The Burial

⁵⁷As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,

⁵⁸went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him.

⁵⁹Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth.

⁶⁰He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.

⁶¹Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

⁶²The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate.

⁶³They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’

⁶⁴So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

⁶⁵Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.”

⁶⁶So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

⁴²Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.)

⁴³Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet.

⁴⁴The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body.

⁴⁵Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.

⁴⁶Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.

⁵⁰but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.

⁵¹He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

⁵²Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.

⁵³This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.

⁵⁴As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.

⁵⁵Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.

³⁸Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away.

³⁹With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.

⁴⁰Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.

⁴¹The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before.

⁴²And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.