Shalom,
We deserve to be grateful for having been saved by the Lord to become His own. He promised that the world cannot take us away as long as we cling to Him. Let the Holy Spirit work to make us understand that the Word of God has the power to free us from the bondage of sin and iniquities that we will not repeat them anymore.
The Word of God written in the Gospel of Luke 23:50-56b emphasizes that we should honor the death of Jesus. Did everyone honor Him while He was alive? It happened that the religious leaders (the chief Priest, elders of the Jews, captain of the temple) were looking for an opportunity to kill Jesus. Even the disciples who had been witnessing the miracles He made ran to leave Him when He was arrested. And even worse, one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, sold Him; and His senior disciple, Peter, disowned Him. If they did not honor Jesus while He was still alive, could they honor His death?
Jesus died on the day of preparation for Sabbath. Because the Law prohibited any activities on Sabbath day, it could be assured that Jesus’ body would have been taken down and thrown to the place of the Skull where His bones would have been scattered. The punishment of crucifixion is a cruel punishment that men are tortured alive, and the Bible says that cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree (Galatians 3:13).
Was there still anyone who honored the death of Jesus on the last minutes before Sabbath? Joseph, a member of the honorable counselor, did. He was a good and just man (Luke 23:50). He witnessed the moment when Jesus was put on trial before Pilate because the religious leaders had framed Him. Pilate himself admitted that Jesus was innocent (vv. 4,14) and Herod also said there was nothing that He did which was equal to a death punishment (v. 15). Joseph of Arimathea disagreed with the decision and unfair action of the counselor in handling Jesus’ case. But he could not do anything when the religious leaders and the people were crying out for the freedom of Barabas, a rebel and even a murderer who had previously been sentenced to death (vv. 18-19). This was obviously the trial of the people, and Joseph of Arimathea was witnessing this event.
Who was Joseph of Arimathea and what were his characters?
- He was a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews (John 19:38). At the time the Lord still kept a disciple even though other disciples fled to leave Jesus alone. Joseph showed up after Jesus died and he was given the strength and ability to defeat fear and came to Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. His courageous decision took place in the injury time or else it would have been too late to take down Jesus’ body and bury Him before the Sabbath Day. Such concerted effort proved that he really honored the death of Jesus. He had learned about the word of God so he knew that it was not appropriate to let Jesus’ body hang on the cross. It was obvious that regardless of his fear he showed up at the right moment to honor the sacrifice of Christ.
- He was a good and righteous person.
Is it true that there is a good and just person in this world? Apostle Paul who was used extra ordinarily by the Lord confirmed that no one was good and just (Romans 3:10, 12). If somebody becomes a good person it is because of Someone who has borne their badness. Thus, a man can become just only by the redemption in Christ Jesus (v. 24)
Apostle Paul admitted that there was no good in him. He realized it was because of the sin in him that what he did were evil although what in his mind were good. Therefore, he felt anxious and despaired of having a good self-control (Romans 7:18-20). He was helpless to confront his sins. Adam and Eve had fallen short of the glory of God and been cast out of the Paradise and even their descendants were prone to do wickedness (Genesis 6:5). The sins of the ancestor were brought over generations that made men helpless to do good. The consequence is there will be only one more step for the sinners to be bound to the body of death (Romans 7:24-25) thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur (Revelations 20:10).
The only way out for sinful men is the sacrificial death of the innocent Jesus that bears men’s sins. The young Saul who realized himself as a wretched man for his evil doings repented after his encounter with Jesus and then he was filled with the Holy Spirit and became Paul who was used greatly by the Lord.
What should we do as a token of thanksgiving for and honoring His sacrifice? We must not cease doing good to others especially those of the household of faith for we will reap in due season (Galatians 6:9-10). Remember that all we have done are written in the book (Revelations 20:12).
What are the criteria of a good man?
- Good or kind-hearted. Goodness starts from a renewed heart that no longer has hypocrisy as done by the Pharisees—doing good deeds to be seen and credited.
- Honest.
- Useful, not living for ourselves but also noticing the interests of others.
- Generous, knowing that everything we own are the Lords’ entrusted to us.
Joseph fulfilled the criteria of a good person. What did he do?
He asked for Jesus’ body to be buried according to the custom of the Jewish. He bought (with his own money) linen shroud and spices to wrap the body of Jesus and laid Him in his new tomb (Matthew 27:60) where nobody had ever been laid before (v. 53). He was useful and courageous to go through danger.
Introspection: As people who are already saved and blessed, do we only live for ourselves or do we care for those in need? Have our lives been meaningful to the Lord by serving and impacting others around us?
Joseph was also a just man because he disagreed with the decision and action of the unfair counselor. His conscience rebelled against injustice although he did not have the nerve to protest directly.
Joseph became a just man because the Righteous One had died for him. Who was He? The centurion (a gentile) who saw second by second how Jesus was treated inhumanly until his death, then glorified God and admitted that Jesus was a just man (Luke 23:47). Jesus, the Righteous, despised, crushed as He surrendered Himself as the trespass offering (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10-11).
Nobody was good and righteous without the Lord. As the death of Jesus has justified us, what should we do next to honor Him? We should love reading the Gospel that saves our lives. This way, we know how to live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). Romans 10:17 teaches us, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So, after being made a righteous, we should walk with Jesus who is the Righteousness Himself (John 14:6). Do not be a good and just man but without faith as we prefer associating with people of the world who can contaminate our faith!
One of the descriptions of the disciple of Jesus is love reading the Gospel (the Word of God) to know the truth that will set them free (John 8:31-32). Blessed are those who hear, keep and do His Word (Revelation 1:3). Do not imitate what the religious leaders did! They did not live in truth although they confessed as the descendants of Abraham (John 8:33-38); as a result, they chose to murder Jesus.
Application: Being freed from the bondage of sin means that we honor the death of Jesus by walking with the Word of Truth that our faith will grow to hope and our lives will continuously be sanctified to be able to love the Lord and others.
- He longed for the Kingdom of God
After being buried, Jesus was raised on the third day and still on earth for 40 days preaching the Kingdom of God then lifted up to Heaven and promised to come again.
Joseph, a just man, longed for the second coming of Jesus. Yet no one knows when He will come again. The fact is, the tidings of His coming was declared more than 2,000 years ago but still there is no any significant change.
However, we should continue to have faith and long for His coming and act as a cautious servant who is ready to serve anytime his master comes (Luke 12:36-37). Do not act as the disciples of Jesus who fell asleep while Jesus Himself struggled to face the misery of being crucified! Jesus exhorted them to be watchful and pray not to fall into temptation (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38).
Introspection: Do we love to pray as a cautious action? If not, then we need to worry that when He comes suddenly, we are found not wearing appropriate clothes (good deeds), worse yet, we might be naked (Revelation 16:15). Illustration: A thief enters a house without any notice and they wait until the house owner is unguarded.
Now we know how to honor the death of Jesus: having a desire to serve Him, living a useful life for others, being generous, having growing faith as the effect of loving the truth until we attain hope and love. Besides that, we need to be cautious by being prayerful and having good behavior until the time comes for the Lord to return. In so doing, we are preparing ourselves to welcome Him and to live together with Him happily forever. Amen.