John 19:38-42
The Burial of Jesus
38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
I love St. John's chapter three...Jesus is teaching Nicodemus in chapter three...Nicodemus, was not only a Pharisee, but a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1)...Imagine loving God and then getting to meet His Son...Nicodemus loved God and He got to meet Jesus...
He ask Jesus hard questions and got answers...Many of Jesus answers, Nicodemus did not understand...But he listened and learned from the Master...I to would like Nicodemus, would have ask questions, if I would meet Jesus face to face...No doubt, I would not understand His wisdom and His answers...But the meeting would never be forgotten...The meeting would have the largest impact on one's life...
In the end, when many Pharisees were objecting to Jesus and wanting Him crucified, Nicodemus was there (for Him)...Jesus told the Pharisees, He came for sinners, and not the righteous...He did not come for them (the Pharisees)...Since they were confident in their own righteousness they did not need Him...Jesus, the Good Doctor, came for the sick...The Pharisees thought they were not sick, and did not need the Good Doctor...Nicodemus, was humble enough, and smart enough to know he was a sinner...He helped bury the Son of God (with Joseph of Arimathea) in front of all the Pharisees...
Nicodemus met Jesus and was greatly impressed spiritually...He would never forget Jesus and His teaching him...He knew He was the Son of God...Nicodemus did not follow the Pharisee crowd or the Pharisee thinking...He thought for himself...He loved God, and he loved Jesus... He helped bury Jesus, no doubt among much disagreement among his peers...Nicodemus dissented, but was a member of the group who voted for His death...Nicodemus met Him and loved Him...
Nicodemus and Joseph took Jesus to a new tomb...Nicodemus brought seventy five pounds of myrrh and aloes, we might assume he had some wealth (because of the large quantity, seventy five pounds)...Jesus would be buried in a new tomb...Jesus had told Nicodemus in his teachings he had to be renewed, to be reborn...Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to Spirit...No doubt Nicodemus, would never forget...
Nicodemus and Joseph have broken away from the Pharisees...They have touched His body and were now unclean...They would have to go through the ritual of getting from unclean to clean...They would miss the Passover, with their old friends and Pharisees...This took much courage...This took love and faith...Jesus had just died...The most important fact in human history would take place in three days...The fact of the resurrection...Nicodemus and Joseph showed their faith...They showed their love for Him...
One might think, if we met Jesus, in person like Nicodemus did we would do the same thing...He was one of the few Pharisees (that we know of) that broke from the crowd...Thinking independently is very hard, when all your friends and acquaintances think another way...Loving Jesus is a personal commitment...Love for Jesus is an individual thing...Nicodemus longed to love God...Something he could feel, almost grasp, he knew their was a God...This desire that Nicodemus felt could be answered by His Son...He must have felt this during the his lessons and teaching of Jesus...
Others even had a harder time with their questions and doubt...St. Thomas, who is called the Doubting Thomas, doubted even after the other disciples told Him, He has risen...He is alive again, and is still alive today...Jesus allowed His doubter and student to see His hands and to put his fingers in His side, where He was pierced...Questions and doubt are part of the natural process of believing in Jesus...Even John the Baptist wanted to make sure, Jesus was the One, when he was in prison...John sent his disciples to double check this...We have days we doubt...But Jesus tells us that you (Thomas) believe Me, because you can see Me...Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed...
We take a journey to find Him...The end of the journey is belief...When we believe we are blessed...When we enter the gate and get on the road, eventually, we must get off this road (of the journey) and take the leap of faith, like Nicodemus and Thomas do...The journey is an important part of finding Jesus...Many during His life on earth took a journey with Him...Only a few took the leap of faith to believe in Him...Many enter through the gate during our lives that lead to life, but small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it (Matthew 7:13-14)...Those who believe are the ones who are blessed...