Easter 2025 wk 6

Buried and Resurrected

As we gather her on this beautiful Easter morning, we come to celebrate our risen Savior.

As we prepare for the sun to rise we are going to look at Jesus being buried and resurrected.

I. The Body

Luke 23:50–53 NASB95

50 And a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man 51 (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; 52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.

Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin, he was from Arimathea a town 15 to 20 miles NW of Jerusalem.

We are told that Joseph did not consent to the plan and actions of the Sanhedrin.

Joseph realized who Jesus was, and up to this point was following or believing in Jesus privately.

Matthew 27:57 NASB95

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

Here Matthew states that Joseph of Arimathea had become a disciple of Jesus.

Therefore, we know that Joseph was following, believing in, and supporting Jesus.

Again up to this point Joseph had been keeping his faith in Jesus private, as he knew it would upset the other 69 members of the Sanhedrin.

But now Joseph has gathered up the courage to come out publicly with his faith as he goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.

Generally those sentenced to crucifixion gave up the right for burial.

Though family members could request the body from the Roman leader.

Joseph not a family member but as we have been told is going public with his faith in Jesus goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.

Pilate was probably not pleased to see a member of the Sanhedrin as just that morning the Sanhedrin more or less forced Pilate to have Jesus crucified.

When the Sanhedrin finds out that one of their members had went and requested the body of Jesus, their enemy, it would send the council into range.

Joseph is then met by another member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus to remove Jesus’ body from the cross and carry it to a tomb, that was owned by Joseph.

Matthew 27:60 NASB95

60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

This verse is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9

Isaiah 53:9 NASB95

9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

Joseph and Nicodemus remove Jesus’ body from the cross and wrap it in linen cloth, and lay the body in the tomb.

The tomb had not been used before.

The tombs in Israel were hewn out of the sides of mountains and hills, these tombs would be for an entire family, and could hold multiple bodies.

Therefore, this being a new tomb, Jesus’ body would be the first and only body in the tomb.

II. The Preparation

Luke 23:54–56 NASB95

54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried on Friday.

Friday was the day before the Sabbath, thus the Jews were not allowed to do any work on the Sabbath.

Friday was considered the preparation day because the Jews would prepare food, and do other chores and work on Friday so that they could observe the Sabbath.

The Jewish day is from Sunset to Sunset, as we generally observe the day from midnight to midnight, or sunrise to sunset.

Therefore, the Jews had to have all their work completed by sunset on Friday, as when the sunset, it was then considered the Sabbath.

With that Joseph and Nicodemus had to have Jesus’ body removed, wrapped and placed in the tomb in enough time to get home before the sunset.

Women who had followed Jesus from Galilee, observed Joseph and Nicodemus remove the body of Jesus and where the placed the body.

In verse 56 we see that the women returned and prepared spices and perfumes, thus we know that the burial happened in enough time before Sunset that the women had some time.

The Jews do not embalm the bodies of their dead as we do, they do more like a mummy burial, applying specific spices and perfumes to the body, and wrapping it in linen cloth.

When the sunset which brought the beginning of the Sabbath the women rested according to the commandment.

The commandment here refers to the 4th of the Ten Commandments,

Exodus 20:8–11 NASB95

8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

III. The Tomb

Luke 24:1–3 NASB95

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

The first day of the week being Sunday, the Sabbath was over at Sunset, and we are told the women went to the tomb at early dawn.

With the Sabbath ending at sunset, the women would not have went out during the night, as the would not have been able to see in the tomb to prepare the body.

But since the Sabbath was over, they were able to leave their homes early in the morning so that they could arrive at the tomb as the sun was rising providing enough light to see.

The women head to the tomb with spices to prepare the body for its final resting.

Mark tells us who these women were in Mark 16:1

Mark 16:1 NASB95

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

Now on Friday evening, the women observed Joseph and Nicodemus roll a large stone in front of the tomb.

As the women are drawing close to the tomb, they think about this large stone blocking the entrance to the tomb.

Mark 16:3 NASB95

3 They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they arrived at the tomb, the found the stone rolled away.

Again, the women had witnessed Joseph and Nicodemus place the stone in front of the entrance, and now they find the tomb open.

The women enter the tomb to find that Jesus’ body is not where they seen it placed, the tomb was empty.

Today we celebrate that empty tomb.

If the tomb was not empty, if Jesus’ body was still there, our Lord would be just like all the other pagan gods who are still in tombs.

But the tomb was and is empty.

The empty tomb provides us with victory of death and sin.

Paul speaks of those that witnessed Jesus after His resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 NASB95

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

The first person Paul says that Jesus appeared to was Cephas which is Peter, and then the twelve, which is a reference to the apostles.

Then we are told that Jesus appeared to five hundred brethren at one time.

Then Jesus appeared to James, this is the brother of Jesus.

Paul states that Jesus appeared last to one untimely born, as he is referring to himself.

In 1 Corinthians Paul continues to address the topic of resurrection, as some in the Corinthian church did not believe in the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:13–19 NASB95

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

If Jesus did not rise from the dead, if the tomb is not empty, then we as Christians are the most to be pitied.

Therefore, we must believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our faith is grounded on the fact that the tomb is empty.

We should celebrate the empty tomb every day, but today as we remember what Jesus did for us, we must be excited, and celebrate the resurrection of out Lord and Savior.