John 19:39-42 39And Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40Then they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, as was the custom of the Jews to bury. 41Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified , and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Nicodemus was like Joseph: fearful yet ironically and quietly brave. John reminds his readers of Jesus’ earlier discussion with Nicodemus recorded in chapter 3. Even at that point, Nicodemus seemed afraid to go public in his curiosity and possibly growing faith in Jesus. God had been working in his life, drawing him closer to the Light of the world. We can only imagine what was going on in his mind with Jesus’ trial, arrest, condemnation, and execution. Like Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus was likely himself a member of the Sanhedrin. He was a respected leader of high position. He joined Joseph in carrying for Jesus’ deceased body.
Nicodemus and Joseph brought a significant amount of spices to bury Jesus’ body with. On short notice, this suggests that they had connections and wealth to buy these spices on short notice. Myrrh is a fragrant resin that was mixed with aloes to neutralize the smell of a decaying body. Seventy-five pounds was a significant amount, which showed their commitment to providing Jesus with a proper burial. This amount would not have been cheap, either, so it indicates that these two men had wealth. They probably needed help taking care of Jesus’ body, so they may have either hired people or had servants as part of their household.
The typical burial custom was to wrap a body in a shroud and lay it in a tomb. After the body was decayed and only bones were left, these bones would be collected and put in an ossuary. Wealthy family members could share a tomb cut into a cave. This shroud often was made of one long piece of linen. People have debated for decades about whether the Shroud of Turin could be this burial cloth. As curious as this might be, the key point of the whole story is that Jesus left the tomb and the shroud empty.
John gives further details about where Jesus was buried. There was a garden near the place Jesus was crucified. In this garden was a new tomb. It is not stated that this tomb belonged to Joseph, but it was later claimed to be such in the apocryphal Gospel of Peter 24. This tradition makes some sense because Joseph and Nicodemus had access to it. The tomb was convenient because it was close by. Jesus’ body would not need to be carried far, which two men could not easily do themselves. Another matter of debate in Christian tradition is where this tomb was located. A tomb is often visited by tourists today that looks like what Jesus’ tomb likely did, but whether it was his tomb is unlikely. Mark 15:46–47 records that Joseph rolled a stone over the entrance, and Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw the tomb’s location.
The interpretations of modern media help us imagine the scene. From the perspective of the Jewish leaders and Pilate, Jesus was dead, buried, and out of sight and out of mind. Their worries were over. The band of followers would eventually grow weary, dissipate, and return to their homes. Jesus would be like other so-called messiahs that came and went throughout history. It seems that Satan and deceived them all and blinded them to the truth. Yet, the spark of hope still existed that God was not finished. To what extent the disciples or the women who witnessed it all understood what was happening cannot be known. Grief, fear, loss, and possibly some doubt clouded their vision and dampened their hope. Hope never ends in the sealed tomb!
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