Luke 23:50-56
Laid in a New Tomb
Read the passage
50Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man,
51who had not consented to their decision or action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God.
52He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.
53Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid.
54It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed.
56Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
A man named Joseph comes from Arimathea, a town of the Jews. He is a member of the council, a good and righteous man who has not agreed with the council's decision and action.
Joseph is waiting for the kingdom of God. He goes to Pilate and asks for Jesus' body. He takes it down, wraps it in a linen shroud, and lays it in a new tomb cut in stone where no one has yet been laid.
It is the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath is beginning. The women who came with Jesus from Galilee follow Joseph, see the tomb, and observe how His body is laid.
They return and prepare spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rest according to the commandment. Grief does not erase their careful love; they remember the place and prepare to honor Jesus as soon as the Sabbath allows.
Questions
1 Who asks Pilate for Jesus' body?
AnswerJoseph of Arimathea, a righteous council member who did not agree with the council's decision, asks Pilate for the body.
2 How does Joseph prepare Jesus' body?
AnswerHe takes it down, wraps it in a linen shroud, and lays it in a new stone-cut tomb.
3 What do the women observe?
AnswerThey see the tomb and observe how Jesus' body is laid, giving them knowledge of where He has been placed.
4 What do the women do on the Sabbath?
AnswerThey rest according to the commandment after preparing spices and ointments. Their waiting is an act of faithful obedience.
What This Means for Us
Joseph acts publicly when Jesus' disciples are vulnerable and grief has made the future uncertain. The women preserve the details and continue faithful care even when resurrection is not yet in view.
Families can honor the dead with tenderness and respect. Grief often includes practical tasks, and those tasks are not a failure to trust God; they can be a form of love.
Prayer
God of the grieving, stay near households facing death. Give us courage like Joseph, faithful care like the women, and patience to wait when Your next work is hidden from us. Amen.