After the Cross (Part 1)

Introduction

In our passage last week we saw that Jesus willingly gave up his life.

We ended with John 19:33-37

John 19:33–37 NIV

But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

John tells us that Jesus died.

Today, we are going to pick up our story in the book of John, the nineteenth chapter, and the 38th verse.

Today, we are going to look at four people and their response to Jesus’ death. So, if you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to John chapter 19, and we’ll begin reading with verse 38.

Two Secret Followers

John 19:38 NIV

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.

Joseph of Arimathea

The first of the two that we are introduced to is Joseph of Arimathea.

Here is what we know about him:

He was from Arimathea. Exactly where this ancient town was located is often debated by scholars. Modern scholars often identify it with Ramah—a town in the territory of Ephraim about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Others have proposed several other possible locations including: Remphis, Ramallah, or Beit Rimeh. The name “Arimathea” means “heights” and reflects its geographical characteristic. Luke tells us that it was a Jewish town. It should be noted that there is also some debate as to whether or not Joseph actually lived in Arimathea or if he was “originally” from there and now living somewhere else (like Jerusalem).

Joseph is mentioned in all four gospels.

The Synoptic Gospels give us some details:

He was wealthy.

God fearing.

Member of the Sanhedrin.

He was a follower of Jesus.

He had voted NOT to condemn Jesus.

Only John mentions that he was a “secret follower of Jesus” who feared the unbelieving Jewish leaders.

Yet, John tells us he was the one who went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus—this was his “coming out” of sorts.

We really do not know what, if any, consequences Joseph faced because of his actions.

NOTE: Normal the bodies of an executed criminal could not be claimed by anyone for burial. They were either left to rot on the cross, or taken to a cemetery for criminals, outside the city.

That means that Jesus’ body should have (under normal circumstances) be placed in an unmarked grave and treated as if he were a common criminal.

Why Pilate granted Joseph’s request is unknown. It may have been because of his own feelings toward Jesus (cf. Jn. 19:12). Or perhaps he understood that Joseph wanted to give Jesus an honorable burial. Maybe, it was because Joseph was part of the Sanhedrin, and he thought giving Jesus an honorable burial would humiliate the Jewish leaders.

So, with Pilate’s permission, Joseph went and took the body away.

The Second Man

John 19:39 NIV

He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

Here we are introduced to the second man, Nicodemus.

Here’s what we know about Nicodemus:

He was the one who visited Jesus by night (cf. Jn. 3).

He defended Jesus before the religious leaders (cf. Jn. 7:50).

He was from Galilee

He was a Pharisee.

He was most likely a member of the Sanhedrin.

He was apparently wealthy.

Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds, to wrap the body of Jesus. This extravagant amount suggests that Nicodemus had a great respect for Jesus.

The Body of Jesus

John 19:40 NIV

Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

These two men, took the body down from the cross (v. 40a).

They wrapped it with:

Spices (v. 40b).

Strips of cloth (v. 40c).

These two men did everything according to the Jewish burial customs (v. 40d).

The burial customs of the Jews was different than those of the surrounding nations. For example, the Egyptians removed some of the internal parts of the body before embalming. The “pagan” societies around the Jews would simply burn the body.

The burial custom of the Jews was to place the body on a long sheet with the feet at one end. They would then cover the body with a thick layers of spices. Then they would take and fold the sheet over the head and pull it back down to the feet. Then they would tie the two ends together. The Jews also tied the arms to the body with strips of cloth. It was also customary to use a separate cloth to cover the face.

John’s concern here is not with the burial customs of the Jews, but with the care and honor that Joseph and Nicodemus gave Jesus by the way they cared for his body.

John 19:41 NIV

At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

They had to be quick with their actions, because the Sabbath was upon them (v. 42).

John reports that close by the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden (v. 41a)

And in that garden was a new tomb (v. 41b).

The tomb was so new that no body had ever been placed in it (v. 41c).

John 19:42 NIV

Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Joseph and Nicodemus took full advantage of the closeness of the tomb (v. 42a).

This was important because the Sabbath was fast approaching, so they need to complete their work before the sun set (v. 42b).

The Empty Tomb!

John 20:1 NIV

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

John omits many of the details about the resurrection.

He omits the earthquake that removed the stone (cf. Mt. 28:2-3).

He omits the guards that were standing guard (cf. Mt. 27:65).

And the fact that they fell down like dead men (cf. Mt. 28:4)

He omits the story of other women coming to the tomb (cf. Mt. 28:5-6).

John omits the appearance of the two angels (cf. Mt. 28:5-8; Mk. 16:5-8; Lk. 24:4-8).

The text begins by stating that it was early on the first day of the week (v. 1a). All four gospels begin the resurrection story in the same manner—talking about early on the first day of the week.

For the Jews, the day began and ended with sunset. So one obvious question is why did women wait until the the morning twilight to head to the tomb?

The Gospels don’t explicitly state why the women delayed their visit, but there may have been practical constraints that shaped their timing.

First, Jewish law required rest on the Sabbath (Lk. 23:55–24:1), which meant the women couldn’t travel to the tomb on Saturday. They had prepared spices and perfumes before the Sabbath began (Lk. 23:55–24:1), but had to wait until the holy day concluded.

Secondly, since darkness would have made travel impossible immediately after the Sabbath ended on Saturday evening, the women waited until Sunday morning.

Beyond this legal constraint, the women’s motivation for the early dawn departure reveals their priorities. Their primary purpose was to complete Jesus’s burial preparations, as Joseph of Arimathea had only wrapped him in a sheet due to time constraints. The anointing served as an act of devotion intended to address the odor of decomposition—a practical concern given Palestine’s hot climate causes rapid decay.

Another consideration may have involved safety. The women likely chose this early hour partly to avoid confrontation, particularly since they were unaware that Jewish leaders had posted a guard at the tomb on the Sabbath while the women were observing the law.

Additionally, traveling at night would have made locating the tomb difficult.

Considering all of these factors—Sabbath restrictions, devotional urgency, practical concerns about decomposition, and the need for daylight navigation—can explain why the women set out at first light rather than traveling at night or waiting until later in the morning.

At this point, John only mentions Mary Magdalene going to the tomb and presents that she was the only one of the women that went that morning (v. 1b).

Who was Mary Magdalene?

Mary Magdalene derived her name from Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus had cast seven demons from her (cf. Mk 16:9; Lk. 8:2), and she appears to have been a woman of financial means who supported Jesus’s ministry (cf. Mk. 15:40-41).

Mary’s significance in the Gospel accounts centers on her presence at pivotal moments in Jesus’s passion and resurrection.

She appears in all four Gospels as a follower of Jesus and at critical moments in his story: the foot of the cross and the tomb.

The Gospel accounts diverge somewhat in their resurrection narratives.

In Mark, she and other women receive word that Jesus has risen but flee in fear without telling anyone.

While in Matthew and Luke, Mary and other women receive the resurrection message and then run to tell the disciples.

John’s account is most detailed: Mary goes alone to the tomb, discovers it empty, tells Peter and the beloved disciple, and after they leave, she encounters angels and then the resurrected Jesus, whom she initially mistakes for the gardener until he speaks her name.

Because she is charged in all four Gospels to share the first revelation of the resurrection, Mary Magdalene is often called the first evangelist.

It’s important to note that while Mary Magdalene has been associated with the sinful woman who washed Jesus’s feet, there is no scriptural basis for this identification, and she is nowhere identified as a prostitute or sinful woman despite popular portrayals.

John gives us a time marker of sorts by telling us that it was still dark (v. 1c).

Mary goes to the tomb, where she discovers that the stone has been rolled away from the entrance (v. 1d).

John 20:2 NIV

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

At this point, John shows us the shock and horror that Mary must have felt. She runs back to the upper room to Simon Peter and John with a shocking message (v. 2a).

Her message is that someone has taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb (v. 2b). She makes the logical assumption that someone has stolen the body! There is some evidence that robbing graces was not uncommon around Jerusalem (cf. Mt. 28:13-15).

And most importantly to her, she (and the disciples) have no clue where the body of Jesus was (v. 2c). This is the clearest picture that Mary believed that enemies (perhaps even the religious leaders) had stolen the body. It is clear from the writing that she saw this as a mystery.

Peter’s and John’s Response

John 20:3 NIV

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.

Upon hearing this news both disciples begin running toward the tomb (v. 3).

John 20:4 NIV

Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

Apparently, John outran Peter and reached the tomb first (v. 4). This bit of the story may have been placed here to prove that this is an “eyewitness account” of the events.

John’s Arrival

John 20:5 NIV

He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.

When John arrives at the tomb, he does not go in! (v. 5a).

Rather, he stooped down to look inside (v. 5b).

What he saw were the strips of linen lying there, but no body (v. 5c).

Peter’s Arrival

John 20:6 NIV

Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,

In true Peter fashion, Peter arrives at the tomb and doesn’t hesitate, he immediately enters the tomb (v. 6a).

There he too saw the strips of linen lying there (v. 6b).

John 20:7 NIV

as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.

He also noticed that the face cloth (or head cloth) (v. 7a).

This cloth was separate from the other cloths (v. 7b).

And it was rolled up and carefully placed in a place by itself (v. 7c). Once again, to point to the eyewitness status of his account, John gives us this bit of information. Presumably, Jesus had taken great care to fold up the cloth that had been around his head. No grave robber would have done this! They would have been in far too much of hurry. Nevertheless, it remains clear from this account that someone had carefully folded it and placed it.

John 20:8 NIV

Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

At this point, John enters the tomb (v. 8a).

He writes that he “saw” (Gk. eidon, see, feel, notice, to consider)—apparently seeing the empty tomb communicated something incredible important to John (v. 8b).

John’s seeing caused him to believe (v. 8c) (Gk. pisteuo, trust, put faith in, rely on, believe, be confident about).

John 20:9 NIV

(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

John gives us another key point about their belief—they still did not understand what the Scripture said about Jesus rising from the dead (cf. Jn. 2:22; Mt. 22:9)(v. 9),

John 20:10 NIV

Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

John tells us that the two of them went back to where they were staying (v. 10). The literal translation, “So the disciples went back to their homes” could suggest that Peter and John had a permanent residence in Jerusalem. This seems very unlikely given their positions as fishermen. The Greek phrase eis ta idia can literally mean “to their own.” This may mean that they returned to their friends (the other disciples ) or to a temporary lodging. This has caused some to speculate that they returned to the upper room, where they had celebrated the passover with Jesus)

Conclusion

Today, we took a look at three main characters.

Two of them were secret followers of Jesus—Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus. These two men kept up with Jesus’ actions. At times, these two men ran interference for Jesus.

But these two men kept the fact that they were following Jesus a secret. Until the time Jesus really needed them.

Joseph of Arimathea

All of the sudden, Joseph finds the strength to stand before Pilate and request something that generally was not granted. But he still had the guts and fortitude to make the request.

Nicodemus

And what about Nicodemus? The first time he talked to Jesus, he did so in the darkness of night—in secret. He didn’t want anyone to know.

But now, he is lugging 75 pounds of spices and helping carry the body of Jesus to a tomb. No secret now!

Mary Magdalene

Then there’s Mary Magdalene. Her encounter with Jesus changed her life forever. Jesus freed her from seven demons, and now she wanted nothing more than to mourn the loss of her Lord!

She comes to the tomb early in the morning to find the tomb desecrated. Finding this just added to her grief and to her confusion!

Peter & John

Like Mary, they were confused, but I love verse 8, “They saw and believed”

Verse 9 goes on to say that they still did not understand the scripture about the resurrection.

So here’s the KEY.

KEY

The death and resurrection of Jesus changes EVERYTHING!

The death of Jesus changed everything for Joseph of Arimathea.

For him, fear became boldness!

The death of Jesus changed everything for Nicodemus.

For him, the hidden became known!

Both of them were secret followers who were emboldened by the death of Jesus.

The open tomb gave two of his disciples the courage to believe what Jesus that was truly the Messiah!

For the disciples, uncertainty became belief!

The death of Jesus and the open tomb challenged a grief stricken Mary who ran and reported the seemingly devastating news to the Lord’s disciples.

For Mary, confusion will become clarity! But we’ll have to wait until next week to see this.

Because the story doesn’t end here! We will look at the conclusion of these events next week.

But for now what we learn from the people in our passage today is that even when we do not understand all that is going on, we can trust that God has everything under control.

Even when we don’t understand all the facts, we can still believe in the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

After all, Jesus said:

John 15:13–14 NIV

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

So in our darkest moments; in our most fearful times; in those moments that just don’t make sense to us, we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus has the greatest love for you and me. So that:

Our fear becomes boldness!

Our hidden faith becomes a known and expressed faith!

Our uncertainty becomes deeply held belief in which we can trust!

And our confusion becomes clarity!

All of this happens, even when we struggle with what we see all around us!