An Honorable Burial – Susan Ferguson

He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave (Isaiah 53:9 NLT).

Darkness came over the land during the crucifixion of Christ, and at about three o’clock p.m., Jesus breathed His last breath. Immediately the curtain of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, the rocks split, the graves opened, and many saints were raised from the dead. 

 
Jesus was treated like a criminal, crucified between two thieves, but buried in a rich man’s tomb. The tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court that wanted Jesus to be put to death. Joseph did not agree with them and became a follower of Christ, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. But after the crucifixion, he went boldly to Pontius Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body. With Pilate’s permission, Joseph took the body down from the cross with the assistance of Nicodemus, who was also a member of the Sanhedrin. The two men wrapped the body in linen cloth and costly spices and placed it in Joseph’s new tomb. Before departing, they rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb. Joseph and Nicodemus put their personal and professional lives at risk to bury Jesus. They came forth at the right moment and fulfilled prophecy found in Isaiah 53:9 (see above). 

Father, Your provision, Your timing, and Your ways are always perfect. You chose two unlikely men to give our Lord Jesus an honorable burial and to fulfill prophecy. We rejoice that on the third day after His death, Christ rose from the grave. Amen.

Today’s freelance writer resides in Madison, MS, USA. Contact

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Jesus poured out His blood for the New Covenant of grace and truth, replacing the Old Covenant letter of the law of Moses. Believers are exclusively under the New Covenant, the last will and testament of Jesus that began after the cross.