris used to make the dam, the bigger the flood and fury when it broke through.

Romans 2:3–4 ESV

Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2:5 ESV

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

The coming of Jesus was meant to lead his people to repentance, to turn them from their empty ways to see the fulness of the God they claimed to follow and serve in the form of Jesus Christ. To welcome the True and Eternal King.

Yet, they became the judges themselves, and held themselves up against the Holy One. Making a mockery of Him, attempting to discredit and disprove Him at every turn, right up until the last moment.

Their little barricades of debris cannot hold against the power of God displayed in the Resurrection, and their little barricades of self-righteousness cannot hold up against the flood of God’s wrath that is to be revealed.

Can you, dear one, do any better? Or, in your attempt to quell the truth and push it down, are you storing up this kind of wrath, placing yourself in God’s rightful place rather than seeing His kindness and goodness and turning to Him?

3. The Shared Burial

A. Buried With Christ

Of course, These very details of Christ’s burial give many lessons, but there is imagery that comes from the burial that I believe we must see.

Romans 6:1–2 ESV

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

When Paul speaks of our burial here with Christ, he is using it as a metaphor and a comparison to our old and new life.

Just as the women were there to witness the reality of Christ’s death through his burial, Paul uses the picture of baptism to show the reality of our death to sin in Him.

Our old self, in Christ, is not just dead, but it is buried.

The corpse is not lying there in public for us to see and pick at and look back on in honor and fondness, it is buried. Put away. And that should be our attitude toward it.

Should we continue in sin, (or, in the ways of death)? God Forbid!

Every time we choose to sin rather than savor the goodness and mercy of God, we are hanging out in the graveyard of our old self, trying to dig up what Christ has buried with little shovels of the flesh.

But our burial in him, spiritually speaking, is toward the end of our new life. Not walking in former ways, not walking in death, but in life.

B. Bold With Joseph

As we close, we see an image of that new life.

Matthew doesn’t give every detail that we know of Joseph of Arimathea. He tells us that he was a rich man, and that he gave his tomb to Jesus, but there is more that is helpful for us.

Luke 23:50–51 (ESV)

Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

John 19:38 ESV

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.

John 19:39 ESV

Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

1 John 4:17–19 ESV

By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.