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Opening Prayer
Father, as I pause, caught between crucifixion and resurrection, use your Word to lead my meditation and prayer.
Read MARK 15:40–47
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
40 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph,[a] and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.
The Burial of Jesus
42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.
Footnotes
- Mark 15:40 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph; also in verse 47
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
As you remember and reflect during this day, what emotions are most prevalent for you—sadness, joyful expectation, gratitude, something else?
Were the women braver than the male disciples, or were they simply less conspicuous? Their place in the gospel so far has usually been in the background. This was the time for them to take on a considerably more important role. Service and care were essential, if background, activities within the day-by-day ministry of Jesus and the twelve. Social mores in Palestine required that the women allowed the men to be more prominent, but they were there, and in considerable numbers (v. 41b).
It’s easy, also, to assume that the whole Sanhedrin was against Jesus. Social and political pressures possibly kept Joseph of Arimathea quiet during the bitter and threatened debates at the house of the high priest. Now, to avoid the ignominy of an unburied corpse on the Sabbath, he built up his courage and hurriedly gained permission to take down the body, wrap it in linen, and place it in a secure tomb. It was his time to stand out against the crowd—and, in the background, two women looked on.
Easter Eve is a day when we pause. The painful emotions came yesterday. The joyful emotions will come tomorrow. It’s a time to ponder, to imagine ourselves as the characters who, like us, were waiting. What were the men, hand-picked by Jesus, doing? Regretful, angry, and confused, what did the future hold for them? What persuaded Joseph to stand up and be counted? Did the centurion play a key role in allowing him to receive the body? Who took the lead among the women? God had no need of leading lights to move into the next act of the drama. The women whom he had chosen stepped forward.
Apply
Make a mental note of those you identify as above you and below you in influence, intelligence, and attractiveness. Thank God that you are in exactly the right place.
Closing prayer
Whatever my place in the great story of redemption and your kingdom, Lord God, help me to fulfill your plan for me and honor you.
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