Preparation Day. Term used in Scripture for the day before the sabbath. Each of the Gospels refers to a day that it calls “the Preparation” (Mt 27:62; Mk 15:42; Lk 23:54; Jn 19:14, 31, 42), Mark calling it “the day before the sabbath.” The Jews did not have specific names for the days (preferring to speak of “the first [second, etc.] day of the week.” But the Sabbath was distinctive, and the previous day was used to prepare for this weekly day of rest and worship. Thus what we call “Friday” the Jews called “Preparation.” What was “prepared” is not said. But as no work could be done on the sabbath, preparations had to be made for food and other necessities.

DAY OF PREPARATION (παρασκευή, paraskeuē). The day prior to the Sabbath or Passover (Exod 16:23). On this day, the Jews generally purified themselves, prepared their food, and carried out their chores since they could not do so the following day (Matt 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42).

It is remarkable that the Roman soldiers did not do what they were commanded to do—break the victims’ legs—but they did do what they were not supposed to do—pierce the Saviour’s side! In both matters, they fulfilled the very Word of God! The bones of the Passover lamb were not to be broken (Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12; and note Ps. 34:20), so our Lord’s bones were protected by the Lord. His side was to be pierced (Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7), so that was done by one of the soldiers.

Isaiah 53 and notice verse 9—“And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death.” Jesus would be buried in a rich man’s tomb!

Matthew, Luke, and John all tell us that the tomb was new and had never been used. It was “his [Joseph’s] own new tomb” (Matt. 27:60); he had hewn it out for himself. Or did he hew it out for Jesus?

When you assemble the data available about Joseph of Arimathea, you learn that he was rich (Matt. 27:57), a prominent member of the Jewish council (Mark 15:43), a good and righteous man who had not consented to what the council did (Luke 23:50–51), a member of that “believing minority” of Jews who were praying for Messiah to come (Mark 15:43, and note Luke 2:25–38), and a disciple of Jesus Christ (John 19:38). It was he who asked for the body of Jesus and, with his friend Nicodemus, gave the Saviour a decent burial.

At the critical council meeting recorded in John 7:45–53, Nicodemus boldly stood up and defended the Saviour! His associates ridiculed him for thinking that a prophet could come out of Galilee! “Search, and look!” they said—and that is exactly what Nicodemus did. It is likely that Joseph quietly joined him and revealed the fact that he too was more and more convinced that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed Israel’s Messiah, the Son of God.

It seems evident that Joseph and Nicodemus carefully planned their activities at Calvary. They certainly could not secure a tomb at the last minute, nor would they be able to purchase sixty-five pounds of costly spices so quickly during the Passover when many merchants would not be doing business. No sooner had Jesus died than Joseph went to Pilate and received permission to take the body.