Today’s Scripture

Psalm 22         Luke 22:63-23:56

 

            It is late in the afternoon, the last hour before sunset.  The shadows are lengthening.  It is a holiday weekend and many are busy assembling at their homes to celebrate the Passover Sabbath.  Interesting to celebrate the Passover, the Passover of death on a day that Jesus has just been crucified to death.

 

            But two men, both Pharisees, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, make it their priority to give Jesus a proper burial.  These are prominent and well respected men.  So was Jesus before he was betrayed by one of his closest, abandoned by the rest, forsaken, tripped, humiliated, and the victim of a trial that no one wanted to take responsibility for it. 

 

            Joseph and Nicodemus did not know that this responsibility they were assuming was fulfilling God’s plan that in Jesus’ rest in the tomb on the Sabbath would become our rest from that tomb.  In that Sabbath rest, Jesus sanctifies the graves of all of the saints.  When Jesus raises alive from that tomb, we know today that our mortal bodies will not be forever contained by the earth, but will be raise too, imperishable and glorified as Jesus body will be Sunday morning.  When Jesus ascends into heaven forty days after the resurrection, we know and believe his promise that he will come back to take us to be where he is, forever.

 

            Good Friday – it is good because without it we do not have any good. 

 

            As we close the tomb with Joseph and Nicodemus, we know something that they would have to wait a couple of days for, Jesus will rise from that tomb.

 

            For that we can say together, “Thanks be to God.”   Amen.