The man who buried the king

Joseph of Arimathea's quiet act of courage became the doorway to resurrection joy.

Joseph of Arimathea talking to Pilate.

Of all the figures I expected to reflect on this Easter, Joseph of Arimathea wasn’t one of them. But there he was — quiet, courageous and unforgettable.

The Gospel passage for Easter Sunday at Good Shepherd Anglican Church was Mark 15:42–16:7, picking up just after Jesus’ death on the cross.

In that time, crucified individuals were typically denied proper burial. Their bodies were left to rot or thrown into common graves — especially those executed for treason, as Rome viewed Jesus.

That’s what makes Joseph of Arimathea’s actions so remarkable. He boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body — an unusual request, especially for someone condemned as a political threat.

The passage in Mark starts this way:

^“And when evening had come … Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.”

First, as Pastor David Libbon noted, Mark tells us FOUR times in two verses that Jesus was dead.

1. Joseph “asked for the body of Jesus.”

2. Pilate was surprised to learn Jesus had “already died.”

3. Then the centurion told Pilate Jesus was “already dead.”

4. Pilate granted the corpse to Joseph.

Mark goes out of his way to make it unmistakably clear: Jesus was truly dead. This emphasis pushes back against any claim that Jesus merely fainted or swooned on the cross.

By confirming Jesus’ death through Joseph, Pilate, the centurion, and the use of the word “corpse,” Mark strengthens the foundation of the gospel. The cross wasn’t symbolic. Jesus didn’t almost die — he died in full, and then he rose in full.

In other words, there is no real resurrection without a real death.

Who was Joseph of Arimathea?

Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in all four Gospels as the man who took responsibility for Jesus’ burial after the crucifixion.

He may have been a Pharisee, but we can’t say for sure. We do know he was a respected member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), which was the Jewish ruling council.

The Sanhedrin played a major role in condemning Jesus and bringing him to Pilate. But Joseph was “a good and righteous man” who did not consent to the Sanhedrin’s decision to condemn Jesus (Luke 23:50–51).

Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38). He also was wealthy (Matthew 27:57), which was confirmed by:

• The quality of the tomb — new, cut out of rock, and in a garden (John 19:41). Such tombs were expensive.

• The fact that it was his own tomb (Matt. 27:60), likely intended for himself or his family.

Why Joseph matters

Joseph appears only briefly in the Gospel story, but his actions were significant. He honored Jesus when others had fled. His courage became a quiet testimony to the life and dignity of Christ.

Asking Pilate for the body of Jesus was a risky move. Associating with a condemned man could have cost him everything — status, influence, even his safety. But Joseph didn’t hesitate. In love and reverence, he wrapped Jesus’ body in linen and laid him in a tomb that had never been used.

We’re told in Mark 15:43 that Joseph “was also himself looking for the kingdom of God.”

Pastor David commented on this part of the story:

“We’re told that Joseph is looking for the kingdom. And the king of the kingdom is now dead — hung on a Roman cross.

“The king of that kingdom is now wearing a purple robe, soaked in blood, with a crown of thorns, and yet Joseph is one who is looking for the kingdom. Sometimes the kingdom of God looks very different than what we expect.

“What are you looking for this morning? Is it the kingdom? Is it friendship? Is it restoration or renewal? Or maybe some part of your soul that you thought had been too long dead to find resurrection hope?

“If you have a sense that things are not as they should be, and if you’re longing for a world put right, then whether you recognize it or not, you are there with Joseph. You are looking for the kingdom.”

Mark 15 ends with Jesus’ body laid in Joseph’s tomb. But the silence of the grave was not the final word.

Mark 16 opens with the first Easter morning. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. And the angel declares:

“He has risen; he is not here.”

The one Joseph buried in sorrow now lives in victory. His quiet act of courage became the doorway to resurrection joy.

Joseph gave Jesus his tomb — but heaven had other plans. It would only be borrowed.

One more thing

A couple of hours before our Easter service, I ran across the following poem about the two Josephs who bookended Jesus’ life: One who cared for him as a child and the other who tended to him after the crucifixion.

This poem by Julie Bonn Blank is wonderful.

Josephs

One held the child,

the other, the man.

Both with quiet hands,

both with a plan

not their own,

but heaven’s.

One fled by night,

one came at dusk.

Each found a cradle —

one wood, one rock.

For love is displayed in flesh and trust.