Entombment of Jesus Christ

Luke 23:50-56 

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God.” Luke 23:50-51

The council that Joseph belonged to was among the Pharisees, who decided that Jesus Christ had to be put to death, as quoted, “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What will we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish…Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.” John 11:47-50, 53

Joseph did not consent to their plot to kill Jesus…Joseph was a good and just man. Joseph, like all of the Jewish people, were waiting for the kingdom of God to be established on this earth, and when Jesus was crucified that sunk all hope of that happening, as quoted, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” Luke 24:19-21

Today’s culture is hoping for an earthly Garden of Eden to be established, but they have no desire for the eternal Kingdom of God, the eternal New Jerusalem. They consent to crucify Christ Jesus as they rely on the beast to create the earthly utopia. That beast has power over physiology to give them what to say, do, think, and feel. Our Lord says this about their earthly Garden of Eden, “A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them…a fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness…” Joel 2:2-3

As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not consent to crucifying our Lord Jesus within the hopes of living within an earthly Garden of Eden. We are waiting for the eternal Kingdom of God in the New Jerusalem of the new heaven and earth.

“This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.” Luke 23:52-54

Whether Jesus was alive or dead made no difference to Joseph, his reverence for Christ Jesus was from the spirit of goodness and justice within his own heart and soul. Joseph wanted to give Jesus all of his respect, honor, and reverence, even in His death. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are living in a world that intends to put the way of Jesus Christ into extinction, to kill Him. The Gospel of Christ is very scarce today; many would say that Christianity is dead. Even so, we want our Lord Jesus to be honored, respected, and dignified in a world that deems Him to be dead.

Joseph laid Jesus in an expensive tomb. Joseph was a wealthy member of the Sanhedrin [congress of Pharisees and Sadducees]. The tomb that Jospeh laid Jesus in was like a cave, carved into rock [like limestone]. The tomb was new and unused. No one had ever laid there before. That type of tomb was typical for the wealthy elite. Although this world has “closed the book” on the way of Jesus Christ, we who have a born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart, we want Him to have the very best place possible in this world. A place that only He can occupy. He is within our heart, mind, and soul, a place reserved for the best-of-the-best of people. That’s because we know He is the King of kings, a resurrected Savior who lives in Heaven and will be returning to carry us home with Him. We will live eternally with Him in the New Jerusalem.

The Preparation Day was the day before Sunday [the Sabbath’s Saturday]. On Sunday, or on the Sabbath, no work was allowed to be done, so they prepared for that by cooking, gathering food, finishing chores, and tidying homes so that no work would be done on the Sabbath. Joseph made sure to have Jesus placed in the tomb before the Sabbath/Sunday came. Our Lord Jesus says to us that the day is coming when no one can work, the work being to spread His Gospel, as quoted, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5 As followers of Jesus Christ, we must prepare for that day by doing whatever we can do for Him within this world that considers Christ Jesus to be dead.

Every time that I buy something related to Jesus Christ, I feel like I’m storing up dead relics that no longer have any meaning. It seems as though they are just something sold as merchandise to enrich someone financially. I have three Bibles [two electronic Bibles], I have t-shirts that lift up the name of Jesus Christ, and a wall poster that lifts up the name of Jesus. People who read my t-shirts take it as an invitation to use and abuse me, and no one seems to want to hear about the Bible.

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” Luke 23:55-56

The women who had walked with Jesus Christ from Galilee, wanted to keep an eye on what Joseph would do with the body of Jesus. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are also watching to see what happens to the body of Jesus in this atheistic world, whom they consider to be dead. We see what this world is doing to our Lord Jesus because “…the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” Revelations 19:10. If we want to see where the world is within prophecy, we only need to see where Jesus is within the world. When we see Jesus being laid within a tomb, we know where the world is in their hostility to the way of Jesus Christ.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we will continue to honor Him with the best that is within our heart and with the best that we can do for Him within today’s world. Our Lord Jesus makes it easy for us as we are to enter into His rest, “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast…Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Hebrews 4:10, Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 11:28-30

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1