Part 3: Joseph from Arimathaea
"Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, ... came and took away His body." - John 19:38
Life often develops in a way that forces us to decide who we really are. That's what happened to Joseph, called here "Joseph from Arimathaea" to distinguish him from Joseph the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
This Joseph was a rich and well-respected member of the Sanhedrin council, which was something like a Jewish supreme court. At some point in the past couple years Joseph had started believing the teachings of Jesus. He must have felt trapped, though, because the council didn't want to honor Jesus-- they wanted to kill Him.
Joseph first exposed his beliefs by refusing to vote "yes" on the death penalty for Jesus (Luke 23:51). Then, it seems, he stood nearby during the actual crucifixion, and therefore he knew about Jesus' death even before the governor did (Mark 15:43-45). Finally, Joseph left no question about his allegiance when he asked to bury the body of Jesus in his own new tomb.
Joseph's role in the burial is significant because every gospel writer identifies him. This adds credibility to the resurrection story. Joseph was well-known, and his tomb was easy to find (John 19:41). Anyone could go and check whether the tomb was indeed empty. Why fake a story by practically drawing a map to the exact burial location of Jesus?
As important as that is for us, it's good to remember the burial's deep personal significance for Joseph himself. "Secret disciple" is a bit of an oxymoron anyway, and now Joseph could never go back to that status.
As the grave stone rolled to cover the entrance of the tomb, a different stone rolled away from Joseph's heart. He was a follower of Jesus, and it no longer mattered who knew it.
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