Luke 23:50-56 – Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
This is one of the most romantic stories of the Bible. We see a rich man appearing in the presence of a ruler and begging for a dead body that doesn’t even look like the body of Christ. It’s been mutilated by the lashes of man, the mockery of self opinions, and division of the crowds. The body has defecated on itself from not only the deathly trama of crucifixion, but also through the extreme loneliness from everyone scattering and leaving Him to bleed on His own.
And here comes a man begging for the Body! A man that sees something far beyond the universe. A man in love with the body of Christ, no matter it’s condition. For true love covers a multitude of sin and allows the person to see something worth investing in and giving it a new place.
After Joseph covered and wrapped the body of Christ in linen cloth, he had gone before Christ and hewed out a new place to lay His head. Even though the body of Christ was dead, in Joseph’s mind he could see it coming to life if He could just make a place for the body to be resurrected. This was the Father’s working through Joseph. This is also something that is about to happen to many on this earth. Love is about to awaken in man to resurrect the body of Christ. For man has a “role ” in resurrecting Christ.
If you will notice, there were others observing “how” Joseph laid the body of Christ. That love that was on Joseph, got on the others and they went and got their “best” to come anoint the dead body as well. This clearly shows that it is going to take us all doing our part in loving the body of Christ. It’s the Love of the Father that raises the body of Christ. It is the body of Christ raising itself through the love of the Father.