He was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.
Immediately, I want to know more about Joseph. So what does the text tell us about him? He is a respected member of the council, that is, the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin is the first century equivalent to the Supreme Court. Jews were under Roman rule, but the Sanhedrin remained the most powerful legal body in Jewish culture. It was the Sanhedrin that convicted Jesus in the first place, but they still needed Pilate’s approval to crucify him.
Joseph didn’t agree with the actions of the other leaders. The details aren’t clear here, but Luke is emphasizing the fact that Joseph wasn’t on board with the execution of Jesus.
But my favorite line in this passage comes at the end of verse 51: he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.
The ESV says he was looking for the Kingdom of God. ‘Waiting for’ and ‘Looking for’ paints the picture of a man who was in expectation that the Messiah would come and deliver His people. At some point during Jesus’ ministry, Joseph encountered the teachings of Jesus, and believed Jesus was the Messiah. Secretly, because he feared the reaction of the other Jewish leaders.
The presence of fear doesn’t dictate faith.
But the presence of fear doesn’t dictate faith. Joseph lived in expectation of the Kingdom of God while still living in the reality of the kingdom of this world. He was still subject to Pilate and the Sanhedrin. They may have ruled his surroundings but they did not rule his heart.
When the kingdoms of this world set themselves up against the Kingdom of God, what are you gonna do?
A prominent member of the council that had convicted Jesus and sought his crucifixion now goes to ask for the body. Romans did not care for the bodies of crucified people. At best, they were thrown into a mass grave and eaten by scavengers. At worst, they remained on the cross post-mortem and were picked at by birds and insects until there was nothing left.
When the kingdoms of this world set themselves up against the Kingdom of God, what are you gonna do?
But Roman law also allowed for crucified victims to be buried by loved ones who were bold enough to make the request. And even though Jewish law demanded this, there were no family members, not even a prominent disciple who came for Jesus’ body. By approaching Pilate and making this request, Joseph is revealing himself to be a believer in the very man the Romans had just executed.
Burying Jesus could have cost him his position on the council. He was now identifying with the man who they had condemned as a blasphemer less than 24 ago.
Burying Jesus could have cost Joseph his civic freedom under Roman occupation. To the Romans, Jesus was an insurrectionist. Now, Joseph is identifying with a man who was deemed to be a traitor to the Roman empire. At best, Joseph would now be a man of suspicion. At worst, he could end up with the same fate as Jesus if this movement continued to cause problems for the Romans. Spoiler alert, Jesus kept causing problems even after his death.
When your faith puts you at risk, what are you gonna do?
When your faith puts you at risk, what are you gonna do?
When Jesus breathed His last breath, the crowd that was standing by beat their chests in anguish, realizing they had just killed an innocent man. There was a finality to the moment here.
This is the moment when it looks like Jesus’ mission has failed. But remember, Joseph was waiting for the Kingdom of God. Have you ever waited for something that seemed like it would never come?
When it looks like every effort has failed, like there’s no longer any reason to hope, what are you gonna do?
The tomb where Joseph laid Jesus was purchased at a high price, then hand carved by Joseph himself, according to Matthew’s account. Sharing this space with Jesus was more than just finding an empty grave. Jewish tombs were for family members. I believe Joseph was making a public statement about his private devotion to the man he believed to be the Messiah.
When following Jesus becomes costly…
When it feels risky…
When the opinion of God opposes popular opinion…
What are you going to do?
When it looks like every effort has failed, like there’s no longer any reason to hope, what are you gonna do?
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