Who was Joseph of Arimathaea?

Joseph of Arimathaea (not to be confused with Joseph the husband of Mary) exists in stark contrast from the average disciple recorded in Scripture. Why? Joseph is depicted as a rich man (Mat 27:57). Rarely are the disciples depicted within the pages of Scripture recorded as being wealthy. In fact, Jesus Himself said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mat 19:24). Because of the difficulties Joseph must have faced as a disciple, his life is worth examining. Extra-Biblical sources suggest that Joseph was a merchant who worked in the area of Briton. He is described in Scripture as being a good and righteous man (Luke 23:50). Joseph was so respected by his peers that he served as a member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). This court was the ultimate authority over the religious affairs of Israel and had the final authority in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. The court settled both civil and legal cases. Most likely due to his prominent position in the Sanhedrin, Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus. He hadn’t revealed his allegiance to Christ out of fear of what the Jews might do to him (John 19:38). Perhaps as modern disciples of Christ, we can identify with Joseph’s predicament. Has there ever been a time when you were afraid to speak up for Christ because of the reception your might receive? What separates Joseph from the average disciple is that when he was needed the most, he stepped up to the plate.

Joseph’s Big Moment

Imagine what it must have been like for the disciples on the day Jesus was crucified. Christ’s followers must have been dazed and confused. As Jesus’ body hung lifeless from the cross, there must have been serious misgivings about what the apostles were going to do with the rest of their lives. Joseph of Arimathaea must have shared in this confusion. God had placed Joseph in a position; however, to do something no other follower of Christ could do – and Joseph did not disappoint.

The gospels tell us that up to this point Joseph had only followed Christ in secret. Fear of the repercussions had kept Joseph from declaring his loyalty to Christ publicly. In was in the bleak moment; however, that secrecy no longer mattered to Joseph. As the apostles and other followers of Christ returned home, most likely dejected and confused, Joseph could not stand seeing his Lord hanging dead on the cross. It was in this moment that Joseph went into action.

The Scriptures tell us that Joseph boldly went to Pilate and begged for the body of Christ (Mark 15:43 & Luke 23:52). Think about this for a second. A man who the day before was fearful to disclose his allegiance to Christ was boldly begging for his body. This mere though of a member of the Sanhedrin begging for the body of Christ must have been scandalous; there’s no way it was done in secret. Once Pilate relented and handed the body over, Joseph wrapped Christ’s body in clean linen and placed it in his own new tomb (Luke 23:50). This was a tomb that Joseph himself had labored to cut out of the rock (Mat 27:60 & Mark 15:46). Once he was finished, Joseph went away.

Joseph’s act was born purely out of love for Christ. He must not have understood that Christ would return after three days (even the apostles closest to Christ didn’t understand this). Joseph wrapped Christ’s body in a clean linen because he thought he was dead and gone – forever. He wasn’t trying to score points with the risen Lord because he didn’t know his Lord was going to rise … he simply acted in service to one that he deeply loved.

Joseph sacrificed his own tomb, labor, money, and reputation for his Lord. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells a rich man that he must be willing to give up all that he had to follow Christ and thus enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Is there a better example of this in practice than what Joseph did for his fallen Lord? Joseph truly was willing to give up everything. How many hours must it have taken Joseph to cut a tomb out of solid rock? How much did the tomb cost? Only the very rich were afforded such resting places. Joseph sacrificed his reputation (and most likely his standing on the Sanhedrin) and even gave up his own eternal resting place for Christ. He was truly ready to give up everything to follow his Lord; even in death.

Joseph’s actions are so inspiring; especially in light of the fact that he was the only one that could accomplish what he did. He had the correct combination of wealth, reputation, and standing to boldly demand a meeting with Pilate and then fund the burial. He even had a freshly cut tomb! God was using Joseph to play an integral role in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ … and Joseph rose up to meet the call!

How much easier would it have been for Joseph to simply leave and move on with his life. No one would have ever know that he had followed Christ. I wonder what I would have done in the same situation.

What would you have done?

Joseph of Arimathaea provides Christ’s followers with a stunning example of discipleship in action. He allowed his faith in Christ to move him and was even willing to give up all his earthly treasures. It was an act that surely led to his reward in Heaven.

- Clark

While surfing the internet, I happened upon the blog of an atheist who was asking the following question of her readers:

 “How many people would believe in a god if there were no rewards promised to the self for doing so?”

This rather loaded question is a complicated one. It is actually not meant to be a question, but rather an attack on the principles of Christianity. The atheist is suggesting that the Christian faith is a selfish one and insinuating that if there were no promise of Heaven, there would be few, if any, Christians. There is no chance I could ever answer the question to this particular atheist’s satisfaction because I suspect she believes she already knows the answer. Furthermore, I’m not sure there is a way to know the answer. Since there is a promise of Heaven, I have no idea how many Christians there would be if that promise was ripped out from under us. I suspect, rather sadly, there would be less. Possibly much less, but that is just a guess. I know that in my own experience, Heaven did not enter the equation. I chose to believe in God because I had an encounter with Him that began to make sense to me intellectually. I then chose to believe in Jesus Christ (and the Christian faith) specifically for an abundance of reasons – none of which were Heaven. I sort of see Heaven as the icing on the cake. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad the promise is there; but my faith doesn’t hinge on it.

I believe we can examine this question introspectively in a way that can help us examine our faith. What if today, we pondered the following question?

Would you still follow Jesus Christ if there were suddenly no promise of Heaven?

If our answer to this question is ‘no’, I would suggest that we may be on shaky ground spiritually. I spent the majority of life before Christ creating a particular version of God in my mind and then imposing those values on the real God. For instance, the God I created was all knowing and all powerful. He had created this world and then stepped back to see what would happen. He was a fair God who would allow pretty much anyone into Heaven provided they tried to live a good life (you know … paid their taxes, supported their children, didn’t kill anyone … that sort of thing). It was only when I humbled myself that I realized I had no right to impose my beliefs on God. If God were real, I had to allow Him to teach me about Himself and accept even what I didn’t understand. I had no business trying to invent God in my image. I had to understand and apply the old Axum that “Father Knows Best.” In other words, if God, in all His wisdom, suddenly decided there should be no Heaven, I would have to accept it – even if I didn’t understand it. I can’t worship God because of what He promises me, rather, I must worship God because He deserves it.

I am so thankful that my God has promised me Heaven. I also believe there is a hell. Hell, in my opinion, is proof that God loves us. How’s that you might ask? Well, if what we really want is a place that is free from the presence and influence of God, he will provide it for us even though it breaks His heart to do so. That place is hell. It’s not God that makes hell such a terrible place … it is the complete absence of God’s influence that makes hell so bad.

Even though I have a concrete belief in Heaven and hell, I can’t make that the focal point of my faith. Why? Well, if all I do is think about the future … someday far in the future … I am ignoring one of Jesus’ most powerful lessons. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. What did He mean by that? I think He meant that we can experience Heaven right now in our mortal life. If hell is the total absence of God, then Heaven is living in God’s presence. In fact, Heaven is more than just the presence of God – it is a place where God’s Will is done. We can experience God’s presence and live in His will right now. If we spend all of our time looking towards the future, we will miss out on the beauty that is Heaven on Earth.

Think about it … we all know the bitter and depressed Christian who lives a miserable life and constantly talks about Heaven in the future tense. My heart goes out to these people. Thank God they have the promise of eternal life from the One True God to keep them going. I am not suggesting that it would be healthy to totally forget about our promise of Heaven; I just pray that someday we can all experience a shadow of Heaven right now!