Mark 15:42-47
“It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.“ Mark 15:42-47 NIV
Most of what God asks us to do is routine, but there are other times He calls us to do the remarkable. Routine things that God wants us to do is to love the people in our life, be kind, gentle, and be patient with people. He wants us to give, worship with others, and read His Word. These are actions of faith that are routine. But there are those times where God wants us to do the remarkable.
However, the remarkable will always involve risks. From time to time God will have you do something out of the ordinary for Him. It will be risky for you.
What does it mean to take a risk for something or someone? It means to expose yourself to danger, harm, or loss. Just like the disciples and the first Christians you will be asked to take a risk for God.
When you take a look at the burial of Jesus you come across a person who took a risk. He willingly exposed himself to danger, harm and loss for the sake of God’s kingdom.
The stage was set for the greatest miracle in the universe. The resurrection, the bodily resurrection, from the dead, of Jesus the Christ. There was no human explanation for it. He really died. They did not go to the wrong tomb. He was dead and buried.
But God had a greater plan and raised Christ from the dead.Sometimes we can sense that all is dead. Our plans and hopes and dreams.
But God is the God of the resurrection who is breathing new life into His people through Christ and faith in Christ, so that one day raised with Him we will be raised with a body imperishable when the last trumpet shall sound. Our resurrection is guaranteed and certain.
The Christian, then, even at the graveside, has a hope beyond what the world can give. For they remember that Christ too was buried. And three days later rose again.
Buried. Dead. But this is not the end of the story.
Joseph stepped out of his routine and did something remarkable, but now the stage is set for what seems impossible. Is God wanting you to step out of your routine and take a risk for Him in some way?
Maybe this risk for God has something to do with going public with your private faith. Rearranging your financial priorities in order to bless others or to give and tithe regularly. It might require you sitting down and having a loving and honest conversation with someone about Jesus and how He has changed your life. Or it might be asking for forgiveness or giving forgiveness.
Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start getting excited about what could go right. Great things don’t only come from our comfort zones. Sometimes we need to be a little uncomfortable to accomplish a God guided task.
This is the moment in the gospels where it appeared as though God were silent. Jesus had been crucified, the disciples scattered, and the awful process of mourning was in full effect. This was a time for tears and sorrow.
Jesus who had once been so vibrant and full of life was dead. What must this have been like for those followers who saw His body? Such heart break. Such hurt, but all was not lost because God was still working.
There are moments in life where it feels like God is silent, but I would propose to you that is the moment He is doing His greatest works.
It was the silence between the death of Christ and His resurrection that bought our peace. It was in the midst of the greatest sorrow that He was accomplishing what would become our greatest joy.
If we love Jesus and remember His suffering and humiliation on the cross, we too can gather our courage and stand up for Him even when there is much to lose and there appears to be nothing to gain.
However, we need to remember that there is always something to be gained because God can do great things from our faithfulness even in the smallest things.
While it’s easy to read this passage and focus on Joseph, the emphasis should really be on Christ. Joseph did what he did because he recognized that Jesus was worthy of honor.
Jesus is worthy of our worship, He is worthy of our obedience, He is worthy of our lives. May we be people who have a love for Jesus that keeps us close to Him even when everyone else turns away!!!
Father, we thank You for this day and love You and want to grow in knowledge of You and Your Word. Lord, let Your abundant blessings fall from the storehouses over my friend and family today. Lord, thank You for the silent moments of life, we know that even when the world seems to stop, You are still moving. Lord, please give us grace and confidence in You even when we don’t see You working. Lord, the witness of these women helps make Your death and burial emotionally and factually real to us. We can only imagine their heartbreak and their deep sense of loss, however this heartbreak also makes their testimony to Your resurrection even more powerful. Thank You for their faithful witness which makes the anguish they bore a reason for hope and not a hopeless end. Lord use us to be a bold witness today of Your resurrection to all. Father, we love You. Amen !
Comments