Lesson 50

Joe And Nick Go Public

John 19:38-42

In telling the story of Jesus, the next event that John comes to is the burial of the body of Jesus recorded in 19:38-42 our text for this message. This is an important fact of the gospel. In defining the gospel, Paul writes (I Corinthians 15:1-2a, 3b-4) "1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;By which also ye are saved, ... how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures."

The burial of Jesus is important because it stands as proof that Jesus died. Early in Christian history, there arose a rumor by the unbelieving that Jesus did not die, but that he swooned and that in the coolness of the tomb, he revived (not resurrected from the dead). But John makes it clear that Jesus died. On the cross, they did not break the legs of Jesus because their were eyewitnesses about that he was already dead. A soldier pierced his side and the blood and water that came forth was clear internal physical evidence that Jesus was dead. And the fact that his body was prepared and intered into a sepulchre was further evidence that death occurred. The burial of Jesus is an important fact of the gospel story.

John tells us some details about the burial ...

· the use of "a mixture of myrrh and aloes", v. 39.

· the Jewish custom of wrapping the body in linen, v. 40.

· the necessity for haste (because of the Jewish preparation day)

· the choice of the guarded tomb (a new grave; nearby).

But there is a surprise in this story. The surprise involves who took care of the burial. We might expect some or all of the disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John, etc) would be involved. But they are not. They are in hiding for fear. John tells us about the two men who took it upon themselves to properly and painstakingly prepare and bury the body of Jesus. Who are the two men? Verse 38 - Joseph of Arimathaea and verse 39 - Nicodemus. Let's read the text.

What do we know about these two men? What do we know about Joe, Joseph of Arimathaea. When you assemble all the biblical data about Joseph, you learn that ...

1. He was a rich man, Matthew 27:57.

2. He was a respected member of the Sanhedrin - "an honorable counsellor" is says in Mark 15:43.

3. The same reference in Mark says also that he was one of those Jews who was anxiously anticipating the arrival of Messiah.

4. Luke's account (23:50-51) calls Joseph a "good and just man" who had not consented to the decision of the Jewish counsel regarding Jesus.

5. According to John 19:38, Joseph was "a secret disciple".

Somehow through his following of the words and miracles and ministry of Jesus, Joseph had come to believe in Christ as his Messiah and Savior and Lord. He had become a disciple, a follower of Christ. But, motivated by fear, he had been unwilling to boldly, publicly identify himself with Christ. The cost of such a confession could be immense - his position, his possessions, his place of respect could all instantly vanish. Maybe Joe could believe and just not say anything about it. Maybe he could play it safe.

There other man, we learn, is Nicodemus. We have met him a couple of times earlier in John's gospel but, unlike, Joseph, Nicodemus is mentioned only in John.

What do we know about Nick?

1. We know that he was a Pharisee, John 3:1.

2. We know that he was also a member of the Sanhedrin - "a ruler of the Jews", John 3:1.

3. We know that he was regarded as a (the) master teacher of Israel, 3:10.

4. Historical accounts say that Nicodemus was the third richest man in Jerusalem.

5. Look at John 7:32, 45-52. Here, six months or so earlier, Nicodemus offered some defense for Jesus. The Pharisess asks the officers if they have been deceived into believing Jesus and then they ask Nicodemus if he had become one of the Galileans, too. He didn't answer their question. Maybe he had come to believe in Jesus. Maybe he was convicted and thinking about it. They challenged him to search the scriptures. I suspect that he did! He would have learned that the promised one would suffer and die as the Lamb of God, that he would be pierced. First, there had been a night of confusion, John 3. In John 7, there had come a day of conviction.

By the time of the crucifixion, Nicodemus, like Joseph, had become a secret disciple of Jesus. John 12:42-43 tells us that there were men like this. They had believed, but they had not publicly confessed Christ.

But something changed for Joe and Nick. They had seen the trial of Jesus and knew about the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus had gone all the way to the cross for them. It became evident that they needed to go all the way for Jesus.

So Joseph went to Pilate, Matthew says "boldly" and "craved" the body of Jesus. And then he gave his grave to be the place interment. (Jesus wouldn't need it for long). And Nicodemus used his wealth to lavish love on the body of Jesus. A hundred pounds of spices would be very costly. Such acts were significant. The instant they touched the dead body of Jesus they defiled themselves from being able to eat the passover, 18:28. Cruel hands tortured and crucified Jesus. But only loving hands handled the corpse of Christ. Joseph and Nicodemus carefully and quickly wrapped the body and placed it into the tomb with a few women witnessing. By doing this, Joe and Nick were going public. They were cutting themselves off from their Jewish heritage, friends and associates. In effect they were severing their past and identifying themselves publicly with Jesus. In a sense this was a public confession of their faith in Christ.

There had been a night of confusion for Nicodemus but now there was a day of confession for him and his friend Joseph. When they were finished, Jesus had had a proper and suitable burial. The Savior's body rested and the world went about it business. Pilate probably went home to supper and to make a report to his wife of the day's events. Annas and Caiaphas resided at their respective Passover feasts. Peter wept alone. The body of Judas lay forgotten. John sought to comfort his new mother. The rest of the disciples hid themselves from public eye. A Romans soldier tried on his new robe and another tried to wash the blood of Jesus off his spear. The world continue to spin on its axis. The angels prepared a great coming event on the third day. While Joe and Nick, Joseph and Nicodemus life changed forever because they had gone public for Jesus. They had denied themselves, taken up the cross and decided to follow Jesus.

Some of you need to go public for Jesus. What does that mean? For some of you going public might mean responding during the invitation that we will be giving in just a few moments and by your coming say publicly what Tammy Joerger said to me when she came during a similar Sunday invitation. "I have decided to follow Jesus."

For some of you, going public means submitting yourself to the waters of public baptism, an act that identifies you with Christ and His church. Being baptized is to salvation what putting a wedding band is to marriage. It is a symbol that identifies you with Jesus Christ.

Some of you, perhaps, need to go public for Jesus with your family. It may cut you off but you must be willing to forsake all - father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife, child and self - for Christ. Or maybe you need to go public for Jesus at work or perhaps at school or in the neighborhood or at the marketplace.

The Bible says that we must "believe in our heart and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus Christ." The Bible says, "Whosoever believeth shall not be ashamed." The Bible says that we must "not be ashamed of the testimony of Christ." Jesus said that if we will confess him before men, he will confess us before the Father. Like Joe and Nick, Joseph and Nicodemus, we must identify ourselves boldly and publicly with Jesus Christ, regardless of the cost or consequences.