What is So Important About the Burial of Jesus Christ?

 

Leroy Daley, author, atotheword.com

According to Luke the Good Friday Burial of Jesus Christ

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The burial of Jesus Christ is unique. It’s different on a number of diverse fronts.

But mainly where, how, when, who made his funeral arrangements, and the significance of his burial, these are features which stand out?

According to Luke, the Beloved Physician, the burial of Jesus Christ happened on a Friday evening.

Joseph made a private and personal request of Pilate for the corpse of Jesus Christ (Luke 23:52). This Roman leader consented to his request and Joseph was happy.

“And [Joseph] took [the body of Jesus] down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a [tomb] that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid” (Luke 23:53).

He writes, “And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on” (Luke 23:54).

Above, “that day” refers to the day that Joseph took the body of Jesus from the cross and buried him.

The Day of Preparation

Therefore, the burial of Jesus happened on the evening of the Day of Preparation.

Matthew’s account of the burial of Jesus is very similar to Luke’s but his provides more details.

He also agrees with Luke that Jesus’ burial occurred on a Friday evening. For he writes, “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple” (Matthew 27:57).

Note, that he came in the evening and it was Friday.

Since the Day of Preparation is the groundwork for the Sabbath, and that means that’s the day before the Sabbath, and the Sabbath is a Saturday, then it must be a Friday.

The Interment of Jesus Christ by Matthew

Next, Apostle Matthew substantiates this claim for us, for, he writes:

“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate” (Matthew 27:62).

In the verse above, the Bible doesn’t explicitly tells us that the Chief Priests and the Pharisees visited Pilate on the Sabbath.

But, it provides the same information in an indirect manner. Because Matthew tells us that they visited Pilate on the day following the day of the preparation. That day is the Sabbath.

How was the Burial Place of Jesus Determined?

Owing to the proximity of the Sabbath day, and the late time of the day when Jesus Christ died, there was much urgency in securing quickly a burial place for him.

According to John, “There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand” (John19:42).

So, Joseph and Nicodemus chose the burial place of Jesus Christ for three reasons. First, it was the most convenient place. It was nearby and it was late evening.

Second, because it was the evening of the Preparation Day, this cave would serve as a temporary grave.

Finally, Joseph chose the burial place of Jesus. He utilized his personal grave that he had prepared proactively for his future funeral. Therefore, Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.

No doubt, Nicodemus was surprised when Joseph suggested that they bury Jesus in his own grave.

Subsequently, Joseph “laid [the body of Jesus] in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed” (Matthew 27:60).

The Jews have a simple burial policy. They bury their dead within twenty-four hours from the time of death. This same-day burial is a perpetual Jewish custom.