The burial of Jesus

Matthew 27:57-66

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Why?

The chief priest and the Pharisees afraid that Jesus is resurrected three later may cause a worse result, so they asked Pilate to send guards to secure the tomb.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were caring about Jesus so they were sitting there opposite the tomb.

Joseph is a disciple of Jesus, and he did not acknowledge it publicly, so he asked for Jesus's body and bury the body of Jesus. Even Joseph did not say he is a disciple of Jesus but from his behavior, he is really a disciple of Jesus.

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兩組人即使在耶穌死後都極力為主服事。一位是約瑟，是有錢人，雖然是公會的人，但是暗暗的跟隨耶穌。一般被釘十字架的人猶太人通常不會埋葬在墓中，耶穌死時是政治犯，最危險的時候，卻勇敢出面承認自己是耶穌的門徒。厚葬耶穌，把自己拿錢鑿的墳墓。不僅沒有神蹟，不可能有任何回報的時候，卻願意出來。我們服事神，難道期望未來在天上的更好的房子……。若是如此我們就虧對神了。

另一組人是兩位瑪利亞，她們沒有錢，沒有身份，她們不能給耶穌做什麼，耶穌不能給她們什麼，仍然守在那裏，給耶穌的關懷的愛。我們常常在教會好像什麼也不能做，但是我們願意持守在那裏，警醒。這是真愛主的人。

他們怕門徒謊稱耶穌復活，他們的利益、地位會不保。反對神的人，抵擋神的人用盡辦法維護自己的利益。他們在耶穌死後仍然沒有平安，永遠擔心不完。追隨自己的利益，勞苦愁煩必加增永遠跟隨他們。只有在耶穌基督裏才能得到安息。次日是安息日，猶太人沒有得到安息，即使在安息日，為了守自己的利益，還是派人看守耶穌的墳墓。不管安息日不可行事。

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How?

We don't have to say we are Christians but do it let people know we are the disciple of Jesus.