Sermon Tone Analysis

Joseph of Arimathea:

/The secret disciple of Jesus and his legacy today //John 19:38-42/ \\ \\

 

 

 

 

 

\\ Intro

\\ Have you ever wondered how a secret disciple of Jesus thinks and acts?

What motivates a secret disciple of Jesus to remain underground?

Where do you find those who are secret disciples of Jesus?

The answer to these questions about secret disciples may surprise you.

\\ \\ If there is any passage of Scripture that should bring about righteous indignation for a follower of Christ, it is the recorded actions of the Sanhedrin just prior to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Here we find this elite religious council of seventy looking for false evidence against Jesus to put him to death.

This council went to extremes to humiliate Jesus when they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.

(Matthew 26:59,67) \\ \\ A council involved in this abhorrent activity would seem the least likely place to find secret disciples of Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea is identified to us specifically as a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38).

Another member of the council, Nicodemus is very strongly implied to be a secret disciple of Jesus too.

Not only do we find two extraordinary disciples of Jesus among this infamous council, but also we find them at the forefront during the most critical three-day juncture of human history.

\\ \\ The Sanhedrin: Where we find secret disciples of Jesus.

\\ Let’s look at what an incredible council this Sanhedrin really was.

The Sanhedrin was composed of seventy \\ members made up of the chief priests, scribes and elders.

The presiding officer of the Sanhedrin was the \\ Jewish high priest.

This council was the highest and final court of appeal for matters regarding \\ Mosaic Law.

\\ \\ We find the Sanhedrin influencing the circumstances of Jesus arrest and trial for their purposes.

They wanted to see Jesus put to death.

Even without the direct authority to execute anyone (John 18:31) this council managed to manipulate Pilate to bring about the crucifixion of Jesus.

\\ \\ It was the Sanhedrin that persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus.

They even mocked Jesus while He was hanging on the cross.

Out of this heinous Sanhedrin emerged Joseph of Arimathea the secret disciple and Nicodemous who much earlier had approached Jesus at night under the cover of darkness.

\\ \\ Just who is Joseph of Arimathea?

\\ Joseph of Arimathea is one of the few who is mentioned in all four Gospels.

His deed of giving his own tomb for Jesus burial was foretold by Isaiah in the suffering servant passage.

(Is.53:9) “He made his grave with the rich.”

The crucifixion is full of irony in that the anointed Messiah was a suffering servant, despised and punished.

Another more overlooked irony is a disciple of Jesus was found among the Sanhedrin.

Not only was Joseph of Arimathea a member of the exclusive seventy, Joseph was a prominent member of the Council.

(Mark 15:43) We are also told that Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man.

(Matthew 27:57) \\ \\ Many commentaries do not place Joseph of Arimathea in favorable light.

They emphasize the one negative statement of his “fear of the Jews.”

There are numerous positive aspects mentioned in the Scriptures about Joseph.

He was a good and upright man.

He had not consented to the Sanhedrin decision and action to see Jesus executed.

Luke describes Joseph of Arimathea much like he did old Simeon who blessed Joseph and Mary when they took Jesus to the temple.

Joseph of Arimathea was waiting for the kingdom of God.

He acted at the right time, in the right way, to the right degree to bring glory to God. \\ \\ Joseph of Arimathea is the main figure in the burial of Jesus.

Every Gospel writer is familiar with Joseph and each writer mentioned he is of Arimathea.

Nowhere else in the Bible is Arimathea mentioned, outside Jesus burial account and in reference to Joseph.

Biblical background experts do not even know where Arimathea is.

Luke tells us it is a Judean town, but you won’t find Arimathea on a Bible map.

\\ \\ The Burial of Jesus \\ After Jesus death Joseph asked Pilate for the body.

Mark mentions that he went boldly to Pilate when he asked for Jesus body.

Pilate was careful because members of the Sanhedrin had manipulated him once already this day.

Pilate was not going to simply take this good and upright man at his word.

Joseph of Arimathea was, after all a member of the scheming Sanhedrin.

Pilate summoned the Centurion and was surprised to hear Jesus was already dead and then ordered the body be given to Joseph.

\\ \\ With Pilate’s permission, Joseph took the body down from the cross with the help of his fellow council member, Nicodemus the same who earlier had visited Jesus at night.

(John Chapter 3) This is also the Nicodemus who opposed his fellow council members when he found they were condemning Jesus in a way contrary to the Mosaic Law.

(John 7:50-52).

\\ \\ Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about seventy-five pounds and along with Joseph they wrapped Jesus body with spices in strips of linen, in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

The tomb where Joseph buried our Lord was his own new tomb, hewn out of solid stone.

It was, in accordance with scripture, the tomb of a rich man.

This is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy, considering Jesus had just died a criminal’s death.

They placed Jesus body in Joseph’s tomb and then rolled the stone against the entrance of the tomb.

\\ \\ Joseph compared to other disciples \\ There is an amazing contrast here between the public disciples of our Lord and his secret disciples.

At this time one of Jesus twelve disciples, Judas was exposed as a betrayer.

All along he was pretending to be a follower of Jesus, but stealing money from the treasury and really being no disciple at all.

\\ \\ When the secret disciples were lovingly preparing Jesus body for burial, Peter was weeping in shame for denying the Lord.

The other members of the Sanhedrin remembered that Jesus prophesied that he would rise again in three days and appealed for the guard at the tomb (Mathew 27: 62).

This motivated them to make their own visit to Pilate to request the tomb be sealed.

Here Joseph could have bumped into the Jews he feared.

\\ \\ There is no record of the public disciples taking any encouragement from this resurrection prophecy after Jesus death and they had all suddenly become the secret disciples.

On this Crucifixion day, considered the pivotal day in history, the secret disciple Joseph went publicly and boldly to approach Pilate.

His fellow secret disciple Nicodemous was also acting courageously on the Crucifixion day.

\\ \\ A Profile of several Joseph of Arimathea types in India today.

\\ Just as we find secret disciples in strategic and unlikely places in the New Testament we find this true in India today.

Below is brief profile of three secret disciples who all hold prominent social position in India today.

All three of them like Joseph of Arimathea have, as secret disciples used their position and influence to honor Christ.

\\ \\ Religious Swamiji \\ We may find Joseph of Arimathea types in Hindu religious holy places.

I met one such Hindu Swamiji who I had heard was inviting believers to his Temple to discuss Jesus, the Bible and to have prayer.

I was thankful for the opportunity to sit with him and discuss matters of faith.

People from all over the area looked to this man for spiritual leadership.

\\ \\ His grandfather had built the current standing temple that was the focal point of worship for the area.

\\ He was expected to fulfill a traditional role of prominence during the Hindu festivals.

During the festivals he wore a headpiece made of silver that the religious leaders preceding him had worn on the same occasions for two hundred years.

\\ \\ When this Swami was invited to speak at the Christa Jayanthi (Christmas Service) he spoke and quoted the scriptures with evidence of a clear understanding of who Jesus really is and what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Then this Hindu Swami made the statement of impact.

He encouraged his followers to accept the teaching of the evangelist to follow Jesus.

\\ \\ The young men present did not have the traditional heritage of the Swami.

They were not expected to be the up front figure during the religious festivals.

They had the Swami’s blessing to follow Christ without the restrictions of the traditional role Swami had.

\\ \\ Many of the young men were much more public followers of Christ than the Swami.

They were Baptized believers and under a more open form of discipleship.

The Lord used more than the evangelists words to bring these young men to a place of faith in Jesus.

It was the well-spoken words of the influential Swamiji who, in an unlikely role leading the Hindu festivals, encouraged these young men to follow Christ.

\\ \\ Writer and Scholar \\ Dr. Shivappa is a prominent Hindu scholar.

His name is very well known in the India academic circles.

He has published a long list of highly regarded scholarly books and articles.

He serves on various boards that oversee Hindu scholarly research and publications.

Dr. Shivappa is a Joseph of Arimathea type in the Hindu scholars realm.

\\ \\ Dr. Shivappa did scholarly research study on an Indian Christian who significantly contributed to India in the realm of literature.

This evangelist influenced Dr. Shivappa to faith in Christ.

After much study of the New Testament Dr. Shivappa heard some young Christians singing Christmas carols.

The beauty of the words of the song praising Christ touched him, but he was saddened that the style of the song would never appeal to his community people.

At that thought he was moved to pen a Bhajan, a song in his own Hindu community worship style, which would speak to the hearts of his people about the nature of Christ.