The Burial of Jesus

Joseph of Arimathea requested permission from Pilate to take away the body of Jesus. Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, though he kept this secret due to his fear of the Jews (John 19:38). After Pilate granted him leave, Joseph arrived and took the body. He was joined by Nicodemus, the man who had previously visited Jesus during the night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes that weighed approximately one hundred pounds (John 19:39). The text does not say how the two men transported these materials or the body to the burial site.

The two men took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths along with the spices, following the burial customs of the Jews (John 19:40). The text does not say if any other individuals assisted them in the physical preparation of the body or if any specific prayers were offered during the process. The location of the crucifixion was near a garden, and within that garden was a new sepulcher in which no man had ever been laid (John 19:41). The text does not say who owned the garden or who had originally commissioned the construction of the tomb.

Because it was the day of the Jews' preparation and the tomb was located nearby, they laid Jesus there (John 19:42). The proximity of the tomb facilitated the burial before the start of the Sabbath. The text does not say how the tomb was sealed or what the participants did immediately following the placement of the body. The narrative concludes with the placement of Jesus in this specific garden sepulcher (John 19:42).