When He was Laid in the Tomb?

Pastor Phillips’ Sermon
Good Friday, April 22, 2011

Secrets. Secrets are usually to be kept. As in the case of a close friend sharing with you a story about something they’ve gone through, they’re just bearing their heart to you and they really want you to keep that between you and them. Secrets.

Sometimes there’s a secret that is of national security importance. If you’re a government worker, you are bound to keep that information secret. Secrets. Sometimes there are things we know but really shouldn’t say because they might hurt someone. It might hurt their feelings and mess up our family politics. And then there are things that ought not to be secrets, things that should be publicly known, things that should be proclaimed.

Tonight, we remember the story of some who were secret disciples. Jesus’ trial is concluded. The horrible abuse and the beatings that He endured were finished and then He suffered the terrible torture, the crucifixion. The voices of those who mocked Him have now become quiet. The show was over and, after this, the crowd that had followed him from place to place during this road of suffering now is dispersing. There is nothing left to see.

And even His disciples, His closest friends, those who’d lived with Him for three years, abandoned Him. They ran off in fear. I’m sure they were overwhelmed by what they saw, a shocking display of what evil men are capable of, what Jesus suffered, what He endured. They must have concluded, “It’s pretty well known that we were His followers. We were with Him. If they did that to Him, we’re next.” And so they ran and they hid as fast as they could.

It’s not hard to imagine being afraid, is it? There are so many things in our world that we fear, so many things that happen from day to day. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. We look on the TV or Internet and we see all kinds of news or people who are afraid, like the people of Japan and all they’ve endured, unbelievable catastrophe, wondering what’s going to happen next. Then we hear about Libya and we see the rebel fighters who are trying to win freedom running in fear from the better organized and better equipped government forces. People are afraid throughout the Middle East. People are afraid throughout the world, so we can relate to that.

And now, the disciples are afraid. It wasn’t always that way. It wasn’t always about Jesus’ suffering and dying. They had many wonderful experiences over those three years of Jesus’ public ministry, many times where they just sat on a hillside and listened to Him preach those beautiful words that just flowed out from Him about the kingdom of heaven. Many times, when they saw miracles performed, the dead raised, the sick healed, water into wine, walking on water, calming the storm, all those wonderful things that Jesus did that made them feel secure and good and the way He spoke, especially when He spoke to those who opposed Him, with such strength and courage and conviction, it made them all feel as if nothing could ever hurt them.

But all that changed last night, the night when Jesus was betrayed, the night when he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane and just pouring out His soul for the disciples and for you and me and future believers and His sweat was like great drops of blood and then the betrayer came leading a mob and they arrested our Savior and they put Him on trial.

It changed everything. They saw Him whipped and beaten. They saw Him nailed to the wood of the cross. And now they were terrified, and it’s easy to see why. It’s easy to see why they ran away. They didn’t want to be next. They didn’t want to be nailed to the cross.

But after nearly everyone had gone, pretty much everyone, the crowd was done. There’s nothing left to see. He’s dead on the cross. They wandered off to look for something else. That’s when the secret disciples showed up. Secret disciples? Did you ever hear of them? One was named Joseph and he was from Arimathea. The other was Nicodemus who’d come to Jesus at another time during the night. Both were men of wealth and influence. They were members of the Sanhedrin, the high supreme court of the Jews. They had many friends who lived in big houses, prestige and honor, but they had one other thing in common. They were afraid to let people know they were followers of Jesus, so they were secret disciples.

But now after the death of the Savior, they stepped forward. As we reflect on their goal, we’ve heard their names mentioned in the story of Jesus’ passion. We have never judged them, have we? Just kind of like a footnote to the big story with the disciples and all of that. And we look at what they did with the body of our Savior and it was a beautiful thing, wasn’t it? How loving and tender they were.

Scripture tells us that Joseph went to the governor, Pontius Pilate, and respectfully and even boldly, it says in Greek, asked for the body of Jesus. And then, along with Nicodemus, he lovingly removed the body from the cross. Nicodemus had purchased the spices, the myrrh and aloes that were used in a burial tradition. Yet, he didn’t purchase the normal small amount that was needed and required. He purchased an excessive amount, as if it was the burial of a king. So they wrapped Him with linen and interwove these spices and myrrh, a way of anointing the body of our Lord.

And then they gently and reverently carried Him and placed Him in the tomb that Joseph had purchased for himself. But now he was giving it to Jesus. They rolled the stone in front of the entrance so that our Lord’ body might be protected from thieves or wild animals.

We’d never judge them for what they did, but you have to wonder why were they secret disciples? Why was their fear greater than their faith? And what was it that finally moved them beyond their fear to act? It’s easy to see why they were afraid. They had a lot to lose, positions of honor, many friends, wealth and even their families could be harmed if they treated them like they treated Jesus.

I’m sure many times, as they witnessed Jesus’ ministry, heard Him speak and watch the miracles and all those things, many times they probably were this close to doing it, to following after Him and leaving everything and becoming His disciples. But each time, when that impulse came, they resisted it as they began to think about all they might lose and all that might be harmed.

So what was it that finally got them past their fear? I think it was this: As they looked up on Jesus on the cross and that horrible agony, the nails, the blood, the pain, you could still see in His eyes and hear in His words His love for them. You can imagine the contrast, horrible suffering and yet deep love. It had to be overwhelming to witness.

That did the trick. All the pieces came together, so now instead of being curious about this Jesus and wondering if He was the Messiah, they knew. They knew and now their love for Him could not be restrained. They didn’t care about wealth and prestige and honor and all those things. They just wanted to respond to His love for them and so they purchased the spices, an amount for a kingly burial, and they gave up their own tomb and they lovingly and reverently wrapped Him and carried Him and placed Him in that safe place.

With these thoughts in mind, I pray that as you picture Jesus on the cross tonight, you will look into those eyes, too, and see the great love in Him for you and that love will compel you to live for Him. Amen.