Sheila W. - March 8, 2011
Scripture:
Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Observation:
Jesus has just died on the cross, and Joseph, a member of the prestigious Sanhedrin council, gathered some courage and asked for Jesus' body so he could bury Him.
Application:
There are so many things in this verse! One thing is just that the Jewish culture is very careful about burial, so Jesus being killed in a place far from His hometown, and with so much suddenness, there was no time to organize a decent burial, or even a decent place to bury Him! Even this must've grieved those who loved Him. BUT the real point here is that Joseph gains some courage from somewhere and faces retribution from his peers as he asks for Christ's body. He isn't mentioned standing up for Jesus BEFORE Jesus was crucified, during the mock-trial part. Some scholars say he wasn't there; I don't know for sure. I DO learn from this that I don't want to be LATE in proclaiming who I think Jesus really is. I don't want moments to pass by that could be opportunities to share His Good News.
Prayer:
Dear Father, help me not to be slack in spreading Your Good News. I don't want to be "late" about letting others know who He really is. Give me courage when I doubt or have fear of rejection. You are the only One who is all-important in my life. Help me to share You with others. In Jesus' holy name, Amen.
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