Never too Late

Never Too Late

(“Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.” Matthew 27:60)

That was it. It was over. Everything was finished. Isn’t that what Jesus whispered from the cross, one last throaty groan: “It is finished!” Joseph of Arimathea wished he could have done more. His family tomb was nearby, which was a good thing. There were only three hours from the time Jesus died until the start of the Sabbath.

Joseph, along with Nicodemus, were two so-called “secret disciples.” Both of them were Pharisees, belonging to the very group that had lobbied for Jesus’ arrest and execution. Nicodemus had sought Jesus out earlier in his ministry, asking about the things Jesus was teaching. When the Pharisees had earlier attempted to arrest Jesus, Nicodemus spoke up on His behalf. (John 7:50ff)

But we know nothing about Joseph except for the offer of his tomb. Did he remain silent as Jesus was mocked, ridiculed and beaten? Did his conscience eat away at him? Did he question his own fear of his peers which kept him silent? Or did he simply believe there was nothing that his or Nicodemus’ voices could accomplish alone?

We should not hold Joseph up to too much derision. After all, Scripture does not condemn him, describing him as “waiting for the kingdom of God.” Yes, are also told that he was secretly a disciple because he “feared the Jewish leaders.” (John 19:38). But, he also “boldly” asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, something which took a good deal of courage.

Instead of being hasty to judge his secrecy, we perhaps should commend this loving act for Jesus’ body. Even if the guilt of his secret discipleship drove him, he still did what he could, offering his own tomb which had never yet been used.

We are also told that Joseph came with fine new linen while Nicodemus provided what amounted to 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes. The spices went into the strips of fine –a burial truly befitting a king. Though they still did not understand the significance of the horrible events of Calvary, Joseph and Nicodemus treated Jesus with the deepest honor possible.

“It is finished”. They heard the words but misunderstood their meaning. In their minds, all they knew of Jesus, his previous three years of preaching and healing, were the total package. Jesus was done; His mission was over once His final breath expired.

They could not have imagined that the tomb empty and pristine before Jesus’ burial would be nearly as empty in just two more days. Jesus didn’t mean He was “finished”, He meant His purpose was now complete. Though the religionists, politicians and the devil all thought Jesus was vanquished, they were sorely wrong.

Jesus would arise early Sunday morning, proving that death was conquered once and for all. His tomb, empty except for the very linens and spices generously wrapped around Him, was completely vacant. Jesus was alive! Death was conquered! Sins were forgiven and Jesus was Lord.

I wonder what we are giving to Him, even at times when we misunderstand Him. It is never too late to make a move toward God. Though Nicodemus and Joseph were once afraid of what people would say, they now took bold actions all in the name of Jesus. Is Jesus simply someone you turn to, hoping for a miracle or two? Or, is He truly Lord, risen from the dead, and personally the One to whom all Your worship is due?

Are you prepared to meet Jesus? We aren’t told a thing about Nicodemus and Joseph after the resurrection, but I hope they were among the 500 that Jesus appeared to at one time after He rose from the dead. Sometimes we are fooled by our own observations. Their outlook was that Jesus was dead, there was nothing left to do but anoint His body of burial and give Him the finest resting place they could.

They had not reasoned that Jesus would actually kick open the stone door of the tomb and walk out alive, well, and glorified. How about you? Are you ready to truly meet Him? Perhaps it is time to begin living your own life as if Jesus is actually alive, rather than assuming He still lies rotting in a tomb. If Jesus is alive, that changes everything! The empty tomb is truly life’s game changer. So, how about it? Will you bow before the Living Lord Jesus, today?