Over the last month, in addition to considering the resurrection of God, we have looked at a couple of the people in and around Christ’s crucifixion. Among them, we considered King Herod. During the arrest and trials of the Lord, this man had a perfect opportunity to know and trust Christ. But after correctly looking at the evidence, he turned his back. And then, we looked at the thief on the cross, who had the same opportunity, but who grabbed it with both hands and his believing heart. One is in hell today, while the other, on the day of his death, went to be with Christ in Paradise. We looked at them because you are represented by one of those two men. You have been presented with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as God’s only remedy for sin. And thus far, you have either remained in your curious unbelief, like Herod, or you identified with Christ as your Lord and Saviour, like that dying malefactor. The believing thief prayed, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
This morning, I want us to consider someone else from about that same period in Jesus life. Like the thief, he eventually identified with the Lord Jesus, and he did so with boldness. Again, like the thief, he was very interested in being a part of Christ’s kingdom. And he honored the King of that kingdom, in a way no other disciple did, except perhaps Nicodemus.
As you have surmised, this message is about Joseph – “Christ’s Arimathaean Agent.” We studied Herod and the thief, because one or the other illustrates our current lives and futures. And we are looking at Joseph, because he could be used to describe many current Christians.
Let’s begin this morning with at look at this man’s STATION in life.
The Bible tells us a several things about the man, while historians, commentators and imaginists add more. Mark and Luke tell us that Joseph was “waiting for” or “looking for” the kingdom of God. Luke says that he was “a good man” and “just.” They both tell us that he was a COUNSELOR, while Matthew adds that he was RICH. Then all the gospel writers tell us that he was from the town of ARIMATHAEA.
There is no Arimathaea in Israel today, so this is where critical analysis and imagination come into play. John Gill, the Baptist commentator, and my Bible Encyclopedia agree that Joseph was born in the city from where Samuel, the prophet, had come. I Samuel 1:1 says that Samuel was born in “Ramah,” but the “Septuagint” Greek Old Testament calls the place “Arm-a-thaim.” It was a community a few miles to the northwest of Jerusalem. Ramah or Armathaim was originally in the tribe of Ephraim, the heir of Joseph, prime minister of Egypt. So perhaps the man in our study was named in honor of his ancient predecessor. . Whether or not that is a correct assumption is not at all important.
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Arimathaea may not be important, but the other things about this man are: The man was rich, and he was a counselor; he was a good man and he was just. As to his wealth, that didn’t make him important, in fact in some ways, it is just the opposite.
In I Corinthians, Paul was describing his gospel ministry. He said, “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” And among those who think the gospel is foolish, are the RICH, POWERFUL and ELITE in this world. So it is a general rule “that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” PRAISE GOD that Joseph was one of those wise, mighty, rich men of whom few are elected to salvation.
Earlier in Jesus’ life, a rich ruler came with the question: “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” To expose his insincerity, Christ told him to sell off and give away all his wealth, then in poverty to follow Him. “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful; for he was very rich.” When Jesus saw that, He said, “how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Again, PRAISE GOD, because in Joseph we see a rich man who passed through the needle’s eye of repentance and faith in Christ.
In some man-made religions whether or not you have money and business connections is important. But with Christ, someone’s financial situation is nothing. After all, it is by His grace that we have anything. And when it comes to salvation from sin, Christ doesn’t cast aside either the very wealthy or the very poor. And to Him, it doesn’t matter whether or not you have talents in the sight of men, or opportunities. You don’t have to be drug-free; morally clean and with a clean rap-sheet. On the other hand, these things don’t create interest from God, because that person is more needy. The only thing that matters in your salvation from sin is whether or not you are willing to repent of it all. Repent, and empty yourself before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Going back to Joseph, something else we know for sure was that he was a Jewish counselor. So not only was he one of those “rich men,” Paul spoke of as being few, but he was also “mighty.” He had authority; he had influence, both among the Jews and apparently before the Romans. Luke says, “Now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor… came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.” After Pilate verified that Jesus was dead, “he gave the body to Joseph.”
What would have happened if the Apostle Peter had tried to ask Pilate for permission to bury the Lord? I think first of all, that Pilate might not have granted the body to one of Jesus’ disciples. More importantly, Peter would never have gotten in to see the Governor. But in God’s decree, in comes Joseph of Arimathaea, who had influence and station in Jerusalem.
As I tried to say last week, there was not a single aspect of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ which wasn’t a part of the eternal decree of God. None of it came about by accident, surprising the Lord. Absolutely every detail was controlled by God. Every detail. For example, God not only knew, but ordained the number of thorns that pierced the head of Christ. If God has counted the hairs on your head, you can be sure He counted thorns between Jesus’ hairs. There wasn’t one less stripe on Jesus’ back than what God had decreed, and there wasn’t one more. These weren’t left to chance, because “chance” does not exist before the sovereign God. Jehovah knew the history of the spikes which nailed Jesus’ body to the cross and who forged them. He ordained the growing of the tree which produced the wood from which the cross was made. He knew the name of the sawyer and carpenter who fabricated that tree. Every detail of the crucifixion was guaranteed by the decree of God.
And that included the man who buried Jesus’ body. Years earlier, God made Joseph rich and led him to move him from Arimathea to Jerusalem. And months before, under God’s hand, Joseph decided to carve out a tomb in garden not far from where the Lord Jesus would be crucified. It was the Lord who guaranteed that Joseph became one of the counselors of the Jews, sitting on a seat of the Sanhedrin. God ordained the meeting of Joseph and Pilate before the crucifixion, establishing a rapport and an opportunity for the man to beg for Christ’s body when necessary. There may have not been any other man who could have obtained the body of Christ for a proper burial. Not only are there no surprises before God, but everything is decreed and governed by the Almighty God.
Joseph was in the God-ordained place to receive and bury the body of our Saviour. That was a part of Joseph’s background and preparation.
Now, let’s move from his STATION in life to his SALVATION.
Both Mark and Luke tell us, “Joseph of Arimathaea (was) an honourable councellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God.” He was one of those Jews who was living in the expectation of the Messiah’s earthly kingdom. He was a man of faith and hope. And let’s remember what the thief said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” I don’t believe that the thief on the cross was thinking of some future earthly kingdom. Even if he was, Jesus pointed him in a different direction – “Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” The liberal Sadducees might have spoken of God’s kingdom differently than the more literal Pharisees. And I’m not sure that Joseph had his theology perfectly lined up. But. when the Holy Spirit speaks of Joseph’s waiting for the kingdom, he seems to be setting this man apart from the average Jew. Joseph was more like Simeon or Anna who met the Lord Jesus as a baby in temple. “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”
Joseph was waiting for the Lord’s kingdom – furthermore, he was a “GOOD man” and “JUST.” Without a doubt Joseph was not like the high priest and the other leaders of the Jewish council. He was a good man, in contrast to their wickedness. How did he earn that description? Were these just expressions of better than average morality? Or did it come through Paul’s definition of the word “just?” Had Joseph been “justified” – “declared righteous” through the grace and power of God in salvation?
I can’t be sure exactly how Luke meant the word, but I still have reason to believe that had been “justified.” Because we are also told that he was a disciple of Christ. Matthew says, “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who ALSO himself was Jesus’ DISCIPLE.” It is John who adds, “After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but SECRETLY for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.”
I’ll come back to Joseph’s secrecy in the minute, but first, how did he become a disciple of Christ? No one can be sure, because the Bible doesn’t give us the testimony of his conversion. But here is something which I think is plausible: Among the counselors sitting among the leadership of the Jews, were several distinct camps of men. Like the United States’ government being divided between Democrats, Republicans and others, there were Sadducees, Pharisees and others in the Jewish Sanhedrin. It is not only plausible, but highly probable that Joseph and Nicodemus were friends and political partners. Nicodemus and Joseph refused to be a part of the mock trial and condemnation of Christ, because they were spiritual brothers. They probably had not even been invited to that illegal gathering, because they were “trouble-makers.” Nicodemus was there with Joseph at Jesus’ burial, because they were spiritually united.
What is the likelihood that, Nicodemus, the ruler who came to Jesus in John 3 shared with his friend, Joseph, what Christ had revealed to him that night? The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again even to see the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus wanted not only to see the Kingdom, but to be a citizen in it. Apparently he had been born again, and he continued to look for the Kingdom of God. Since his friend, Joseph of Arimathaea, was also looking for that kingdom… And since there were other indications in his life… I’m going to guess that Nicodemus led his friend toward faith the Saviour.
But why were they both secret disciples of Christ? The word means that they deliberately hid the fact that they believed Jesus was the Christ. Isn’t this a shameful part of their testimony? Yes, I think that it is, but I also think that I understand it. I’ll let other people condemn them for it. Remember that they were raised in a corrupted religion which demanded temple ceremonies for salvation. And as councilors, the only way to maintain their position was to hide their relationship to Jesus. Plus, they were both still young in the faith. Despite being disciples, they were not sitting at Jesus’ feet day after day learning the lessons of Christian religion. I’m not making excuses; I’m just trying to state the facts as they might have been.
If you are a believer in Christ; if you have been given a new heart, a new hope, and new life… Then you ought to be baptized as an open testimony of that new life. You need to be “buried in the likeness of Christ’s death and raised again in the likeness of His resurrection.” Christ Jesus once said, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” I doubt that either Nicodemus or Joseph heard those words of Luke 12. And I doubt that they ever actually denied the Lord, however they didn’t openly confess Him either. Nevertheless, they were both believers in Christ, and today they are with the Lord in glory.
You, along with Herod, Pilate, Nicodemus, and Joseph, are facing an eternity beyond this life. And you will either spend it in the Lake of Fire with Herod and Pilate, or in the presence of the Saviour with Nicodmus and Joseph. What will it be? Don’t turn your back on the Saviour. Don’t turn your back on the need of your soul.
And with that I come to Joseph’s SERVICE.
This service is the reason that Joseph is mentioned in the Word of God. We aren’t told how the Lord miraculously converted him from a mediocre politician into a child of God. But we are told how, as a child of God, he served the Lord who saved him. And what he did was unique; it was something which probably only he could do.
Joseph of Arimathaea “BESOUGHT Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus.” “This man went unto Pilate, and BEGGED the body of Jesus.” “He went in BOLDLY unto Pilate, and CRAVED the body of Jesus.” Despite his earlier secrecy, Joseph came out of the closet when the Lord needed him. It wasn’t important any longer what Pilate thought about him. He didn’t care what the priests, Annas or Caiaphas, thought about him. He identified with Christ, when none of eleven disciples were willing to do so. He honoured the Lord when Peter, Andrew and Matthew didn’t. And he honored the Lord when it was somewhat dangerous to do so; when it cost him to take a stand. He sacrificed his position on the counsel; he undoubtedly lost friends and much of the respect he once had. But these things no longer mattered to him. In comparison to Christ, these temporary things were unimportant.
When he was given permission, he went with Nicodemus back to where the body Jesus hung on the cross. We don’t read that he had a handful of servants to help him; it was just these two men. Luke says, “And HE took it down, and wrapped it in linen…” I can’t imagine Joseph and his friend, Nicodemua, trying to remove the body from the cross while it was still propped up-right. So with a great deal of effort, they lifted it and then tried to lay it down with some degree of dignity. There was sweat involved and perhaps a couple sore backs. Imagine how much that cross weighed, especially with the Lord Jesus on it. Did they get slivers in their hands? And how did they remove those nails? Crowbar? Pliers? It doesn’t seem likely they yanked the hands and feet off the nails as they remained embedded in wood. How did they remove the corpse without causing more damage to the Saviour’s hands and feet? They grabbed and held on to the dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ. They got their hands dirty; they very likely got blood and dirt on their clothes. They not only defiled their garments, they defiled themselves religiously, making them unfit for worship.
But they didn’t care. They proved their love for the One who redeemed them. They went the mile the rest of the disciples didn’t go, and they went the extra mile. Joseph had paid good money to buy the garden where he had hewn out a tomb for his family. He was willing to either give up his own burial place, or at the very least to share it with his Saviour.
Like the believing malefactor, Joseph honored Christ, when it appeared to be pointless. As when the thief saw Jesus’ life’s blood seeping out of his body… When he saw that Christ had no intention of saving Himself from the cross. When Christ looked less like a King than at any other time in his life, he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” And here is Joseph with his hands on the lifeless body of King of kings whispering, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
Whatever weakness there had been in Joseph’s faith earlier was now gone. If there had been any earlier shame at being a child of God, that shame had turned into joyful boldness. He displayed the heroism of faith, serving Christ almost entirely alone at this point.
Conclusion:
To stand and share your testimony of salvation through the blood of Christ may not bring you any personal glory. It shouldn’t, because you haven’t done anything to redeem yourself. Giving your testimony may actually be somewhat painful, because you must reveal what a wretch you are. Perhaps you even have to admit to being a secret disciple for a year or more. How embarrassing. Some of you haven’t written out and shared your testimony of salvation because in comparison to many others, yours isn’t very spectacular or special. But it can still be used by the Holy Spirit to touch the heart of another unspectacular individual.
Now that you ARE a born again Christian, the question becomes, what will you do to glorify your Saviour? Every Christian needs to put his hands on Jesus’ body and carry it to where the Lord needs it to be. The body of Jesus needed to be in that tomb in order to fulfill the divine decree and to fulfill prophecy. And today, Christ needs to be carried to your neighbor, and your countryman, and the lost everywhere. It is a part of our duty as servants of the Lord. It is still a part of the divine decree. If that Christian gets dirty, so be it. If he loses his noble position in society, so be it. As James says, “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
It took a while, and it took a crisis, but Joseph stepped up and declared for anyone to see: “I am a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.” “What things were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”
Are you a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus? Praise the Lord ! Are you also willing to put your hands on the Lord to serve Him? Are you willing to get dirty in His service?