WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.780 When we come to this particular passage that we just read, these short verses here, 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:13.019 it's not as impactful as the previous two, right? In the last two passages that we've studied 00:00:13.019 --> 00:00:17.559 together in the last two weeks, we've looked specifically at the cross. We have gazed at the 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:23.039 cross. We have seen the suffering of Christ that he endured for our sakes. And then we have seen 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:29.920 the purpose of the cross, this perfect atonement, satisfying the wrath of God against sinners. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:37.780 That's impactful. It's amazing for us to do that. We never tire of gazing at the cross. And then we 00:00:37.780 --> 00:00:43.980 come to this passage that seems, at least on the surface, to just, as we might say, be kind of 00:00:43.980 --> 00:00:49.019 filling in the gaps to just let us know what happened after Jesus died. He goes in the tomb 00:00:49.019 --> 00:00:55.859 just so that they can tell us that he came out of the tomb. But we must not treat this as less 00:00:55.859 --> 00:01:03.179 necessary or only incidental to the narrative. That's not what this is. We find in these verses 00:01:03.179 --> 00:01:11.140 another conflation of Mark's two primary themes. The first being the identity and purpose of Jesus. 00:01:11.620 --> 00:01:15.599 He tells us that from the very beginning. He never leaves that. That's his primary purpose. 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:22.099 But we've noted all along the way in the last two years, the second primary theme of Mark's gospel 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:29.199 is faithful discipleship in response to the person and work of Jesus. 00:01:30.419 --> 00:01:36.359 The Lord's burial does a few things for us. It verifies the reality of his death. 00:01:37.159 --> 00:01:42.599 It prepares the way for his promised resurrection, which he has at least on three different occasions 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:48.219 in Mark's gospel plainly said that he will die and he will rise. And this helps prepare the way for that. 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:56.459 It fulfills Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 53, as we'll get to again. And then it sheds more light 00:01:56.459 --> 00:02:04.460 on the nature of true discipleship. And I think it's for these reasons that the burial of Jesus, 00:02:04.759 --> 00:02:12.539 this entombment of Jesus in this passage, was an essential element of the apostles' preaching of the 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:17.800 gospel. Remember Paul, when he's writing to the Corinthian church about the gospel, 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:23.120 he writes in 1 Corinthians 15, I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preached, 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.620 which you received and which you stand and by which you're being saved. In other words, 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:33.140 let me just remind you real quick of the basic foundation of the gospel truth that saves you, 00:02:33.200 --> 00:02:39.580 the power of God unto salvation. And then he says in a couple of verses later that he delivered to 00:02:39.580 --> 00:02:45.620 them as a first importance, the things most important, that Christ died for our sins according 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:53.379 to the scriptures, that he was buried, Paul insists on putting in, in these matters of first importance, 00:02:53.379 --> 00:03:00.700 and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. So it's not just that it's here 00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:06.700 to fill in the gaps. It's not just here to tell us another part of the story. It serves a purpose in the 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:12.919 text. It serves a purpose in the things that God has determined for us to know about the person 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:19.919 and the work of Jesus Christ. And so Mark's narrative of Jesus's burial does two things for us. 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:28.139 It challenges our discipleship, and then it informs our faith. It challenges our discipleship, 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:32.620 and then it informs our faith. And those are the two headings that we're going to use to guide us 00:03:32.620 --> 00:03:37.800 through this particular text. Okay? The first thing, if you want to keep notes in your journals, 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:47.980 just write down challenging our discipleship, challenging our discipleship. Look with me at verse 42. 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:55.819 And when evening had come since it was the day of preparation, that is the day before the Sabbath. 00:03:55.900 --> 00:04:02.480 And let's just stop there for just a second. Here we have some necessary contextual notes 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:09.120 that help us understand the scene just a little better, particularly as it relates to the timing 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:17.300 of Jesus's death and his burial. So Mark explains to his Roman readers in this moment that this is the 00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:23.939 day of preparation. That's the day. That's a weekly day. That's every Friday for the Jews at this point. 00:04:24.219 --> 00:04:28.939 The day of preparation is preparing them for their Sabbath day when they're collecting all their things 00:04:28.939 --> 00:04:33.800 because they're going to rest on the Sabbath in observance of what God had told them to do. 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:42.779 Evening here is a nod toward the approaching sunset, which at that time of year is probably about 00:04:42.779 --> 00:04:50.040 seven o'clock in the evening. Okay? Now remember what Mark had told us in our passage last week, 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:58.000 that Jesus had died at three o'clock in the afternoon. And remember, Jews are reckoning their days, 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.740 not from midnight to midnight like we do. They're reckoning their days from sunset to sunset. Okay? 00:05:02.939 --> 00:05:09.839 So they've got a very small window after Jesus's death to prepare his body in a way that would be 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:15.879 suitable for some kind of burial. Probably only three to four hours between the time that he takes his 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:24.120 final breath to the time that they cannot legally, in the sense of their Jewish law, actually be away 00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:28.399 from their homes and be handling dead bodies and things like that. In general, they have to finish 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:35.560 this before the Sabbath begins. And so the timing is what accounts for the hurried nature of all of 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:41.040 this. Why are they in such a hurry to do this with Jesus? Why are the women on Sunday morning coming 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:45.819 back to the tomb with these spices? Because they didn't have enough time to prepare the body fully 00:05:45.819 --> 00:05:50.519 on Friday after Jesus's death. They had to stop it. The timing's necessary for us to understand 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:57.719 what's happening. Now I want you to look at verse 43. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the 00:05:57.719 --> 00:06:06.439 council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:13.719 the body of Jesus. So Mark introduces us to this man. We haven't seen him yet in the narrative. His name 00:06:13.719 --> 00:06:19.759 is Joseph. He's from a town that probably is something like, if you're familiar with the Old Testament, 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:27.759 something like Ramah, about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Mark tells us two important notes about 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:35.279 him. One related to his political status, one related to his faith. So he's a prominent member of the 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:40.699 Sanhedrin. That's what it tells us here. He's a respected member of the council. That's the same 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:48.019 council that 12 hours earlier had actually condemned Jesus to die. They are ultimately responsible for this 00:06:48.019 --> 00:06:54.039 initial condemnation and delivering him over. Okay, Joseph is a part of this group. And he's not only a 00:06:54.039 --> 00:07:00.919 part of this group, he's a prominent leader among this group, we're told. But he's also said to have 00:07:00.919 --> 00:07:09.000 been, quote, looking for the kingdom of God, which in Mark's gospel has the connotation of faith and 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:15.819 discipleship. Remember the message Jesus begins to preach as soon as he comes into Galilee in chapter one 00:07:15.819 --> 00:07:22.300 of Mark's gospel. Repent and believe the good news. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That was the 00:07:22.300 --> 00:07:27.120 message Jesus preached in these three years. It was a message of the kingdom of God. And whenever we see 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:35.199 that in Mark's gospel, it's always directly linked to this idea of faith in Christ, discipleship of 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:42.379 Christ as people are considering him in terms of the kingdom. But the other three gospels help us to 00:07:42.379 --> 00:07:51.000 understand Joseph just a little better. Matthew 27 and verse 57 tells us that he was a rich man. 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:58.719 This explains why Joseph was actually able to provide a tomb for Jesus to be buried in. 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:09.719 Matthew also says that he was plainly a disciple of Jesus at this point in his life. Not in the sense of 00:08:09.720 --> 00:08:16.160 the 12 who were the chosen apostles, but in the sense that he at least on some level had become to, 00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:24.320 had come to believe in Jesus as this Messiah and son of God. Now Luke adds another layer to this. Luke 00:08:24.320 --> 00:08:31.020 23 and verse 50 tells us that Joseph was a righteous man and that though he was a member of the council, 00:08:31.020 --> 00:08:37.639 the Sanhedrin, he had not consented to the condemnation of Jesus. So he's a prominent leader 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:42.819 among them, but he did not consent to Jesus's death. He wasn't in on their sinfulness in this moment. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:49.720 And if you can think back just a few weeks to our study of Jesus's trial, it's probably likely that 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:55.699 Joseph wasn't even there. They wouldn't have needed all 70 members of the Sanhedrin. They just needed a 00:08:55.699 --> 00:09:01.220 quorum and they probably selected the people that they knew wouldn't give them a hard time. Perhaps 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:07.440 Joseph isn't even present at that moment. Then John 19 tells us the thing that we really need to know 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:18.019 here. John 19 verse 38 reveals that Joseph had kept his discipleship a secret and he had kept it a secret 00:09:18.019 --> 00:09:27.920 out of fear of the Jews. So he's a disciple of Christ, but he's unwilling to tell very many people that he is. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:35.240 Now, nothing about crucifixion carried any kind of honor, not even a proper burial. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:42.959 Crucified criminals were typically left on the cross for days. They were there as a sign, 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:49.599 a warning to other people not to commit the same crimes. They were left to be scavenged by animals. 00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:57.199 But Roman law did allow for family members of some criminals to request the body of their loved 00:09:57.200 --> 00:10:04.500 ones for burial. Pilate, who was never convinced that Jesus was actually guilty of the charges brought 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:12.060 against him, was willing to let Jesus' body be handed over on this afternoon or in the early evening 00:10:12.060 --> 00:10:20.560 to the people who were with Jesus. But notice, it's not Jesus' family who has requested his body. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:32.159 It's Joseph, the secret disciple from Arimathea, is the one who has requested his body. And the turning 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:43.159 point in verse 43 is the simple phrase, he took courage. That's a distinct phrase here for Mark. 00:10:43.159 --> 00:10:52.799 Because what we know of Joseph and John is that he was not a courageous disciple. He's actually a weak disciple. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:11:05.100 A believer, but unwilling to let people know. Unwilling for people to know that he had begun to follow Christ. 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:11.440 Joseph and after having lived out his discipleship in secret, afraid of what the Jews would do to his 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:18.700 reputation and to his power, Joseph suddenly took courage and identified with Jesus in this moment 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:27.480 in the most public way possible. And what is it that produces in Joseph this sudden courage 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:33.320 and emboldens him in this moment? It was the impact of the cross. 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:46.920 It's only the gospel as revealed through the cross of Christ that can produce a true and open disciple. 00:11:47.620 --> 00:11:53.440 And as Joseph is confronted in this moment after having followed Jesus in the shadows of secrecy, 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:58.480 as he's confronted in this moment with the cross of Christ and the crucifixion of Christ, 00:11:58.660 --> 00:12:02.960 even if he hadn't put all the pieces together of what the significance of that was, 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:09.820 suddenly the cross produces in him a courage that leads him to move out of his secrecy 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:19.720 and to begin to identify with Jesus publicly. And Kent Hughes notes this. He says that Christ's courage 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:29.360 begets our courage. His dedication, our dedication. His sacrifice, our sacrifice. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:35.580 Which makes me wonder if you find your place, yourself in a place of perhaps somewhat spiritual 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:40.659 complacency or plagued by the fear of what others may think of the faith that you have in Christ, 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:46.460 the solution for you is to not go and find somebody that might convince you that it's not as bad as you 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:52.419 think that it is. The solution is to look again at the cross. Because the only thing that will move us 00:12:52.419 --> 00:12:58.419 and motivate us to follow Christ more faithfully is the act of Christ on the cross and in his resurrection, 00:12:58.919 --> 00:13:03.759 the gospel is what gives us this motivation. And it motivates Joseph in this moment. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:13.559 A true disciple of Jesus cannot and will not exist on the fringes of the Christian community for long. 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:23.239 Eventually believers will step out of the shadows to boldly identify and follow Jesus Christ. 00:13:24.099 --> 00:13:30.119 And the thing that will ultimately pull us out of the shadows of secrecy is not the hope of a better 00:13:30.119 --> 00:13:37.879 life or the prospect of earthly pleasures. That's a heresy in our culture that says that if you will just 00:13:37.879 --> 00:13:42.379 follow Christ, things will get better for you. That if you will just be a faithful disciple, 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:47.340 he will give you the desires of your heart, whatever it is you want, he'll pour it out on you in those 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:53.879 moments. But no, that's not what the Bible teaches. It's not the hope of a better life and of earthly 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:58.939 pleasures that pulls us out of the shadows. God promises neither of those things in this life. 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:06.039 The only thing that will lead to open identification with Jesus and faithful discipleship is the power and 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:15.699 purpose of the purpose of the cross. Remember, put this episode with Joseph in the context of what Jesus 00:14:15.699 --> 00:14:23.120 said was the marks of true discipleship in Mark chapter 8. If anyone would come after me, Jesus says, 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:33.240 let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. And this cross bearing thing now takes on a 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:40.100 whole different dimension as we come through Mark chapter 15. When we understand the petibulum that 00:14:40.100 --> 00:14:44.539 we talked about a few weeks ago that would have been placed on Jesus's shoulder and then eventually 00:14:44.539 --> 00:14:50.299 on Simon of Cyrene's shoulders to carry it to the place of his crucifixion, it's this picture of 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:57.620 discipleship on the road, the road of shame and of humiliation and of hardship and of suffering. 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:02.960 Jesus says, that's what I want you to identify. And if you're going to follow me, that's exactly what 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:07.360 you're going to end up doing. You're going to end up walking the path that I have walked all the way to 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:16.159 the cross, he says. But then Jesus continues in Mark 8, for whoever would save his life will lose it. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:25.980 But whosoever loses his life for my sake in the gospels will save it. For what does it profit, 00:15:25.980 --> 00:15:34.300 Jesus says, for a man to gain the whole world, but forfeit his soul? Now I want you to think about 00:15:34.300 --> 00:15:42.200 Joseph of Arimathea in conjunction with that statement from Jesus. He had everything a first century Jew 00:15:42.200 --> 00:15:53.779 could have hoped for. He had wealth, he had power, he had fame, he was respected, he was honored, he was one of 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:58.480 the people that whether he wanted him or not, would have received greeting after greeting after greeting 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:03.019 after greeting as he walked through the markets. And as he walked down the street, he had everything 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:06.319 a first century Jew would want out of this life. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:17.360 And his secrecy was due to his fear that by publicly following Jesus, he would lose everything that he 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:27.500 had come to love, that he would lose his life as Jesus said. But as he gazes at the visage of the gospel 00:16:27.500 --> 00:16:34.720 hanging on the cross, Joseph realized that there was nothing in this life worth holding on to. 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:39.120 If it meant he'd miss the Christ and lose his soul. 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:47.840 And there's two ways to apply that. There's first the sense of what happens in the moment of conversion 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:53.820 when we're saved. And it reminds me of what Jesus said in another passage when he gave the parables 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:59.320 about the kingdom of God. And I reference these often, but just bear with me again, because it's so helpful 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:04.400 to be reminded of. Jesus says the kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:11.059 And a man walking through the field happens upon the treasure, and he's so impacted by the immeasurable 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:16.920 value of this treasure that he sells everything that he has in order to buy that land and have that treasure. 00:17:18.180 --> 00:17:23.120 And Jesus immediately follows it with another illustration. And he says, it's also like the merchant 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:29.099 who going through the market finds the pearl of great price, the pearl of immeasurable value. 00:17:29.259 --> 00:17:33.839 And in doing that, he sells his whole business, everything that he has in that moment, he sells it 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:40.059 all in order that he could have this one pearl of immeasurable value, incalculable value. 00:17:41.179 --> 00:17:51.299 And Jesus's point is that he is that treasure. He is that great pearl. And when we come back and we see 00:17:51.299 --> 00:17:57.000 as called a discipleship, what we find is that what Jesus is calling us to, the only way that we can have 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:04.559 that true treasure is by abandoning all else in order to have it, in order to receive him. 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:12.339 It just makes me wonder if there's, perhaps there's someone in here and in a metaphorical sense, 00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:18.039 you're walking through that field today, or you're browsing through that market, 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:25.659 and God in his grace has opened your heart to see that there is immeasurable value in the person 00:18:25.659 --> 00:18:30.339 of Christ and what he has done in providing salvation for us. And all that's left for you to do 00:18:30.339 --> 00:18:35.659 is to forsake everything else, forsake the sin of your life and forsake the pride of your life 00:18:35.659 --> 00:18:40.559 and let it go to confess Christ and to follow him as a faithful disciple. 00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:50.259 But then there's this application that we see here in Joseph's life, who I believe was 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:58.519 already a follower of Christ, at least in the sense of as much as he could be in his faith at this point. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.559 And at this point, it's a little different than at the moment of salvation. 00:19:04.659 --> 00:19:08.500 This call to discipleship is something we must hear every morning when we get out of bed. 00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:12.940 Who are you going to save your life today? Are you going to follow Christ today? 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:22.059 And in this moment, Joseph is impacted in such a way that he's willing to let go of all the things 00:19:22.059 --> 00:19:25.960 he loved the most in this life in order to identify with Jesus. 00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:32.240 Alistair Begg said, either your secrecy will destroy your discipleship 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:36.500 or your discipleship will destroy your secrecy. 00:19:36.500 --> 00:19:39.940 And I think that's what we see happening with Joseph. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:45.220 Some of us have been trying to live out our discipleship in the shadows. 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:48.259 But Jesus calls us out of this. 00:19:49.940 --> 00:19:52.339 And if the gospel has truly changed us, 00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:57.099 we will inevitably take up this cross with all its shame 00:19:57.099 --> 00:20:01.859 and follow Jesus on the path of suffering if need be. 00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:06.740 Jesus says, this is actually the mark of a true Christian. 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:16.680 So Sinclair Ferguson says, Joseph realized that no one can remain a secret disciple of Jesus indefinitely. 00:20:18.120 --> 00:20:24.039 There invariably comes a point at which we must burn our boats and cross our bridges. 00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:30.539 It may be when his real significance dawns on us and us with special power. 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:36.139 Or it may be when others publicly reject Jesus and we must confess him, 00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:38.740 that we will stand with him whatever the cost. 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:41.659 But in any event, Sinclair says, 00:20:42.099 --> 00:20:45.720 every disciple must stand up to be counted. 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:50.860 And I want to ask you before we move on and wrap this text up. 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:53.720 Are you being counted? 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:57.779 Are you trying to live in the shadows? 00:20:58.519 --> 00:21:03.600 Worried about what might happen if I truly do profess my faith before my family? 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:06.819 If I truly do profess my faith before my friends? 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:12.120 If I do as coffee and those other people and endeavor to take this gospel to others 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:17.579 in the community around me, am I willing to come out of the shadows to do that? 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:21.739 And I think if you know Christ at some point, 00:21:22.019 --> 00:21:25.959 you will inevitably be willing to do just that. 00:21:26.839 --> 00:21:30.799 Because either your secrecy is going to reveal that you're not really a true disciple. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:35.079 Or the work of God in your life as a true disciple 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:40.019 is going to overcome your secrecy at some point. 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:43.460 Well, that's challenging our discipleship. 00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:44.259 That's the longest part. 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:45.879 We'll move quickly through the final part. 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:48.000 Informing our faith. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:50.039 Informing our faith. 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:53.960 There's three ways that this passage informs our faith. 00:21:54.059 --> 00:21:57.000 It strengthens our belief that Jesus is indeed the Messiah 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:02.859 and that what he did was true and sufficient for providing salvation. 00:22:03.460 --> 00:22:04.319 So let's work through it. 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:07.299 The first thing I want you to see is just a simple phrase, 00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:11.059 truly dead, truly dead. 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:12.680 Look at verse 44. 00:22:13.879 --> 00:22:16.980 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have died. 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:21.859 And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:25.220 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, 00:22:25.740 --> 00:22:28.399 he granted the corpse to Joseph. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:33.960 So notice that Pilate's surprise here is owing to the fact 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:38.980 that crucifixions could last up to two or three days 00:22:38.980 --> 00:22:40.960 before the criminals actually died. 00:22:41.780 --> 00:22:46.540 It's really kind of interesting as you look at the historical data 00:22:46.540 --> 00:22:50.259 that is available just on this process of execution. 00:22:50.560 --> 00:22:52.880 There are some cases that are so extreme 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.880 that the criminals never actually even made it to the cross, 00:22:55.880 --> 00:23:01.080 that they were treated so harshly as far as the execution was concerned. 00:23:01.220 --> 00:23:02.840 And then there's other cases where, 00:23:03.060 --> 00:23:04.960 actually probably more standard cases, 00:23:05.180 --> 00:23:09.420 where they survived the flogging that gets them to the cross 00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:11.780 and then they're left there for two to three days 00:23:11.780 --> 00:23:14.200 until their bodies just can't go any longer 00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:16.120 and they die in that moment. 00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:18.280 So Pilate here is surprised 00:23:18.280 --> 00:23:21.580 in that someone that was asking for his body 00:23:21.580 --> 00:23:24.260 just a few hours after Pilate had condemned him 00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:25.720 was actually very unusual. 00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:31.000 But again, Jesus's life wasn't taken from him. 00:23:32.099 --> 00:23:33.900 Jesus gave his life. 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:36.440 And there's an important distinction in that. 00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:40.339 There was no moment in this where Jesus is out of control. 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:44.240 There is no moment in this where his death 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:47.079 and his sacrifice is outside of his own power. 00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:49.819 The reason he cries out from the cross, 00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:53.859 my God, into your hands, I commit my spirit, 00:23:54.039 --> 00:23:58.599 is precisely because Jesus was in control of his own fate. 00:23:59.659 --> 00:24:02.399 So he doesn't have his life taken from him by the Romans. 00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:05.579 He gives his life over to the Romans. 00:24:07.139 --> 00:24:09.279 They were the instruments of his execution, 00:24:09.699 --> 00:24:14.019 but he gave up his spirit after his atoning work was done. 00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:16.359 And that's important for us to remember here. 00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:17.460 So Pilate's surprised. 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:19.660 Pilate's surprised that he's dead. 00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:22.539 And there's been attempts throughout history, 00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:26.279 even dating back to the early first and second centuries, 00:24:26.819 --> 00:24:30.099 that have tried to refute Jesus's resurrection 00:24:30.099 --> 00:24:33.519 by saying that he never actually died. 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:37.000 And you could probably find some people 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.139 who would try to suggest this same thing today, 00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:42.599 that there's no way someone could raise from the dead, 00:24:42.599 --> 00:24:44.919 but there's so much evidence, 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:47.079 there's so much even historical evidence 00:24:47.079 --> 00:24:49.480 about people who truly believed in the resurrection 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:52.039 that says that they saw the resurrected Christ 00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:55.000 and ended up giving their lives for that truth 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:56.319 in the apostles. 00:24:56.839 --> 00:24:58.299 There's so much historical evidence 00:24:58.299 --> 00:25:01.119 that they thought Jesus rose from the dead, 00:25:01.179 --> 00:25:02.879 but the truth is he never actually died. 00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:05.459 They say he just swooned on the cross. 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:07.759 He perhaps fainted at some point, 00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:10.179 and nobody really realized in the process 00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:12.220 of hurrying to get him in a tomb 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:14.100 that he was actually still alive. 00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:16.200 So what happens on Sunday, they would say, 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:18.600 is not a resurrection, it's a resuscitation, 00:25:18.840 --> 00:25:19.940 they would say. 00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:22.620 But Mark's account clearly shows 00:25:22.620 --> 00:25:24.799 that Jesus was truly dead. 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:26.539 Let me point out to a few things 00:25:26.539 --> 00:25:28.340 that maybe strengthens your faith in this. 00:25:29.620 --> 00:25:32.500 Notice that Pilate confirms Jesus's death 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:35.539 with the centurion responsible for it. 00:25:35.539 --> 00:25:39.220 Remember, they did this in squads, 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:41.259 execution squads of five people, 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:42.420 four ordinary soldiers, 00:25:42.579 --> 00:25:45.079 one centurion who is responsible for them. 00:25:45.879 --> 00:25:50.079 This man was a professional executioner. 00:25:51.139 --> 00:25:53.039 He knew very well the difference 00:25:53.039 --> 00:25:54.680 between a person who is dead 00:25:54.680 --> 00:25:57.399 and a person who is simply unconscious. 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:00.060 So to confirm, 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:03.480 Pilate doesn't call one of Jesus's disciples 00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:05.860 to ask them whether or not Jesus is dead. 00:26:06.080 --> 00:26:07.860 No, he calls the person who knows 00:26:07.860 --> 00:26:09.540 whether or not a person is actually dead. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:11.300 And he says, tell me whether or not 00:26:11.300 --> 00:26:12.660 he's actually already died. 00:26:13.620 --> 00:26:15.000 And remember, the centurion says, 00:26:15.080 --> 00:26:15.860 yeah, he's dead. 00:26:17.220 --> 00:26:19.160 Now, John gives us a little more information 00:26:19.160 --> 00:26:20.759 about this in John chapter 19. 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:24.800 He tells us that to speed up the process of death, 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:28.259 the Jews had requested for the criminal's legs 00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:33.740 to be broken so that they could dispose of the bodies 00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:35.639 prior to sunset and the Sabbath. 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:38.779 This would have made it impossible. 00:26:39.159 --> 00:26:40.099 The reason they would have done this, 00:26:40.180 --> 00:26:41.740 it would have made it impossible for them to breathe, 00:26:41.859 --> 00:26:43.359 essentially, and they would have quickly died. 00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:47.319 The centurion agreed to this in John 19, 00:26:47.419 --> 00:26:49.359 and then he goes one by one to break the legs, 00:26:49.379 --> 00:26:50.200 and he comes to Jesus, 00:26:50.299 --> 00:26:52.659 and he realizes Jesus is actually already dead. 00:26:52.659 --> 00:26:54.379 So he doesn't break the legs of Jesus. 00:26:55.460 --> 00:26:57.960 They run a spear up the side of Jesus. 00:26:58.099 --> 00:27:00.379 They pierce his vital organs in this moment 00:27:00.379 --> 00:27:03.039 to make sure that he's dead. 00:27:03.379 --> 00:27:06.379 And then Pilate calls him a few moments later 00:27:06.379 --> 00:27:07.980 and says, is he really dead? 00:27:08.099 --> 00:27:10.839 And this same centurion who's just run a spear up his side 00:27:10.839 --> 00:27:11.619 says, yeah, he's dead. 00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:13.419 There's no doubt about it. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:14.519 He's dead. 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:19.900 Now, we should not overlook either 00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:23.039 that a few different people, in addition to the centurion, 00:27:23.460 --> 00:27:25.700 likely handled the body of Jesus. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:28.879 Joseph's a rich man. 00:27:29.980 --> 00:27:32.579 John 19 says Nicodemus joins him in this process, 00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:34.319 so that's at least two people involved here. 00:27:35.980 --> 00:27:37.779 Joseph probably doesn't do it himself. 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:40.299 We probably should read it in the causative sense, 00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:44.000 meaning that he used his servants to carry out this task 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:45.180 that he oversaw. 00:27:46.379 --> 00:27:48.000 So we're talking multiple people 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:51.460 handling the body of Jesus to take him off the cross, 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:53.000 washing his body, 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:55.440 which would have been a part of the process 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.879 of this burial custom for the Jews. 00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:01.359 John 19 says Nicodemus had some spices, 00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:03.500 and perhaps they did a little bit of that in that moment, 00:28:03.500 --> 00:28:05.000 and they wrap him in the shroud, 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:07.180 and then they actually carry him to the nearby tomb 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:08.759 where they're gonna lay him in this moment. 00:28:08.900 --> 00:28:10.740 Many people handling the body of Jesus. 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:13.480 You're telling me that in the process of three hours 00:28:13.480 --> 00:28:14.960 of handling this body, 00:28:15.059 --> 00:28:16.839 nobody realized that he was actually dead? 00:28:18.259 --> 00:28:19.200 No, he's dead. 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:24.660 James Edwards says it's further worth recalling 00:28:24.660 --> 00:28:28.099 that the Romans crucified hundreds of thousands 00:28:28.099 --> 00:28:30.900 of individuals during their centuries in power, 00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:34.840 and not one of those individuals 00:28:34.840 --> 00:28:38.060 is recorded as surviving the cross. 00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:40.080 Not one. 00:28:42.180 --> 00:28:44.940 The grim fact, he says, is proof positive 00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:48.340 that chapter 16 is not about resuscitation. 00:28:49.120 --> 00:28:51.980 It's about resurrection from the dead. 00:28:52.840 --> 00:28:54.980 So we see this challenge to our discipleship, 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:58.080 and now we see this informing strengthening of our faith. 00:28:58.580 --> 00:29:00.640 Look at the evidence that the scripture gives us. 00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:01.360 It's there. 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:03.180 Truly dead. 00:29:03.800 --> 00:29:04.560 Quickly, number two, 00:29:05.120 --> 00:29:06.240 scripture fulfilled. 00:29:07.380 --> 00:29:08.460 Scripture fulfilled. 00:29:09.240 --> 00:29:09.960 Verse 46, 00:29:10.060 --> 00:29:11.480 and Joseph brought a linen shroud, 00:29:11.800 --> 00:29:12.620 taking him down, 00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:13.940 wrapped him in the linen shroud, 00:29:14.380 --> 00:29:17.259 laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock, 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:20.860 and he rolled a stone against the tomb, 00:29:21.780 --> 00:29:22.540 the entrance of the tomb. 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:24.620 So as I said earlier, 00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:27.620 it was not typical for someone crucified to be buried, 00:29:27.800 --> 00:29:28.920 but even if they were, 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:32.539 it's doubtful that they would have had a similar burial to Jesus. 00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:36.360 Joseph put him in his own tomb, 00:29:36.940 --> 00:29:40.019 a new tomb that the other gospel authors tell us 00:29:40.019 --> 00:29:41.460 has never been used before. 00:29:41.460 --> 00:29:46.100 It's nearby to the place of crucifixion. 00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:50.860 We know there was a cemetery near the place that would have been called Golgotha in those days. 00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:54.819 It would have been quick for them to get him to that place. 00:29:54.819 --> 00:30:00.339 It's a biblical symbol for royalty. 00:30:00.339 --> 00:30:06.419 Do you remember the day that Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem? 00:30:06.919 --> 00:30:10.099 Remember it was a cult that had never been ridden before? 00:30:10.379 --> 00:30:12.200 Remember some of the significance of that, 00:30:12.279 --> 00:30:15.059 is that that was reserved for royalty in the Old Testament. 00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:20.179 I think there's a picture here that as Jesus is put in a tomb that has never been used, 00:30:20.379 --> 00:30:21.740 it's a sign of royalty. 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:25.000 It's a symbol of his lordship in this moment. 00:30:25.980 --> 00:30:30.859 The fact that it has a rolling disc to cover the door instead of just a block wedge 00:30:30.859 --> 00:30:34.240 to shove into the opening of the tomb 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:38.079 is just a further indication that this was a costly tomb, 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:42.139 probably magnificent in the way that it has been cut out of the rock. 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:44.740 I've got a couple pictures I can show you. 00:30:44.860 --> 00:30:46.560 Just maybe this would be helpful to you. 00:30:46.740 --> 00:30:48.220 If you just want to throw up that first one. 00:30:48.460 --> 00:30:49.940 This is not the tomb of Jesus. 00:30:49.940 --> 00:30:51.960 This is a garden tomb in Jerusalem. 00:30:53.840 --> 00:30:58.320 Evidence suggests that this couldn't be the place where Jesus was actually laid. 00:30:58.540 --> 00:31:02.960 But this is a fine example of what this tomb would have been like. 00:31:03.280 --> 00:31:07.720 Except I want you to imagine that instead of having an opening that you could walk through, 00:31:07.940 --> 00:31:11.060 this opening would have only come down about a third of the way. 00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:15.359 This has been opened up so that people visiting could actually walk in and see it. 00:31:15.639 --> 00:31:18.339 And then once you get inside, if you want to show that next picture, Becky, 00:31:18.639 --> 00:31:22.319 this would be a portion of the inside. 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:24.159 So these are family tombs. 00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:28.500 So a body would be embalmed and it would be placed over here on the side. 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:30.940 And then after the process of decomposition, 00:31:30.940 --> 00:31:33.599 they would come and they would get the bones and they would put them on shelves. 00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:35.619 And then the next person in the family that dies, 00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:38.980 they go through the same process and it becomes a family tomb in this moment. 00:31:38.980 --> 00:31:43.400 This particular tomb, if you trust archaeological dating, 00:31:43.599 --> 00:31:46.079 dates back to the 7th or 8th century BC. 00:31:46.339 --> 00:31:48.440 So long before Jesus ever came, 00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:51.920 which would deny the fact that it hadn't been used before Jesus. 00:31:52.140 --> 00:31:54.579 So it's probably not the one that Jesus was in, 00:31:54.740 --> 00:31:59.819 but it is one very similar to the way the Gospels describe the tomb that Jesus would have been put in. 00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:00.339 Okay? 00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:02.240 I want you to think about this for a moment. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:08.880 R.C. Sproul suggested that Jesus' death was the end of his humiliation 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:12.900 and his burial was the first sign of his exaltation. 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:16.880 Notice everything changes with the way that Jesus' body is treated here. 00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:18.859 He's cleaned up. 00:32:19.240 --> 00:32:20.480 He is wrapped in the shroud. 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:22.039 He's put in a tomb that's never been used. 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:23.319 That's an intriguing thought. 00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:27.559 But I think the primary emphasis here is on the fulfillment of the Scripture. 00:32:28.879 --> 00:32:36.139 For several weeks, we've been paralleling Mark's gospel account with Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 53. 00:32:36.419 --> 00:32:38.059 Isaiah 53 in verse 9. 00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:43.700 And they made his grave with the wicked and with the rich man in his death, 00:32:44.539 --> 00:32:48.679 although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:51.740 And it's a simple no, but an important one. 00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:57.940 We cannot overestimate the value of the Old Testament to the preaching of the Gospel. 00:32:59.140 --> 00:33:01.500 Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Scriptures. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:06.840 And every fulfillment is a gift of God meant to strengthen our faith. 00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:07.940 It informs our faith. 00:33:08.440 --> 00:33:08.600 Okay? 00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:09.279 Truly dead. 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:10.700 Scripture fulfilled. 00:33:10.820 --> 00:33:11.519 Finally, we're done. 00:33:12.100 --> 00:33:13.140 Eyewitness testimony. 00:33:13.980 --> 00:33:14.940 Eyewitness testimony. 00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:17.160 Look at verse 47. 00:33:17.160 --> 00:33:24.019 Then Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joseph, saw where he was laid. 00:33:24.960 --> 00:33:26.880 So here's the women that we saw last week. 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.180 We'll see them again next Sunday. 00:33:29.860 --> 00:33:30.700 The point? 00:33:31.860 --> 00:33:37.920 Nothing is more valuable in establishing a fact than credible eyewitness testimony. 00:33:39.140 --> 00:33:44.680 And these two women, along with many others, were present at Jesus' crucifixion. 00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:47.620 They're present in the process of his burial. 00:33:48.240 --> 00:33:52.480 They will be the first ones to his tomb on Sunday to find that it's empty. 00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:58.039 And Mary Magdalene, in particular, to see the Lord herself. 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:05.340 And it may seem like a small thing, but it's not a coincidence that these same women are noted 00:34:05.340 --> 00:34:08.480 by the Gospel authors each step of the way. 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:15.380 Because of their testimony, we know the truth about Jesus' death and resurrection. 00:34:15.800 --> 00:34:24.039 Their faithfulness is our blessing because their testimony assures us that these things are true. 00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:31.699 And then to further validate that, remember that the culture that they lived in 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:35.539 would not have received a woman's witness as credible. 00:34:35.539 --> 00:34:40.440 So for anyone that would say, Mark just made this stuff up. 00:34:41.159 --> 00:34:44.059 Well, if he wanted to convince you of something in the first century, 00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:46.059 and he wanted it to be a credible convincing, 00:34:46.380 --> 00:34:48.559 he would have never used women in this position. 00:34:48.980 --> 00:34:52.099 Because nobody would have accepted that as credible. 00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:57.619 But isn't it amazing how God, in the person of Joseph of Arimathea, 00:34:57.619 --> 00:35:00.299 and then in these women once again at the tomb, 00:35:01.039 --> 00:35:06.420 uses the people that no one else would have likely chosen to use. 00:35:06.539 --> 00:35:09.880 And he does it with great glory to himself. 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:12.719 And what does that end up doing for us? 00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:14.579 It informs our faith. 00:35:15.559 --> 00:35:17.079 It strengthens our faith. 00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:22.980 That as you open up as a public professing disciple of Christ, 00:35:23.079 --> 00:35:27.779 and someone stands to challenge you on the truth of who Jesus is, 00:35:28.519 --> 00:35:30.219 God has given us what we need. 00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:33.139 This passage isn't a gap filler. 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:35.539 That's not what this is. 00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:38.880 This isn't just incidental to the narrative. 00:35:40.319 --> 00:35:42.099 Mark wasn't writing this and saying, 00:35:42.199 --> 00:35:44.500 you know what, I might as well put a note in about the resurrection, 00:35:44.500 --> 00:35:46.739 because I don't think chapter 15 is long enough already. 00:35:48.460 --> 00:35:48.860 No. 00:35:49.659 --> 00:35:51.300 This is essential to the gospel. 00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:53.300 It helps our faith. 00:35:53.860 --> 00:35:56.500 It helps our proclamation of who Jesus is. 00:35:58.019 --> 00:36:02.119 So the narrative of Jesus' burial may at first seem mundane, 00:36:02.579 --> 00:36:06.420 but it so helpfully challenges our temptations to secrecy. 00:36:07.500 --> 00:36:09.880 And then it strengthens our faith in his gospel. 00:36:09.880 --> 00:36:14.640 And the only thing left for us to do is to respond accordingly. 00:36:15.720 --> 00:36:19.800 Believe him, and then faithfully follow him.