1 00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:07,240 When we think about, teach, or even share the gospel with the 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:13,080 lost, Christians tend to emphasize two things, the death 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,320 of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,800 However, I want to bring to your attention a component of 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,520 Christ's redemption that I believe is often overlooked and 6 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,240 yet was present in Paul's explanation of the gospel. 7 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,800 And as we turn there, I believe you're going to see it right 8 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,440 away. So let's begin in First 9 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:47,720 Corinthians chapter 15, beginning in verse 3, and look 10 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:55,880 with me at what Paul considers to be a first importance he 11 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,960 writes to the Corinthian church. For I deliver to you as of first 12 00:00:59,960 --> 00:01:05,680 importance what I also received. That Christ died for our sins in 13 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,560 accordance with the scriptures. That he was buried, That he was 14 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,040 raised on 1/3 day in accordance with the scriptures. 15 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,880 Did you see it? Sandwiched between the sin 16 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,760 atoning death of Jesus Christ and the grave conquering 17 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,920 resurrection of Jesus Christ is the burial of the Lord Jesus 18 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,400 Christ. He highlights it. 19 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:34,560 He underscores it, He mentions it as a distinct phase of 20 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,680 Christ, a compliment accomplishment for our 21 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:38,600 atonement. But why? 22 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:44,000 Why is it necessary to emphasize the burial of Jesus Christ? 23 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:45,440 Why? I believe there is 2 simple 24 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:52,080 answers to it #1 it stresses that Jesus really died. 25 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,920 So to go through the careful process and the protocol of 26 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,320 preparing that body and then placing that body in a tomb 27 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,840 would require the belief that such a person has in fact died. 28 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:11,000 Nobody would bury somebody who they believe to be alive. 29 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:18,000 Second, the burial of Jesus Christ legitimizes the 30 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:23,360 resurrection of Jesus Christ. It refutes any suggestion that 31 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,000 Jesus merely lost consciousness on the cross. 32 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:31,200 The burial makes this statement. Jesus didn't faint. 33 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,960 Jesus didn't slip into a coma only to be awakened shortly 34 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,840 after and then escaped the tomb only to convince his followers 35 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:46,320 that he was resurrected. His resurrection was a genuine 36 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,440 resurrection because his death was a real death. 37 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:55,120 And the burial of Jesus Christ serves as a pivotal point that 38 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:59,960 confirms both. And that is why this stage of 39 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:04,200 Jesus's mission to save our souls is found in every single 40 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,600 Gospel account. His burial. 41 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,640 But as you know, there is much more to learn from it than those 42 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:13,680 two brief thoughts, and that's what we're going to do today as 43 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,760 we come to mark chapter 15, beginning in verse 40, I want to 44 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:23,080 present to you three thoughts from the letter P that will 45 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:28,000 hopefully direct us as we now go from the cross to the cemetery. 46 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,520 The first point will be simply this, the persons at the burial. 47 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,440 Following that will be the Providence around the burial. 48 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:45,000 And lastly, you and I will consider the prophecy of the 49 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,080 burial. Let's read the first 3 verses 50 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,760 beginning in verse 40 to see the people that are mentioned at 51 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,280 this point of the story. There were also women looking on 52 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,480 from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the 53 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,400 mother of James the Younger, and of Josephs and Salome. 54 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,240 When he was in Galilee they followed him and minister to 55 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,040 him. And there are also many other 56 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,720 woman who came up with him to Jerusalem. 57 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,440 And when evening had come, since it was the day of preparation, 58 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,440 that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph, Joseph of 59 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,600 Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also 60 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:26,840 himself looking for the Kingdom of God, took courage and went to 61 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:33,280 Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, the persons at the burial 62 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,520 of Jesus Christ. I consider the names of the 63 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:41,120 people here, some of Jesus greatest followers. 64 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,320 They are the unsung heroes of Jesus disciples. 65 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,200 And I believe the mention of these women specifically is more 66 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,320 significant than seeing in these records that there were 67 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,360 eyewitness accounts of Jesus being transported from the cross 68 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:02,480 into a specific tomb. I am convinced that these women 69 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,400 are brought to our attention because God wanted to honor 70 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,040 them. Because we're not just told that 71 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:13,080 they were there, we're told that they were also followers of him 72 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,080 and minister to him from the early stages of Christ Preaching 73 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,120 tour. And I want to, at this point, 74 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:26,800 remind you that you have a group of women who remained staring at 75 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,800 the gory, brutal death of Jesus Christ when there was so much 76 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,000 hostility in the air of not just towards Christ, but anybody who 77 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,280 was associated with them. You had this group of women 78 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,200 right there while the apostles of Jesus Christ were in hiding. 79 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,880 Could you just give me like a few moments to address the 80 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,040 sisters here? I want to let you know as I 81 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,720 meditate on this that you should never believe the modern lie 82 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,440 that the Bible's designation of distinct gender roles within the 83 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:06,760 church and the home stifles your gifts or hinders your devotion 84 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,240 to Jesus Christ from excelling for the glory of God. 85 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:17,840 Just because men are called to be leaders in certain spheres in 86 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:22,520 no way means that they have greater opportunities to glorify 87 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:27,560 God than you do. If anything, these verses that 88 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,480 you and I just read demonstrate that the faith of these women 89 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,040 outshine the faith of the very leaders that Jesus had been 90 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:39,760 training for three years. So this is not a competition, by 91 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,640 the way. I'm just praying that what you 92 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,000 see here would serve as an encouragement to you. 93 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:51,440 That while the world out there is amplifying deception toward 94 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:57,880 the sisters in the church, the woman of faith, female followers 95 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,800 of Jesus Christ, trying to tell you that God's will, if you 96 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:05,840 honor it according to how it is spelled out, hinders you, 97 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:13,200 hinders your potential, hinders your opportunity, you'd realize 98 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:16,600 that that is not the case. I'm not robbed of any true 99 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,000 purpose. As long as I trust in what God 100 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,560 calls me to do, I will bring him the greatest honor and I will 101 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:28,160 tap into the greatest delight. And that's what we see with 102 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,640 these women here. They ministered to him. 103 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:33,880 Have you wondered how they ministered to Him? 104 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,080 You know the Bible tells us in a different gospel account. 105 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:37,320 You have to turn there to see it. 106 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,040 In Luke chapter 8, beginning in verse one, we know exactly how 107 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:43,960 these faithful sisters serve their master. 108 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:53,160 Luke 8 verse one. This is when Jesus was in 109 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:58,480 Galilee, and we read soon after he went on through the cities 110 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,000 and villages proclaiming and bringing good news of the 111 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,440 Kingdom of God, and the 12 were with him, and also some woman 112 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,960 who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities. 113 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,960 Mary called Magdalene, from whom 7 demons had gone out, and 114 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,280 Joanna, the wife of Kuza, Harrah's household manager, and 115 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:21,400 Susanna and many others who provided for them out of their 116 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,240 means. Here it is. 117 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,400 Luke is underscoring by the spirit that the way that these 118 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,480 woman minister to the Lord and his ministry team was by 119 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,640 providing out of their resources. 120 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,919 Now, that might not impress you, but notice that it was a need 121 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:43,559 that was met and that the Holy Spirit took note of it. 122 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:47,480 And what moves me about the dedication of these women is 123 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:51,120 that it continued until the very end. 124 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,440 The provision didn't end in Galilee. 125 00:08:55,040 --> 00:09:00,240 It resumed with diligence, even up to the burial of Jesus 126 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:01,000 Christ. You're saying? 127 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:02,560 What do you mean? Well, let me quote this to you. 128 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:04,800 We're going to look at this next week, but let me quote this to 129 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,000 you, Mark 16/1. Pay attention to this. 130 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:12,760 When the Sabbath has passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother 131 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:18,800 of James and Salome, bought spices so that they might go and 132 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,520 anoint him. So their contribution to the 133 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,080 Lord Jesus Christ didn't end when his preaching ministry 134 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,960 ended. Even when he was wrapped in 135 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:34,400 linen cloth and was brought into the tomb, they still had a heart 136 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,480 that said, oh, how can we contribute to him now? 137 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:40,800 What can we do with this opportunity now to show him 138 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:45,600 honor and our love? Now looking at this, we can 139 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,800 interpret this in a positive way and in a negative way. 140 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:52,160 You heard the positive way. The negative is that they 141 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,360 shouldn't have brought any spices to the tomb. 142 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,320 Why? Because Jesus said over and 143 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,160 over, and he particularly said in Mark 831 that he was going to 144 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,760 be betrayed, that he was going to die, that he was going to be 145 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:06,600 buried. But on the third day he was 146 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,280 going to rise. So why do you have to go buy 147 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:10,800 spices? You could have saved some money. 148 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,840 So what this shows is by bringing the spices to anoint 149 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:18,120 him, they didn't really believe that he was going to resurrect. 150 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,080 So that's the negative. But the positive is that they 151 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,720 still wanted to honor him and that meant something to God. 152 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,760 And not only will he reward them in the life to come, He rewarded 153 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,760 them with one of the greatest honors in all of human history, 154 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,200 these very woman, because they stuck with Jesus, not just in 155 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,040 Galilee, but at the cross. Not just at the cross, but at 156 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,560 the tomb. They would be the first ones to 157 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:47,360 witness the resurrected Christ, and they would become the first 158 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:53,440 ones to testify about him. Remember that truth if you ever 159 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,040 encounter somebody who tries to claim that the God of our faith, 160 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,560 the God of this book, demeans woman or belittles woman. 161 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:04,240 He entrusted the first resurrection appearance and 162 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:11,040 testimony to a band of sisters. So ladies, understand this. 163 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,280 Yes, the Bible does give us clear, distinct roles as men and 164 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,160 women. But that doesn't mean that God 165 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,800 doesn't want to use you, and it doesn't mean that God doesn't 166 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,880 want to reveal things to you. You have to look closely at your 167 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,840 Bible to see it. I was even thinking about 168 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,520 Samaria. There was, there was great 169 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,600 tension between the Samaritans and the Jews. 170 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:35,840 And yet so many Samaritans came to Christ. 171 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,640 And if you ask somebody when was the first time that these 172 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,000 Samaritans were exposed to the message of Jesus, most people 173 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,240 would say Philip the evangelist, He was the one that brought 174 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,240 revival. Oh, he did bring revival, but he 175 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:47,920 wasn't the first one. Who was the first one? 176 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:54,800 The woman at the well, Jesus revealed to her that he was the 177 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:55,920 Messiah. She couldn't keep it. 178 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:57,960 And she went back to town and she says, let me tell you about 179 00:11:57,960 --> 00:11:59,480 somebody who told me everything about me. 180 00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:05,600 And so she prepared Samaria and Philip came to finish the job. 181 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:10,960 And although the encouragement of these women is obviously 182 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,960 clear here, they're standing out for their loyalty. 183 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:16,120 That didn't mean that there were no men present at the burial of 184 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,160 Christ. Let's come back to our text here 185 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,640 and realize that there was a man who took it upon himself to give 186 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:24,480 the Lord Jesus an honorable burial. 187 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:28,040 We know his name in verse 43, Joseph. 188 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,280 And all we know about Joseph here is that he was from 189 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:36,840 Arimathea, a Jewish town, and that he was what? 190 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,080 A respected member of the council. 191 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,600 What council? The same council that gathered 192 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:47,680 together to have Jesus crucified, the religious Jewish 193 00:12:47,680 --> 00:12:50,560 council. Listen to this, the Sanhedrin, 194 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:54,640 the spiritual Supreme Court of Israel. 195 00:12:55,400 --> 00:13:00,920 And so you had a man who was a part of that group who now wants 196 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,200 to come and ask for Jesus's body. 197 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:04,920 And with that kind of background, you might be a 198 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,520 little nervous. What is somebody from that group 199 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:13,200 want to do with Jesus's body? And we are quickly put at ease 200 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:17,040 when we consider what other gospel writers say about Joseph. 201 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,240 And so one thing that we learn about him from Luke 23, you 202 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,560 don't have to turn there, is that he was a good and righteous 203 00:13:23,560 --> 00:13:27,440 man in verse 51. He was a good and righteous man, 204 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,360 and not just that, who had not consented to their decision in 205 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,000 action. So not only was he an honorable 206 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,240 man, a man of dignity, a man of honesty, when it came to the 207 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,480 voting of what to do with Jesus, he did not cast his vote to have 208 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:44,200 him crucified. We're not told how he did that, 209 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:46,280 that he disses himself, that he did not show up to that meeting, 210 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:51,600 that he voice it sheepishly. We're not told, but we know that 211 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:54,720 he did not agree for what happened to Jesus. 212 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,800 But John completes a picture of who Joseph is. 213 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:01,800 He's not just a good and righteous man. 214 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,600 John tells us, and this is where I will tell you to turn in John 215 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:09,000 19, that he was a disciple of Jesus. 216 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:22,980 John 19 verse 38, it says here after these things, Joseph, 217 00:14:23,060 --> 00:14:27,620 Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus. 218 00:14:28,420 --> 00:14:31,340 Pause there. Isn't that fascinating? 219 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,720 You had a respected member of the Sanhedrin who was a follower 220 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:38,640 of Jesus. So now it makes sense. 221 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,280 We know what he's ready to do. He's loyal to Christ, and so 222 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,320 surely he's going to do something good with that 223 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:48,200 lifeless body. But before we get too excited, 224 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,040 we learned he was a disciple of Jesus, but a certain kind of 225 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:56,360 disciple, but secretly for fear of the Jews. 226 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,760 So he was not just a disciple, He was an undercover disciple. 227 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:08,440 He was discreet, He concealed, He tried to classify his 228 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:14,080 Christianity, so to speak. And we should never strive or 229 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,240 settle to be secret disciples of Christ for many reasons. 230 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,560 Can I tell you one of them? It will indeed deprive you of 231 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,880 being used by the Lord among many things. 232 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:31,320 To try to hide your faith because you are fearful of man 233 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:37,080 is a great disservice to your sanctification among other 234 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:42,280 things. And so for most of Jesus public 235 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:49,120 ministry, Joseph was hiding from him, but now he's about to go 236 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,440 public, which I find interesting because the disciples who for 237 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,600 all of Jesus public ministry were open, but when it came to 238 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:03,760 his death, they became private. And so Joseph now is going to 239 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:07,000 change. He has a shift in his heart and 240 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,360 he's about to make his allegiance to Christ known. 241 00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,640 How? By going up to pilot and saying, 242 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,840 I'm asking for that body because I want to honor it. 243 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,640 That can't be discreet. That can't be something that's 244 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,880 done behind the scenes. This very act would expose 245 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,640 Joseph and he knew it very well. How do you know that? 246 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:33,120 Because when you come back to our main text, we read here in 247 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:37,880 Mark 15, verse 43, that he took courage and went to pilot. 248 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,320 He had to find the boldness. He had to, whatever he had to do 249 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,560 to muster the strength to go up before pilot and say, I want 250 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:53,440 that body. This is more than just sympathy. 251 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,000 This is more than just a guilt trip trying to do something 252 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,080 knowing that he should have been more public about his faith. 253 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,720 This is him counting the cost and willing to pay the price. 254 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,920 I'm going to show that I do in fact love this Jesus. 255 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,960 And the price is beyond what we just even see here. 256 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,319 Do you realize that according to Jewish law that if you came into 257 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:19,920 contact with a corpse, you had to be isolated for seven days, 258 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,960 You were deemed unclean. So this man was willing to even 259 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,400 risk his dismissal from the feast at the time, the Sabbath, 260 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:29,440 and for the religious leaders to be like Joseph. 261 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,960 Why? Why are you not participating? 262 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:33,760 I'm unclean. Why are you unclean? 263 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,160 Because I, I asked for Jesus body. 264 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:39,400 And what did you do with Jesus body? 265 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,640 I bestowed it with glory and honor. 266 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:47,960 There's a change of heart here with this man. 267 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,280 And notice what happens. And he's not the only one from 268 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:52,640 the Sanhedrin who's going to do it. 269 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,080 He called up his friend Nicodemus. 270 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,680 You remember Nicodemus, He joins him to help with this as well. 271 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,120 But here's what I want to bring to your attention. 272 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:03,760 The moment that Joseph goes public with his faith, what 273 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:05,800 happens? God uses him. 274 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,720 How does he use him? Joseph unknowingly fulfills 275 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:12,320 prophecy, as we're going to discover. 276 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:21,160 So let this be a reminder to you that if you make the choice to 277 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:27,000 never be ashamed of Christ, no matter what or who it costs you, 278 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:31,800 you will make yourself a candidate to be mightily used by 279 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:37,080 the Lord always. And I'm stirred by the grace of 280 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:38,880 God even in this thought. Why? 281 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,240 Because again, for most of Jesus ministry, Joseph was more afraid 282 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,400 of men than he was of God. But the moment that he turned 283 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,280 around and went public, God chose Joseph to be used to 284 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,480 fulfill prophecy. God granted him an honorable 285 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,840 thing so quickly after he changed. 286 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,680 I want you to always remember not just the grace of God, but 287 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:07,280 the speed of the grace of God that when we change, when we 288 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,240 repent, when we change our minds, when we when we look back 289 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,320 and say I've been wrong even for all these years. 290 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,880 The moment you acknowledge that are willing to make the 291 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:20,240 necessary steps, God will look at you and He will prepare and 292 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,920 unfold before you wonderful things for your life. 293 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,320 So I'm moved by God's grace in this. 294 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,800 Who was worthy to be able to bury Jesus Christ? 295 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,480 Somebody that hid their faith for three years? 296 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:40,360 Surely not, and yet it happened. Look at God's heart here, 297 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:44,240 please, and consider with me the persons at the burial. 298 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,120 But it's not just the persons. We have to consider the 299 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,720 Providence, the Providence of God around the burial. 300 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,400 Let's read from verse 44 down to verse 45. 301 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,880 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already 302 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,080 died. And summoning the centurion, he 303 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,000 asked them whether he was already dead. 304 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,520 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he 305 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:10,200 granted the corpse to Joseph. So now you have another witness 306 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,840 about the death of Christ. And this dispels the swoon 307 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,000 theory, right? He didn't faint. 308 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,280 He didn't lose consciousness only to regain it again. 309 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,320 You had a professional centurion who can recognize from a mile 310 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,080 away when somebody really died. And he goes, he's dead. 311 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:28,840 Pilate confirms that. And you have an unbeliever who 312 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,920 had nothing to gain about Jesus. That's saying he's in fact dead. 313 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,600 But here's my question. Why was Pilate surprised that 314 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:37,440 Jesus died? He was crucified. 315 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:43,000 Did he expect him to live? He expected him to live a little 316 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:49,760 longer because it was common that a person who was a victim 317 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,080 according to the crucifixion, that they would survive for at 318 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:56,960 least two or three days. Jesus dies within six hours. 319 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:00,400 This is why he was shocked. How did it happen so quickly? 320 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,760 But you have to also understand that the shock of Pilot is meant 321 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,800 to be a statement of the sovereignty of Christ. 322 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,920 Why? Because Jesus already told us 323 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,680 that no man takes his life. He lays it down and according to 324 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:21,560 the foreknowledge of God, He had to have laid it down at the six 325 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,200 hour mark and nobody can change that. 326 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,200 Now you're wondering why didn't He have to die at the six hour 327 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:29,840 mark? And John will tell us, and it 328 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,840 requires us to just flip there to see it. 329 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,760 So go back again to John 19 and you'll see why Jesus had to die 330 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,160 right there and then. John 19. 331 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:43,960 Look at verse 31. Isn't the Bible glorious? 332 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:52,280 John 1931 Since it was the day of preparation, and so that the 333 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:56,400 bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that 334 00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:01,920 Sabbath was a high day, The Jews asked Pilot that their legs 335 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:05,280 might be broken and that they might be taken away. 336 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:12,120 Hypocrisy is so hideous, man. It's so ugly. 337 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:16,640 So again, there is a law in Deuteronomy 21, verse 23 that if 338 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,120 anybody committed a crime that was worthy of a death by 339 00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:23,400 hanging, part of that instruction was that they could 340 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,360 not keep such a body exposed overnight lest the land be 341 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,720 defiled. And so the Jews of the time 342 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,520 understanding that and understanding that this was in 343 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,600 preparation for the Sabbath that was coming in a few hours, they 344 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,320 asked Pilate, look, this is a part of our law. 345 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:43,360 We have to remove these bodies. They can't stay here overnight, 346 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,600 OK? So kill an innocent man, no 347 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,680 problem. A break this law. 348 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:53,680 God forbid. That's what religious hypocrisy 349 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:58,680 looks like. And so they asked for their legs 350 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,720 to be broken. Why their legs to be broken? 351 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,920 Because, again, it was common knowledge that those who were 352 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:07,080 hanging on a cross would use whatever strength they had left 353 00:23:07,360 --> 00:23:11,400 to push their bodies up so that they can expand their upper 354 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:15,960 frame and get more breath in. You break their legs, they lose 355 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,520 their support, and you expedite the execution. 356 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:21,400 So we need their legs to be broken. 357 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:29,360 We need to hurry this thing up so that we can honor God, Pilot 358 00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:32,320 says. OK, and so let's read what 359 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:37,680 happens next. John 1932 So the soldiers came 360 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:40,880 and broke the legs of the 1st and of the other who had been 361 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,080 crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and 362 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,640 saw that he was already dead, they did not break His legs. 363 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:54,120 Why did they not break His legs? Because He consciously and with 364 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:57,080 authority already surrendered His spirit. 365 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,280 Why did He surrender His spirit? So that He can avoid his legs, 366 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,040 specifically his bones, from being touched. 367 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,160 Why? So that he can dodge some pain? 368 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:10,680 No, so that he can fulfill prophecy. 369 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,520 What do you mean? Look at verse 36 of John 19. 370 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:17,840 For these things took place that the scripture might be 371 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:19,840 fulfilled. Not one of his bones will be 372 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,600 broken. Psalm 34, verse 20. 373 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:25,000 That's where that prophecy is found. 374 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:29,800 And more than just His bones not being broken, verse 37 tells us 375 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,600 that He had to have been pierced, which fulfills 376 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:36,320 Zechariah 12/10 that they would look on him whom they have 377 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,560 pierced. So here's the lesson. 378 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:44,360 No matter what the Jews demanded or what Pilate permitted, God's 379 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,240 providential plan would be perfectly intact. 380 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:54,440 Not one minutiae, not one detail would be thwarted and the 381 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,160 encouragement that we draw from this is not just how God was in 382 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,840 control. Every second of Christ's 383 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:03,840 suffering, He even is sovereign over the duration of each of our 384 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:08,160 lives in this place. Do you remember how Jesus 385 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,760 responded when the thief on the crossed in humility and in faith 386 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,080 asked. Please remember me when you come 387 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,760 in your Kingdom. We focused a few weeks ago on 2 388 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,760 words. Today you will be with me in 389 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:23,680 paradise. But I want to focus now on one 390 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:29,560 word. Today again, on average, it took 391 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,240 about two or three days for someone who was crucified to 392 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:37,280 finally give their final breath. But here's Jesus who looks over 393 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,600 to this thief and he tells them when he's going to enter with 394 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,680 him into paradise. I'm bringing you home today. 395 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:47,160 And doesn't matter what statistics say, doesn't matter 396 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:50,280 what the common experience or the average lifespan of somebody 397 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:53,720 who's crucified is when I say today, you're coming with me 398 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:59,360 today. And what was the means for him 399 00:25:59,360 --> 00:26:04,120 to enter into paradise with Christ, His legs being broken 400 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,880 sometimes. And this is what we talked about 401 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,440 last Friday, 2 days ago. When God works in our favor, 402 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,520 providentially, it involves pain. 403 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,360 We talked about this if you were here a couple days ago, that in 404 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:24,000 Second Kings 5, there was a little girl who was part of a 405 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,800 household of faith who was abducted and taken from her 406 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:28,840 family and brought into a foreign land to serve her 407 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:31,680 captor. And we wrestle with that. 408 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,600 You have a little girl who was a part of the remnant of Israel 409 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,680 when there was so much rampant idolatry, and God allowed for 410 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:44,120 her to be kidnapped. And we concluded that she was 411 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:48,320 positioned there not accidentally, providentially. 412 00:26:48,720 --> 00:26:51,760 Why? Because it would be her little 413 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,480 witness that would lead her captor and the commander of the 414 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,200 Syrian Army to be introduced to the God that she loved and 415 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:02,520 believed in. And what I said then I'll tell 416 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,280 you tonight, this promises us that there is not one ounce of 417 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:12,040 pain that is void of God's good purpose, whether that pain is a 418 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,840 broken heart like in Second Kings 5 with this girl and her 419 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:18,320 family, or broken bones like we see here. 420 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:23,240 In like manner, we have the Lord Jesus now wanting to take this 421 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,520 thief on the cross and place him in a cult, a place called 422 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:28,960 Paradise. And what would be required for 423 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,920 him to get there? A moment of pain. 424 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,600 What could the Lord have done in a different way? 425 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:40,880 Could he have offered a a less severe method? 426 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,760 Sure, he could have. But you have to remember 427 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,320 something too. And this is where the Bible is 428 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:47,840 realistic and where we have to be realistic too. 429 00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:53,920 This man who gave his heart to Jesus Christ on his deathbed 430 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,760 would win eternal life, right? But for his whole life, he was a 431 00:27:58,760 --> 00:28:02,760 professional criminal. And here's what I want to bring 432 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:04,840 to your attention. Even though he put his faith in 433 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,600 Jesus Christ, he still had his legs broken. 434 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:11,240 Say, what do you mean by that? Here's what I'm telling you. 435 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,840 There are certain ways in which people live that even though 436 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,960 they experience and drink of the grace of God, the consequences 437 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:19,640 of their sin will still carry over. 438 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,160 Can I be realistic with you that there are certain things that 439 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,560 you've invested in, things that you've done to your body, things 440 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:29,360 that you've done against the law of the land? 441 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:32,400 That though your eyes have been open to the grace in Jesus and 442 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,600 have one eternal life, may still have to endure consequences, 443 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,000 sometimes lingering, sometimes permanent? 444 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:44,400 So this crucified thief puts his faith in Christ. 445 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,200 He wins eternal life. But guess what? 446 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,280 The law of the land still had to be brought to him, and his legs 447 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,400 were crushed. Let's be realistic with our 448 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:53,960 faith. And that shouldn't cause any of 449 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:57,000 us to fear, because what's most important is that no matter what 450 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,200 we have to endure here, we do have eternal life. 451 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,480 And no matter what consequences we do again have to endure, we 452 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,640 have a personal, intimate walk with the risen Savior. 453 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,560 Providence. Providence is everywhere. 454 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,600 Providence is always in motion, even here at the cross, and not 455 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,120 just with the Son of God, but with those who would be made 456 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:22,320 sons of God. And so we look at this and we 457 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,840 are marveling, I hope. But now we come to the last 458 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:26,280 time. What? 459 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,280 Which is the prophecy of the burial. 460 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,200 We looked at the persons at the burial. 461 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:32,400 We looked at the Providence around the burial. 462 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:34,360 But now we come to the prophecy of the burial. 463 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,760 Let's read verse 46 and 47. We'll conclude together. 464 00:29:43,540 --> 00:29:48,700 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, 465 00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:52,680 wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had 466 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:57,080 been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against 467 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,680 the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the 468 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:04,640 mother of Joseph saw where he was laid. 469 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:10,320 I think it's appropriate sometimes to use your sanctified 470 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:15,240 imagination as you read the Bible, looking at this again. 471 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,760 And we read that Joseph received permission and then he went to 472 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,880 the body of Jesus and it says that he took him down. 473 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,640 What kind of experience was that? 474 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:30,800 You know, in a couple months we're going to reflect on Mary 475 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:36,560 who held baby Jesus in her hands, the Son of God becoming a 476 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:44,480 child, so dependent, so vulnerable, so helpless. 477 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,720 And our hearts get warm. And now at the end of Jesus 478 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:56,720 life, he was also carried, not by a family member, not by one 479 00:30:56,720 --> 00:31:01,040 of his closest disciples, somebody who just realized I 480 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,520 didn't serve him the way I should have, but I'm going to do 481 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,120 it now. How did he take him off the 482 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:11,200 cross? Maybe the Romans helped him? 483 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:15,080 How did he carry him? Did he scoop him in his arms? 484 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:17,840 Did he throw him over his shoulder? 485 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:22,320 And where did he go? And wherever he went, what was 486 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:28,600 it like to remove the dirt off his face and to clean the dry 487 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:33,120 spit on his beard and to wash the blood? 488 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,000 I wonder if he stared at his wounds for a while. 489 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:43,920 I wonder what overcame him as at some point Nicodemus brought the 490 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,840 spices. There's Jesus. 491 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,160 He preached like no one could preach. 492 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:54,840 Yeah, here he is silent. There's Jesus with his hands 493 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,600 that healed and his feet that walked on water, and now they 494 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:04,400 are punctured. There's Jesus whose heart was so 495 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:10,560 filled with love that it melted the hardest of sinners, and now 496 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:16,800 there is a pierced side. I wonder how holy that moment 497 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,640 was. I wonder how sacred it was. 498 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,800 How did Joseph of Arimathea pull this off? 499 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,720 You know what they did with bodies that were crucified? 500 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,280 They threw them around like garbage. 501 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:33,920 Especially if the Romans got a hold of them. 502 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:36,400 They would just throw them as a pile of trash. 503 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:41,400 Well, we learned that he was a respected council member of the 504 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:43,480 council, and I think there was something else that could have 505 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,480 helped. It's from Matthew's detail. 506 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,000 We even touched Matthew less. So why don't we do it now? 507 00:32:49,120 --> 00:33:07,450 Look at Matthew 2757. When it was evening, there came 508 00:33:07,450 --> 00:33:09,890 a not a respected man. What's that word? 509 00:33:10,370 --> 00:33:14,890 A rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was also a disciple 510 00:33:14,890 --> 00:33:17,570 of Jesus. Now here's what's so interesting 511 00:33:17,570 --> 00:33:18,890 about Joseph. You already heard this over and 512 00:33:18,890 --> 00:33:20,930 over again. He doesn't appear until this 513 00:33:20,930 --> 00:33:22,770 point. We don't know of him. 514 00:33:23,090 --> 00:33:28,080 People even struggle to identify where Arimathea is, what town 515 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,880 that was. This is all we have of Joseph of 516 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:33,480 Arimathea. But I want to tell you 517 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:35,200 something. He's actually found somewhere 518 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:39,320 else in the Bible. He's found in arguably the most 519 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:43,160 detailed descriptive prophecy of the death, burial, and 520 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,560 resurrection of He's not even found in the New Testament. 521 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,560 He's found in the Old Testament. Yes, Joseph of Arimathea is 522 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,120 found in the Hebrew Scriptures. You're saying where you know it? 523 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:57,040 Isaiah 53. Wait, you're telling me that 524 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,880 Joseph of Arimathea is found in the prophecy of the Suffering 525 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:03,840 Servant? Yes, look at verse 9 of Isaiah 526 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:09,520 53. And they made his grave with the 527 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:16,239 wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done 528 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,440 no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth. 529 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:24,800 Called surgically precise prophecy is in the Bible. 530 00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:28,159 I believe that's one of the greatest defenses of how this 531 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:31,679 book is supernatural prophecy. That's why we need to study 532 00:34:31,679 --> 00:34:36,159 prophecy. God calls names from hundreds of 533 00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:37,639 years before that person even exists. 534 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,520 And God provides details like this, that when Messiah would 535 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:45,920 die, he would not just be buried, he'd be buried by a rich 536 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:48,679 man. I meditate on this and I 537 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:50,000 thought, why is that even important? 538 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:55,560 I believe one, because the dignified and noble burial 539 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,880 reflects his moral majesty. He was not a criminal. 540 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:02,400 He was treated like a criminal, but he was not a law breaker. 541 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:07,880 But I believe it's even more practical than that because this 542 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,080 rich man would be able to afford something about this burial that 543 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:16,800 was important to the sanctity of IT, security for the burial. 544 00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:21,040 In Mark's account, we're told that after he went into this 545 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:25,080 tomb that was hewn into a wall, there was a stone that was 546 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,960 rolled before it. But Matthew says it was a great 547 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,000 stone. And what was the purpose of that 548 00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:35,320 one? To provide a barrier so that no 549 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,400 animals would come in. And not just animals, but grave 550 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,600 robbers. Those would have the audacity to 551 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:46,040 even meddle with the perfect holy body of the Lord Jesus 552 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:49,520 Christ. And if Christ claimed that he 553 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,800 was going to raise from the grave and that his body, the 554 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:56,360 same body that was crucified, was going to be glorified, then 555 00:35:56,360 --> 00:36:00,000 there could be nothing that would interfere with that 556 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,800 promise. And so God in eternity past 557 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:10,000 hires a rich man to use his resources to provide an extra 558 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:18,280 secure burial so that in that period of silence that body 559 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:22,160 would be untouched and that he would have the resurrection that 560 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:27,320 he claimed that he would have. Are you amazed at the wisdom of 561 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:33,080 God in every intricate detail of his son's finished work? 562 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:40,680 You know, Jesus can identify with each of us because he has 563 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:43,160 lived our experience, though without sin. 564 00:36:44,880 --> 00:36:49,920 And that's what takes our hearts to a place of fear and worry and 565 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:53,840 loneliness, even to comfort and joy and companionship. 566 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,040 We can come to the Lord with everything, and we can talk to 567 00:36:57,040 --> 00:37:00,480 Him about anything and trust that He will understand and 568 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,880 supply the grace that we are asking for. 569 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:07,960 And that includes temptation. That includes betrayal, 570 00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:15,920 anything, even this. The grave job says that death is 571 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:20,720 the king of terrors. There's something very wrong. 572 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:23,280 If somebody wants to die, there's something very, very 573 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,720 seriously wrong. It's part of human nature to 574 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:28,440 want to live and to preserve your life. 575 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,880 Your body even has natural defense mechanisms to protect 576 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:34,200 you. So even the thought of death, if 577 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,080 I were to just leave you there for the next 5 minutes and think 578 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:41,680 about your mortality becomes heavy, becomes daunting. 579 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:50,440 And here's Jesus who entered the grave and he would come out of 580 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:53,240 it. And because we are in him and 581 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:56,360 part of him, we can look at this story and realize that I have 582 00:37:56,360 --> 00:38:01,720 the same faith as him, that all, yes, I am destined to die, but I 583 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:06,800 will come out like He came out. And even if I do face the fear 584 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:12,200 of death, I have a shepherd who experienced it, who went through 585 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,160 the whole process of it, including the burial. 586 00:38:15,160 --> 00:38:19,800 And let me remind you that you have a burial coming, as do I. 587 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,720 And in those moments where you think about your family and you 588 00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:26,120 think about your loved ones, and you think about your desires to 589 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,640 do this and that and the timing of your death, you can come 590 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:35,320 before the one who tasted it. And he is willing to comfort 591 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,400 you. And you can be reminded that I'm 592 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:44,720 fellowshipping with one who who can sympathize with me, even as 593 00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:46,760 I realize that I have to face death one day. 594 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:49,720 And if the very thought of it might cripple you, oh, don't let 595 00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:52,760 it overwhelm you. Take it to him, to the One who 596 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:57,800 endured it. Do you know Jesus Christ today? 597 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:04,040 I hope you do. I want to let you know that this 598 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,040 is just not us reflecting on some historical story. 599 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,400 This Is Us reflecting on the Jesus that we believe is alive 600 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,400 and well. Because as we're going to 601 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,840 discover, Can you believe it? We're finished with Mark chapter 602 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,040 15. We're coming to the final 603 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:19,280 chapter of our gospel study. But in Mark 16, we're going to 604 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,840 learn that he raised and we're going to know and reaffirm that 605 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:26,040 he's alive today. Have you put your faith and 606 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,760 trust in him? Are you absolutely certain that 607 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:35,360 every record of wrong that you possess has been dealt with by 608 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,840 His forgiveness? Are you absolutely convinced 609 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,920 that you stand right before God because of your faith in Jesus 610 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,520 Christ? I want to give you an invitation 611 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:50,760 today to ensure that your sins have been covered by His blood. 612 00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:55,600 And it doesn't matter what kind of sins you've committed, He's 613 00:39:55,600 --> 00:40:00,960 willing to forgive it. And I also want to speak to 614 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,240 potential secret disciples in here today. 615 00:40:06,560 --> 00:40:10,120 Even the fact that you come to church, you would rather die 616 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:14,160 than people that you care about so much to figure out that you 617 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:16,200 follow Jesus and actually believe the entirety of this 618 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:22,680 Bible that I preach. Repent of your secrecy. 619 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:28,680 Repent of it today. He is worthy for you. 620 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:33,240 To trumpet your allegiance to Him, yes. 621 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:35,640 To be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 622 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:39,760 But for you to be unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 623 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:42,560 Are you embarrassed about Jesus Christ? 624 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:45,200 Are you embarrassed about Him at work? 625 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,280 Do you put on a different cloak when you enter in and punch in 626 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,480 your hours and then put on a different cloak on the weekend? 627 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:57,360 You're no different than Joseph of Arimathea, and I'm telling 628 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:01,440 you that you're robbing yourself of great testimonies and you're 629 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:03,600 robbing him of the glory that is due. 630 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,240 Are you different with certain groups of people, certain 631 00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:11,680 friends, certain colleagues, and then suddenly become spiritual 632 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:13,560 and suddenly become passionate about Jesus Christ? 633 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,760 You're no different than Joseph of Arimathea. 634 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,720 That's not God's will for you. And the disciples aren't the 635 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:24,200 best example either. They were passionate and open 636 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:27,320 about him for a few years, but when it became costly, they 637 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,240 concealed. What's the lesson out of all 638 00:41:30,240 --> 00:41:32,120 this? Just never be a secret disciple. 639 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:36,760 Live out in the open for Him. He hung publicly for you. 640 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:38,400 Should you not live publicly for Him? 641 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:42,160 We should. So I'm coming strong because I 642 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:44,400 want you to realize that there is a greater purpose for your 643 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:46,560 life than you being an undercover Christian. 644 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:51,920 I want you to know that the moment you take courage 645 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,000 responding to this message and say, Lord, if I've been a coward 646 00:41:55,280 --> 00:42:01,440 my whole Christian life, if I've cared more about my promotion or 647 00:42:01,440 --> 00:42:03,800 my standing in this or in that, forgive me. 648 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,360 And here's what we learned from Joseph. 649 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,960 The moment you do, His perfect plan will unfold before your 650 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,720 life. And though He has every right to 651 00:42:12,720 --> 00:42:16,440 be ashamed of us, He chooses to link with us, even though we 652 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:18,640 might have been ashamed of Him. Who is this God? 653 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:22,880 Jesus Christ of Nazareth? And I want you to live for Him 654 00:42:22,880 --> 00:42:26,920 wholeheartedly. And I want you to daily ask for 655 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:29,840 the Holy Spirit to empower you that no matter who stands before 656 00:42:29,840 --> 00:42:32,760 you, you would never shrink from shame. 657 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:39,640 You'd be confident and strong. You would proclaim Jesus's name 658 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:44,600 without stuttering, and though we all prone to fear, including 659 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:50,480 the preacher, he's given us the Holy Spirit to overcome it all. 660 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:54,240 So the reason why I say this is because not everybody has to 661 00:42:54,240 --> 00:42:58,480 respond to this message. For those who don't believe, I 662 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:00,920 charge you to repent and believe. 663 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,600 For those who are secret disciples, repent of your 664 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:08,040 secrecy today and let the Spirit over shadow you so that you 665 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,080 would shine bright. And for those who are living 666 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,560 wholeheartedly for Christ, that the Lord would keep us faithful 667 00:43:13,560 --> 00:43:15,720 and that we wouldn't slip into the fault of the disciples who 668 00:43:15,720 --> 00:43:18,960 lived for him for many years, but when the circumstances were 669 00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:24,640 right, they hid their devotion. Lord, we ask you this place 670 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:28,720 today as we have beheld, and best in the glory of the burial 671 00:43:28,720 --> 00:43:32,160 of your Son. Yes, we are grateful that this 672 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,720 is a historical document that confirms the legitimacy of what 673 00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:38,160 we believe in, but we see the practical charges and the 674 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:41,760 applications. We ask Lord today that no matter 675 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:45,720 how this message resonated with us that You would give us the 676 00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:47,720 grace to be in Your perfect will. 677 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:52,200 Lord, your word went out for the unbeliever, let them believe. 678 00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:55,320 For the one who believes but is embarrassed about their belief. 679 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:59,120 Lord, burn it up, consume it. Lord. 680 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:05,120 Lord, help us not fear man ever to fear You alone and for those, 681 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:08,320 Lord, who are loving you, who are serving you. 682 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:12,320 Lord, keep us faithful until the end, until the end. 683 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:14,480 Lord. Lastly, we pray for the sisters 684 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:17,400 of this church and we ask that Lord, they would be encouraged 685 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:19,560 to know the great honor that you've bestowed upon the woman 686 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:23,200 of this story and how you use them to even testify witness of 687 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:25,640 the gospel. Lord, we pray for both men and 688 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:28,000 women that we would be where you want us to be, that we would be 689 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:31,720 who you called us to be, and that whatever we might see as a 690 00:44:31,720 --> 00:44:35,800 parameter that we would trust in your wisdom, we would trust in 691 00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:38,600 your wisdom. But we give you glory and thanks 692 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:43,400 that even the burial of Jesus Christ is clothed with such 693 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:46,960 beauty and splendor. In Jesus mighty name we pray, 694 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:50,280 Amen and Amen. Let's worship Him, let's adore 695 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,600 him, let's crown him with our praise.