Believe as Joseph of Arimathaea

Do you believe as big as Joseph of Arimathaea?

In a Bible teaching recently, I learned a great deal about a certain disciple of Christ Jesus. He was Joseph of Arimathaea. I hope I do this justice. 

Joseph was a member of the Judean Counsel or Sanhedrin and was a believer of what Christ Jesus taught, therefore a disciple (a learner or pupil) of Jesus. In the following verses, one can discern that Joseph was rich or wealthy and an honorable counsellor and that he did not consent with the counsel to have Christ Jesus killed. He was a believer, however, was one secretly for fear of the Judeans. He himself was a Judean but he knew how dangerous it was at that time to be an open follower of Christ Jesus. But God tells us in two of the verses below that Joseph waited for the kingdom of God. He believed that which Christ Jesus taught. But, even though Joseph could not openly follow Christ Jesus, he believed wholeheartedly in his teachings. He also, when the Counsel took votes on to have Jesus killed, did not consent. Although, he did not vote to have Christ Jesus killed, his vote obviously did not prevent Christ Jesus from being killed. But Joseph went boldly to Pilate on the day Christ Jesus died to request his body and then Joseph buried him in his own sepulchre. He buried him in linen, the kind that rich people wore, and had the sepulchre covered.


Mat 27:57 KJV - When the even was come , there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple :

Mar 15:43 KJV - Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came , and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Luk 23:51 KJV -  (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

Jhn 19:38 KJV - And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave . He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

Something you may notice in the above verses is that Joseph did not bury Jesus with spices which was the custom of the culture.

[55] And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. [56] And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. - Luk 23:55-56 KJV

[1] And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. - Mar 16:1 KJV

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. - Jhn 19:39 KJV

Why, do you suppose that Joseph of Arimathaea did not use the spices and ointments? He believed in what Jesus taught. That Jesus would be raised from the dead. That death would be defeated and God would do that which he had promised. He believed and waited for the Kingdom of God. But even though the women and Nicodemus loved Christ Jesus, they did not believe as big as Joseph and carried out the custom of the burial. Joseph would have known the burial custom and had the money to buy the spices that were the custom, but since Jesus was to only be in the grave a short time, there was no need.

That's the kind of believing I want to have. What a great believer was this Joseph of Arimathaea. Can't you just imagine how he rejoiced when he saw the risen Savior?


May you be blessed with all the blessings that God has to give. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Again I give thanks and reference to BlueLetterBible.org. It's the "go to" for my Bible references: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Dan&c=6&p=0&rl=0&ss=0&t=KJV