Secret Disciples Stand Up For Jesus
Or
Buried In A Borrowed Tomb
Sunday August 13, 2023
Scripture To Consider:
“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.”
“Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.” John 19.38-42
Something To Consider:
Luke in his gospel gives us some tremendous insights into this secret disciple named Joseph of Arimathea. In Luke 23.50-51, we are told, “Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.”
So while the other members of the Sanhedrin were probably celebrating the death of Jesus, Joseph approached Pilate at great danger to himself, his family, and his future as a religious leader. But this secret disciple was compelled to stand up for Jesus, and the thought or threat of future persecution would not stand in his way.
And now the whole world knows Joseph of Arimathea’s secret. Are we living secret agent lives as it pertains to following Jesus? If so, how has that worked out for us thus far? At what point will we stand up even if standing alone means we will endure persecution or worse?
If we are end time believers, and I believe the Word of God declares just that, the end time revelation of our allegiance to Christ is fast approaching. Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 10.32; “Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men [openly], him [or her] I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus continued His thought process in verse 33, by stating for the record, “But whoever denies Me before men [or women], him [or her] I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Which will it be? Will we confess openly our allegiance to Christ, or when mandated to worship the Antichrist, will we do so and thereby deny Jesus Christ?
Something Else To Consider:
Nicodemus, whose name means conqueror of the people, joined Joseph of Arimathea, and together the two secret disciples finally stood up for Jesus in an act of defiance against Rome and the religious leaders, in an act of worship and reverent respect for Jesus.
According to some bible commentaries, Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night years earlier, as was recorded in John 3.1, came to Jesus at night out of fear. The bible does not prove or disapprove that concept. But if Nicodemus had at first been fearful of what others might think, say, or do in regard to his meeting with Jesus, there is no doubt that he overcame any and all fears and repercussions by the religious rulers and or Rome’s officials.
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus came to an understanding that standing up for Jesus was the right thing to do. Have we come to that same spiritual understanding in our lives as so-called Christians? Are we willing to place everything and everyone at odds with us for the sake of standing up for Jesus? The time of true testing may be closer than we think!
It appears that secret disciples of all generations must at some point stand up and speak out for Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the things of God and of His kingdom. It is the right thing to do! And before long, we will be forced to do so under the threat of death or being refused social privileges such as our being able to buy or to sell or to take part in societal benefits.
Something More To Consider:
Jesus Himself proclaimed in Matthew 8.20, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” In both life and death it is apparent that Jesus was dependent upon the divine provision of His heavenly Father. And yet, God the Father worked through and still works through the generosity of His people to supply for the needs of God’s work and God’s servants.
John records, “Now in the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” So Jesus, the Word of God who was in the beginning with God and was God, was buried in a borrowed tomb by secret disciples who decided it was more important to stand up for Jesus than to remain silent and secret followers from a distance.
The world is experiencing a great rise in lawlessness that Jesus predicted in Matthew chapter 24. Have we recently stood up for holiness and godliness in the midst of the abounding lawlessness? Standing up for Jesus and the written and graciously preserved Word of God may mean we and our families are refused the ability to buy or to sell life’s necessities in the near future. Are we ready? Are we prepared?
What have we done or what are we doing in order to be prepared for what lies ahead which is in accordance with the written Word of God? Are we prepared for the end time events as laid out most distinctly by Jesus in Matthew chapter 24? And if not, why not? What are we waiting for? Do not believe the deceptive lie of a pre-tribulation rapture. If you do, you will not be prepared for end time events as predicted by Jesus and others!
A Few Final Words:
Speaking of the times in which we are living, Jesus pronounced in Matthew 24.9-10; “Then they will deliver you [enduring to the end true believer in Jesus] up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended [because the rapture did not take place before the tribulation], will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
Jesus continued, by stating in verses 11-14; “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many [not some but will deceive many]. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many [not some but many] will grow cold. But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom [the gospel of enduring to the end] will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Are we prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically for the coming onslaught of anti-Christian persecution, deception, and abounding lawlessness? And if not, why not? What are we waiting for in order to be prepared? There will be no pre-tribulation rapture according to Jesus and the Word of God!
Jesus of Nazareth in His first coming was the rightful heir of all the earth, but in death He was buried in a borrowed tomb by onetime secret but faithful disciples who died to self, by standing up for Jesus. We too must be prepared to stand up for Jesus and the things of God. Otherwise, we will be among those offended and willing to betray true believers in the end!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may we as leaders in training, stand up for Jesus in a way that brings glory to You and Your Son, our Lord Jesus. May we be found in the end looking unto Jesus of whom is the Word of God. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 