Jesus is buried (Mark

#gospelofmark #goodnews #burialofjesus
Jesus was dead.
There on the cross, His life of healing, comforting, strengthening, guiding, teaching, ended.
The light had been extinguished.
As he died, a strange darkness had covered the land.
All the darkness of sin and satan was concentrated in one place, at one time, on this one man as he hung there.
He bore the darkness, confronted the darkness, defeated the darkness.
He died with an unusual cry victory on his lips.
But now, he was a lifeless corpse on a cross.
Bodies usually hung on crosses for days, to rot or be eaten by beasts.
But there was a man who would not let that happen to Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea was a respected member of the same council that had organised the murder of Jesus.
Yet he was different. He was looking for the kingdom of God.
He respected Jesus. He knew he must honour Jesus.
He knew that even when good times end, we must honour what we have left. He must not leave Jesus’ lifeless body on the cross.
Joseph asked the Roman governor for the body. He needed courage to do this, so he took courage and did it.
The council could well despise and exclude him -or worse - for associating with this dead criminal who they hated so much.
Joseph paid a price to honour this dead man, who could not reward him.
The governor, Pilate, was surprised that Jesus was already dead. Convicts usually took longer to die. The Romans made sure of that.
But Jesus’ work had been completed quickly.
Victory is sometimes achieved more quickly than we think.
It was Friday evening. The next day was the day of rest. All work had to be completed before the Sabbath.
Jesus’ work had finished. His body would rest in the ground on the Sabbath.
Joseph bought a linen shroud. He placed Jesus in a tomb.
And then he rolled a stone across the tomb.
Jesus was hidden. Gone. It was all over.
Like a seed going into the ground.
Two women were watching where the body was placed. Watching, and waiting…
This dead man, Jesus, once said, "Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it brings forth much fruit."
It takes courage to plant a seed in the ground. To let it disappear. To let it rest.
It is wise to remember where it is planted, because it's story is not over.
God-willing, it is going to bear fruit.
Passage: Mark 15:42-47
Speaker: Peter Bellingham
Peter is a pastor at the Well church, Oswestry, England.
www.thewelloswestry.uk
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God bless you.