Joseph of Arimathaea, secret disciple of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathaea went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
Joseph of Arimathaea was a wealthy prominent member of the Jewish religious Council called the Sanhedrin (akin to our own Supreme Court). He is mentioned in all four gospel accounts.
Joseph was a follower of Jesus, but kept it secret for fear of the Jewish authorities.
It’s good to remember that, after Jesus’ death , his apostles went into hiding for fear of being associated with their master.
That was not the case with Joseph of Arimathaea. His fear turned into courage, and he openly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
Here is how gospel writer Mark describes what happened:
“It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that her was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and May the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.”
And here is gospel writer Luke’s version of the events:
“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judea town of Arimathaea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. There he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in the tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”
Artwork on this page, from the top:
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902 ). Joseph of Arimathaea Seeks Pilate to Beg Permission to Remove the Body of Jesus, 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper. Brooklyn Museum.
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902 ). Jesus in the Sepulchre, 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper. Brooklyn Museum.
James Tissot (French, 1836-1902 ). Joseph of Arimathaea, 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper. Brooklyn Museum.
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