From Secret to Open Faith

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^e 40Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39,40)

Thoughts: Nicodemus was known as the man who visited Jesus at night.  But here he came into the light- out into the very presence of the governor himself.  Some have fussed that Nicodemus didn't come public until after he died.  That would be true if that was the end of the story.  But Jesus is alive, he saw Nicodemus' profession- just as He sees ours.  As long as Nicodemus had breath it was not too late.  Jesus used Nicodemus late profession to help bury him.  This burial is part of the Apostles' Creed- "dead and buried."  But we know, Nicodemus' secret faith was not dead and buried- it came out into the open just as Jesus did.       Today many want to have a private, secret faith.  Nicodemus knew this was not enough- and Jesus told him he must be born again.  He was.  We should be.  

Prayer: Lord, May your love flow from me.  May my desire to hide my faith give way to your resurrection and born-again power.  

Nicodemus at the end

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^e 40Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39,40)

Thoughts: Nicodemus shows up at the end to bury Jesus.  Joseph of Armiathea helped but he did so secretly.  They had mercy on Jesus and were not embarrassed to invest in his burial.   Isaiah 53, the passage about the Messiah as suffering servant, says in verse 9 that he was given a tomb with the rich.  In the end, Nicodemus came out as a follower of Jesus.  

Prayer: In the end, let me be found faithful to you.  

Cavarragio- the Burial of Jesus

4/13/14- Who is in Charge?

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them

and cast lots for my garment.”^a

So this is what the soldiers did. (John 19:16-24)

Thoughts: This passage begins and ends with the soldiers.  They "took charge."  They "crucified him." They handled his clothes.  Jesus was as meek as a Passover Lamb being led to the slaughter.  Jesus said nothing this whole time.  Pilate was the one who made the claim for Jesus that He was a King.  This passage points out that Jesus was not only tortured physically, but He was also humiliated and mocked.  Psalm 22 is a prophecy of the crucifixion.  It is clear that Jesus simply did not try to fulfill these prophesies.  Some of them were fulfilled by His enemies (His betrayal, the casting lots for his garment, the not breaking of His bones).  It is clear, even to the detail who is the real King here.  While the passage says that "the soldiers took charge", the One hanging on the cross was the real King of Kings.  

Prayer: Lord, even in the tough times, help me to trust in you as my King. 

(Montegna 1549)

4/12/14- Pilate Judges Jesus

7The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:7-16)

Thoughts: Pilate, the governor, was afraid of condemning Jesus- but he was also afraid of losing his earthly position and reputation more.  That the Jews were accusing Jesus of being the Son (essence) of God, Pilate was concerned about this case more than others.
   Pilate asked Jesus where he was from.  In my area of the country, this is a polite but also important part of our identity.  Jesus did not want to argue with Pilate and he knew it mattered little what He said.  Pilate gloried in his power to give or take life.  But Jesus reminded Pilate that all life is a gift of God and not his to give or take alone.  God uses even unbelieving, disobedient, ruthless politicians to accomplish His will.  In the end, the Jews wanted him dead over Jesus' divine claims while Pilate did not want Jesus' kingship to interfere with Rome's rule.  

Prayer: Lord, do not let my hold on this world be so tight that I cannot hold onto your truth and what is right.