Mar 15:42-47

When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is,
the day before the Sabbath,

Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council,
who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God;
and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion,
he questioned him as to whether He was already dead.

And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down,
wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Pilate was surprised, he wondered, to hear that Jesus was already dead.
A centurion confirmed to Pilate that Jesus was dead.

Pilate granted the body to Joseph.

I suspect that Pilate was curious as to why a Jewish leader would want the body of a supposed heretic and insurrectionist.

But, the political benefit of granting the body was positive.

Then we see a tender confusing moment.

Tender in the way that Joseph handled the body.
He brought a linen cloth.
He took Jesus down from the cross.
He wrapped Him in the linen.
He laid Him in a tomb…not just any tomb, hole in the ground or cave, but one hewn out of rock. Time consuming. Expensive.
He rolled the stone against the entrance.

Joseph would have had physical help.

It was a tender, intimate, heart-breaking moment.

The confusion.

I suspect that the two Mary were wondering as to what was occurring.
They were looking to see where they took the body, likely expecting the Roman soldiers to remove the body.
But, they see a senior Jewish leader lovingly addressing the matter.
They see Jesus laid in a tomb, not dumped in the wilderness.

Why was all this happening?
What had happened to what the Lord had said?

They would soon see.

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