Matthew 27:55-66

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 27

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

In our last time together we looked at Jesus’ final hours of crucifixion, and the immediate ramifications of his death. That darkness had fallen over the land while Jesus not only suffered in his body, but suffered for sin that was not his own. And that after it was finished he yielded up his spirit, setting off a chain reaction of earthly signs and wonders. Matthew says that the 80’ curtain of the Jewish Temple was torn from the top down, that the area was struck by an earthquake that spit the rocks into pieces, and even after Jesus’ resurrection that would follow three days after, that many tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life, many of whom ventured into Jerusalem and appeared to others. And all of these signs seemed to cause, even the Roman soldiers who were standing by, to be filled with awe, and to say, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Taken down

Now, all of this took place on the day of Preparation, the day leading up to the Sabbath on Saturday. Mathew tells us that Jesus was crucified on Friday between noon and 3 p.m. before yielding up his spirit. However, with the Sabbath quickly approaching the men being crucified needed to be taken down. While it was Rome’s custom to leave criminals hanging in full view of the public until their bodies had rotted away, it was important to the Jews that their bodies be taken down before night fall, especially before the Sabbath.

This was because Deuteronomy 21:22 says,

English Standard Version Chapter 21

22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.

And, in fact, in John’s Gospel we read in 19:31 that,

English Standard Version Chapter 19

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

So since it was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon there wasn’t much time left in the day to take them down before sunset (the beginning of the Sabbath). So, in order to expedite the deaths of Jesus and the two criminals beside him, the soldiers had to break their legs. The idea was that if they couldn’t support themselves using their legs the men would almost immediately suffocate under their own weight. However, when they came to Jesus they realized he was already dead, so they didn’t have to break his legs.

Now, it was also typical for the Romans to discard the bodies of these criminals rather than giving them a proper burial, particularly those who had committed treason. In fact, there was a trash heap located just outside of Jerusalem in the Hinnom Valley known as Gehenna where everyone dumped their trash, and often the bodies of dead animals, and even certain executed criminals. And this trash heap was kept burning day and night by the constant stream of garbage. This was the same place that Jesus referred to when he described eternal punishment, when he described Hell, which is why Gehenna is typically translated as Hell in our English translations. This trash heap that burned continuously was used to signify the perpetual conditions of Hell, of everlasting punishment.

Jesus buried

And while we don’t know what they would have done with Jesus’ body if it had been left up to the Roman soldiers, we can safely assume that he would not have been afforded a burial like the one he received there in verse 57, it says,

English Standard Version Chapter 27

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Now, when you read the parallel accounts that describe Joseph of Arimathea you discover several interesting clues that give us insight into his identity. Luke tells us that he was a respected member of the Jewish Council (or the Jewish Sanhedrin) who had not consented to their decision and action to have Jesus condemned and crucified. We’re also told that he was a righteous man who was looking for the kingdom of God, in fact, John even tells us that he was a disciple of Jesus, however, John also indicates that he kept it secret for fear of the Jews. In John 19 we see that he’s a friend of Nicodemus, a Pharisee and fellow member of the Sanhedrin that had previously come to Jesus by night back in John chapter 3. John actually records that Nicodemus helped Joseph prepare Jesus’ body for burial before they sealed the tomb, that Nicodemus brought 75 lbs of myrrh and aloes to the tomb that evening.

And here in Matthew we’re told that Joseph was a rich man, and that he had determined to dedicate his own tomb for Jesus’ burial. Now, I think it would be hard to overstate the significance of this gift. This was a new tomb, carved into a rock wall of an abandoned rock quarry, probably for his entire family. And as Matthew indicates, it would have cost him a large sum of money to build this tomb (it was a tomb that only a rich man could afford), and upon Jesus’ crucifixion we’re told that he petitioned Pilate to be given Jesus’ body for burial.

Jesus’ vindication

This indicates that Joseph greatly esteemed Jesus. That he was willing to spare no expense to ensure that he had a proper burial, even a burial fit for a king. His actions are reminiscent of Mary in Bethany, just a day before, who had approached Jesus with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment and poured it over his head, preparing him for burial. And in like fashion Joseph honors him with a rich man’s tomb.

And, of course, anyone familiar with the famous servant song of Isaiah 53 can’t help but be reminded of Isaiah 53:9,

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 53

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.

In other words, though Jesus was assigned a grave with wicked men, he was given a rich man’s burial, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit found in his mouth.

Theologian, R.C. Sproul, points out in his commentary of these verses here in Matthew that while most associate Jesus’ vindication with his resurrection, one could argue that his vindication began at his burial. That the honor shown to Jesus at his burial was the first sign of his vindication, that he was innocent of the charges brought against him. That while he was assigned a grave with the wicked, he was afforded the burial of a rich man, that he was afforded the burial of one who deserved to be honored.

Honoring Christ

And so Joseph, like Mary in Bethany, becomes a beautiful portrayal of what it looked like, in that moment, to honor Christ. In fact, for Joseph to use his position as a council member to request the body from Pilate was at great risk to himself. This would have exposed his allegiance and devotion toward Jesus to the Sanhedrin. In many respects, he sets an example for us, that our devotion to Christ ought not to merely remain private. That despite the pressures to keep our faith secret, when presented with the occasion to honor Christ, that we must do so no matter the cost to ourselves.

Joseph is also a model of what it looks like to honor Christ with our wealth. Most of us are familiar with the story of the rich young ruler who approached Jesus, asking him what else he must do to have eternal life, and Jesus, knowing his heart, told him that he must go and sell everything to the poor, and to come and follow him, but when the young man heard this we’re told that he went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. In other words, he was unwilling to give up his wealth to follow Jesus, but Joseph, unlike the rich young ruler, unreservedly devoted his family tomb to Jesus’ burial, at great monetary cost to himself. Like Joseph our greatest joy should not be how we can most effectively indulge ourselves but how can we most effectively honor Christ.

The women

We also see this same kind of devotion portrayed by the women who followed Jesus. Notice what it says back there in verse 55,

English Standard Version Chapter 27

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

It’s at this point in Jesus’ ministry that the women are brought to the forefront, and we’re told that while most of the men had abandoned Jesus and were hiding in secret for fear of the Jews, that the women remained with him, even while he hung from his cross. Then again there in verse 61 when Jesus is laid in the tomb it says,

English Standard Version Chapter 27

61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

And finally, when we get to chapter 28 it’ll be the women who return to the tomb Sunday morning to finish anointing Jesus’ body for burial and encounter an angel when they arrive.

When you compare all four Gospel accounts you discover that at least four prominent women had followed him. At his crucifixion we see Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (this is presumably Jesus’ mother), Salome (this appears to be Jesus’ aunt, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee, John and James), and finally another Mary the wife of Clopas. Mark describes these women, who were from Galilee, as those who followed him and ministered to him, who also supported him in his ministry, along with many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

While Jesus was still in Galilee Luke described how the women played a major role supporting and providing for Jesus and his twelve disciples. In Luke 8:2-3 it says,

English Standard Version Chapter 8

And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

In other words, many women played a significant role supporting Jesus’ ministry, and in many practical ways they bore it up, and they were essential to it despite serving behind the scenes most of the time. We often see this played out in marriage where behind every great husband is usually an even greater wife. She supports him, she cares for him and never leaves his side. And these women here followed Jesus even to his grave, and as we’ll see when we get to chapter 28 their faithfulness and their loyalty were rewarded when they were the first to witness his resurrection, the first meet him alive again, and the ones tasked with delivering this news to the disciples.

Chain of custody

In addition, here in Matthew, the women form a kind of chain of custody for the body of Jesus. At least two of the women who witnessed his death also followed him to his tomb, they also witnessed a great stone being set at the entrance before returning home for the Sabbath, and then later in chapter 28 they’re the first to reach the tomb and witness the stone being rolled away by the angels, only to reveal that the body was gone. And as we’ll see in chapter 28 the women will become central to the trustworthiness of Jesus’ bodily resurrection, that their witness will strengthen the veracity of it.

Temple Guard

Now, let’s continue reading, picking back up there in verse 62,

English Standard Version Chapter 27

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Now, what’s particularly interesting about this account is that Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include it. He’s the only Gospel writer to record the length to which the Jews went to bury Jesus’ influence, even after he was dead. Apparently, they understood enough of Jesus’ teaching to know that he had claimed he would rise again after three days. And so they called upon Pilate to secure the tomb so that Jesus’ disciples couldn’t steal his body at night and tell the people that he had risen from the dead.

But, if you recall, earlier in chapter 27 during Jesus’ trial before Pilate we saw that Pilate quickly realized that Jesus was not the threat the chief priests claimed he was, and that he only had Jesus crucified because the Jews had backed him into a corner when they turned the crowds against him. So, at this point, Pilate had little interest in granting their demands after he had already been manipulated by them. So, when they demanded that he secure the tomb with his own soldiers, he told them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” In other words, if you’re so worried about Jesus then you take care of it.

And so we’re told that they went out and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. At the time, the Jewish Sanhedrin had a Temple Guard at their disposal which was independent from Pilate’s Roman soldiers, so the assumption here is that a portion of the Temple Guard were dispatched to seal and secure the tomb over the Sabbath by the Sanhedrin.

Conclusion

Now, in our next time, when we reach chapter 28 we’ll see how this plays out with the Jews and the Temple Guard, and at that point we’ll see why Matthew likely included this particular account while the other Gospel writers did not.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we give thanks for your Word. I pray that as we continue to study it that we would be changed by it. That every time we have a clearer understanding of it that we would be that much more conformed to it. I pray that the devotion of the women we see in this story would instill in us a devotion and loyalty to Christ, a loyalty that doesn’t recoil at the first sign of difficulty or risk. I ask that the example of Joseph of Arimathea would challenge us to hold our riches and our earthly possessions lightly, that those riches would be used to honor you, and that our devotion to you wouldn’t remain merely private, but that our devotion to you would be readily public. That we wouldn’t fear man, but readily and courageously proclaim our allegiance to Christ, even in the face of danger.

Lord, we take great comfort as we reach chapter 28 that despite the effort to snuff out our Lord, that their plans were doomed to fail, that if death couldn’t hold him, neither could the Jews and their puny detachment of soldiers. That He who sits in the heavens laughs; that the Lord holds them in derision.