Dead and Buried

He wasn’t placed underground. He was laid in a tomb cut out of rock.

But, He was dead.

Buried above ground, wrapped in linen, placed on a rock table…dead and buried.

 “Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin. As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.”

Luke 23:50-56

Jesus, the man who had fed thousands on two occasions, the man who had healed the sick and raised the dead was dead. Jesus the man who preached the Sermon on the Mount, the man the people had thrown their cloaks on the ground for, the man for whom they had shouted Hosanna! …was dead. Jesus was dead because He had challenged the religious authorities…He was dead because He taught the people that He was God’s Son…Jesus-the Way. Jesus-the truth. Jesus-the life.

So, they killed Him.

They thought they were rid of Him. Instead, they completed God’s grace filled plan.

A sinless man would die for the sins of the whole world.

It’s true-Only God could accomplish such a thing.

The decision to kill Jesus was not unanimous. Joseph, from Arimathea, in Judah placed Jesus in his own tomb. Because Jesus, Savior of the world, was dead.

It looked like the end. At this time, it seemed, especially to Jesus’s disciples, that all which remained of Jesus were memories.

Just be still.

God is ALWAYS up to something great.