By David ReayThursday 21 Aug 2014LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Matthew 27:57-61
57 As evening approached,Joseph,a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb,which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. (NLT)
The people named in this narrative must have thought it was all over. Joseph concluded his Jewish colleagues had unjustly hounded a good man to death-even killed the Messiah. Pilate would have figured this troublesome episode was behind him. Another troublemaker out of the way so now he can get back to something like normality. And then the two Marys: their hopes and dreams of a better life now turned to dust,the man who had treated them with honour and love was now dead and soon to be buried.
But of course it wasn’t like that at all. This was like the calm before the storm. The agonies of Good Friday had passed; the triumph of Easter Day was yet to come. The authorities thought they had got rid of a rebellious pest. The disciples thought they had come to a dead end. Yet at least Jesus was getting a decent burial.
Jesus,as is often the case,surprised them all. The man who was God could not stay dead. The cross was not the end of the story but rather a chapter in that story. Another chapter was yet to be written,and this chapter would cause consternation amongst his opposition and delight amongst his followers.
He had unfinished business to attend to: namely the defeat of death and the announcement of his supreme power. It was far from over.
Blessings
David Reay