Jesus' Body is Buried

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.  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.  Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.  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.  Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

I was just at a funeral home yesterday.  There was an hour wait to get to the family and the casket, people were laughing and sharing memories, it was a time of celebration.  This man was 80 years old, loved the Lord, died in His arms surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren.  It was joyous, it was peaceful, it was time.

Not so on this day 2,000 years ago.  A young man, full of life, hope and promise, was mercilessly stripped of all dignity, cruelly beaten, taunted and mocked, and then nailed to a cross.  A horrific death.

Those gathered around his body weren't full of joy and peace.  They were full of fear and horror. 

I wonder about Joseph of Arimathea.  As a secret follower, did he at this moment boldly approach Pilate to ask for Jesus' body?  Or did he do so secretly?

Whichever, at great risk to themselves, he and Nicodemus took care of Jesus.  They took care of Him.  They wrapped Jesus' body, as was custom to do, taking the linen, soaking it in fragrant spices. 

Let me tell you a little bit about these burial cloths, or shrouds.  All of the below information is from wikipedia.com (and they never lie!): 

Shrouds are white and entirely hand-stitched. They are made without buttons, zippers, or fasteners. They are called tahrihim.  Tahrihim come in muslin or linen, fabrics that recall the garments of the ancient Hebrew priesthood.  Regardless of gender, they [the garments] include tunic, pants, a head covering, and a belt. The pants typically cover the feet, much like footed pajamas. The belt is customarily tied in an ornate knot reminiscent of the Hebrew letter shin. The head covering typically consists of both a hood that is directly attached to the tunic and a face cloth, essentially the ancient sudarium. The fully dressed body, is further enwrapped in a lengthy white sheet, or sovev.

What we normally have thought of as a shroud (probably because of the Shroud of Turin), is the sheet.  But burial clothes would have been more than just a sheet.  John, in the passage stated above, talks about "strips of linen"; while I used to think that meant long rectangles, it could very easily mean pieces. 

[Note:  Beginning in the 2nd century, the above description of shrouds became the only way to bury a Jew.  We don't know for certain how Jesus was buried.  This is just me thinking!  This custom, described in detail on wikipedia, was begun by a wealthy rabbi who, when planning his own death, didn't want to appear to be "over" those who were not wealthy, in death.  This custom is described in detail on wikipedia.]

So if Jesus was buried in strips of linen cloth . . . Well, more on Tuesday!