The Burial Of Jesus
THE BURIAL OF JESUS
MARK 15:40-47
When the fact of death had been confirmed, Pilate readily allowed Joseph to give Jesus’ body a decent burial according to the normal Jewish custom.
At first sight the brief note giving the names of the various women who were present does not add anything to the telling of the story and simply duplicates the list of names in 16:1. Its vital significance, however, is to show that the women who were the first witnesses of the resurrection themselves saw Jesus die. Consequently they were not likely to be deceived as to the fact that he had really died. We are also reminded of the care that they gave to Jesus and his comrades in Galilee and on the way to Jerusalem (Luke 8:1-3). Three women are mentioned, Mary from Magdala on the west shore of Galilee, Mary the mother of James the younger (probably the same as James the son of Alphaeus, 3:18) and of Joses (Matthew 27:56 has “Joseph”), and Salome, the wife of Zebedee (Matthew 27:56).
Normally the bodies of crucified criminals were left hanging and eventually cast into a common grave, but the friends of Jesus saw to it that he was saved from this indignity. Just before the Day of Preparation (Thursday sunset to Friday sunset) ended and ushered in the Sabbath, Joseph took measures which ensured that the Sabbath was not defiled by the crucifixion. Crucifixion was usually a painful, drawn-out process during which the victim might hover between life and death for two days or more. Pilate was therefore surprised by the speedy passing of Jesus, but when the fact of death had been confirmed, he readily allowed Joseph to give the body a decent burial according to the normal Jewish custom which Mark clearly describes for the benefit of Gentile readers who might well be unfamiliar with it.
Joseph of Arimathaea appears in this story as a true follower of Jesus who was “looking for the kingdom of God” (15:43). Now this is a phrase which could be used of any Jew, since all Jews hoped for the intervention of God in their history to overcome the Romans. The fact that the phrase is used here especially of Joseph must indicate that he had a more spiritual view of the kingdom and accepted the teaching of Jesus about it. There is no reason whatever to suppose that he, any more than Nicodemus, approved of the Sanhedrin’s decision to execute Jesus (John 7:50f.), and we may be fairly sure that neither of them was wakened from his bed to take part in that illegal council meeting by night.