“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being 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 the body of Jesus.” John 19:38.

Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned nowhere else except in the burial accounts in all four gospels. In this gospel it is said that he was a secret disciple “for fear of the Jews.”

We are told that he was a rich man.

“Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.” Matthew 27:57.

In this same account it is said that it was his own new tomb hewn out of a rock in which he placed Jesus.

“…and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.” Matthew 27:60.

Joseph had to gather courage to ask Pilate for permission for the body of Christ.

“Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” Mark 15:42-43.

Though he was a secret disciple, he is described as a good and just man, who is once again mentioned as a council member.

It was by the rough hands of sinful men that lifted Jesus up, but it was by the tender hands of just men like Joseph who took His body down and entombed it.

“And behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their counsel and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.” Luke 23:50-53.

“…for fear of the Jews”, while Satan does some of his best work by sowing discord and division among Christians; fear is his other, best weapon.

Back then it was fear of the Jews who had wormed their way into positions of authority, and while they were outwardly pious, inwardly they were ravening wolves who devoured and tore into pieces anyone who stood for God.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15.

During the middle ages, it was this same kind of ungodly men, blood thirsty wolves who extorted, demonically – horrifically tortured, and murdered innocent people, both Christians and Jews, in the name of Christ.

Today, fear is back, coming through the same kind of men, though in most cases the trappings of religion are gone, in fact Christ is gone.

Through the leverage of the politically correct, men have managed to put fear in the workplace, in government, even in many churches. One can lose their job if they speak up against sin and use the name of Christ.

In this city, librarians are told that if they do not encourage, or display agreement with someone when they tell them they are going to, or are participating in a gay pride parade, the librarian will lose their job.

In a recent pro-abortion rally a woman was standing with, presumably, her three very young daughters holding up signs supporting abortion. The very youngest (appearing to be 8 or 9) was holding up a sign that said, “If I want government in my womb, I will F- a senator.” Whatever happened to laws against aiding and abetting in the delinquency of a minor?

Why is it legal to take underage children to gay pride parades which have full or partial nudity? For that matter why was Miley Cyrus allowed to parade around on stage in next to nothing while she was still seventeen?

Children are often ridiculed or chastised for wearing clothing with Christian verses or slogans on them to school. The same will occur if they stand up for Christ when He is ridiculed by a teacher.

We are actually in the end times of history, Christ will return soon and this will all be over. Even so, Jesus does not expect us to sit in the closet while this all happens.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16.

You do not have to tell everyone at work you are Christian if it may cost you your job, but you can act like one, instead of being just one of the boys or girls.

If you are in a coffee shop with another Christian (or anywhere) you do not have to talk about sports, you can talk about Jesus if you want to, not loudly, nor whispering, but normally, in the same tone you would talk about sports; people around you are listening.

If you are asked to leave by management, leave, but make sure you complain to the owner, just informing them of the facts, no histrionics. Go to another coffee shop, you will not run out of coffee shops or restaurants before the Lord returns.

Complain when children are abused for being Christians in your school district; complain as a body of Christ, not just one or two but everyone in your district, and remember names when you vote.

When Christians start to vote as a bloc against evil politicians, things will change. And we need to vote in every election, every election no matter how small to keep other godless politicians from getting started.

Washington will not clean itself up, sin and evil does not just go away, it always grows worse. It is the voter, and finally the voter that will change things.

God put us in this nation with the right to vote for righteous government. Christians will be to blame if we lose that right, and we will have trodden underfoot a gift God has given us.

Above all, pray, pray that the evil people in government will be found guilty of their crimes against this nation. Pray for good men to run in politics and replace them, pray that they too do not become corrupted as the others.

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings [presidents] and all who are in authority [congress, senate, supreme court], that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

Pray for an awakening; nothing will change in this nation as long as men’s hearts are bent on evil, only Christ can change the heart.

Pray alone or with your family, work to start a prayer meeting in your church. Do not count the number who attend, if you are the only one, pray and continue meeting, even if there is never more than one or two who attend, your example will convict those who do not attend.

There is nothing in prophecy that says this country has to go to hell, there is nothing that says this country cannot become a beacon to all the nations without Christ.

There is nothing that states that this country will not return to being, “A city that is set on a hill [which] cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14b.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…” Ephesians 6:12-18.

There will be only one time in all of history, in all of time when the Christian will be able to serve the unseen God, by faith alone, and that is right now; once you lay eyes on Jesus you will never have this opportunity again, never. What will you do?

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

Gather courage.

“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:3-4.

Take a stand now while you do not have to resist to bloodshed; or your children may have to.

“And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of Myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.” John 19:39.

Just how expensive was this? The evidence appears to indicate that they were quite expensive, being luxury items and not too common. The truth is, one hundred pounds of anything exotic like this had to be expensive, which along with the rich man’s tomb confirms the prophecy:

“And they made His grave with the wicked – but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” Isaiah 53:9.

Wrapped in expensive spices as a rich man and placed in a rich man’s tomb in which no man had been laid; indeed He died with criminals as a criminal, but God would not allow His beloved Son to be discarded like so much trash. It was time to return His dignity.

Nicodemus is not a new name to us as Joseph’s was, he first appears in John chapter 3.

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’” John 3:1-2.

Nicodemus is identified as a Pharisee, while it is not said specifically of Joseph, yet they are both members of the Sanhedrin.

“Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?’ They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’” John 7:50-52.

It is highly unlikely that either of these men were invited to Jesus’ appearance before the Sanhedrin. In fact of the 71 total members of the Sanhedrin there may have been many who were not informed of this mock trial, simply because they would have insisted on a just and fair trial, regardless of their opinion of Jesus.

So, though it is not stated, it is possible that these two men were asleep in bed while the Lord was being abused by this illegal gathering.

“Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.” John 19:40-42.

Odd to think of people being buried in a peaceful garden so close to such a violent place where criminals were executed.

Our first parents sinned in a garden and were cast out; Jesus paid for the sin of the world outside a garden and was placed within one.

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Secret Disciple, John 19:38-42 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 7-4-13, updated on 4-14-18.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.