Matthew 27:57-66
Buried and Guarded
Read the passage
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.
58He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.
61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate.
63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’
64So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.”
65“You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
66So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
At evening, Joseph of Arimathea comes to Pilate and asks for Jesus’ body. Matthew tells us that Joseph is rich and is himself a disciple. Pilate grants the request. Joseph wraps the body in clean linen and places it in his own new tomb, cut into the rock.
He rolls a large stone across the entrance and leaves. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sit opposite the tomb. They have watched Jesus die, and now they know where He has been laid. The burial gives their grief a particular place; it also prepares us to recognize the tomb they will visit again.
The next day, the chief priests and Pharisees approach Pilate. They remember Jesus’ statement that He would rise after three days. Calling Him a deceiver, they ask for security until the third day, fearing that the disciples might steal the body and announce a resurrection.
Pilate tells them to make the tomb as secure as they know how. They seal the stone and post a guard. Their precautions express resistance to Jesus’ promise, while Joseph’s care expresses devotion to the One who has died.
Matthew does not hurry over this interval. Jesus’ body is wrapped, placed in a known tomb and guarded. The resurrection to come will be the raising of the crucified and buried Jesus, not a comforting idea that helps His followers avoid the reality of death.
How We Know
Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant being with a rich man in death. Matthew identifies Joseph as rich and says Jesus is laid in Joseph’s own tomb. Paul’s summary likewise includes burial between Christ’s death for sins and His resurrection on the third day.
Questions
1 How does Joseph care for Jesus’ body?
AnswerHe asks Pilate for it, wraps it in clean linen and places it in his own new rock-cut tomb. He then rolls a large stone across the entrance.
2 Why do the authorities want the tomb secured?
AnswerThey remember Jesus’ promise to rise after three days and fear a claim that the disciples stole the body. They arrange a seal and a guard to prevent that possibility.
3 Why does the burial matter to the resurrection account?
AnswerJesus truly died and was laid in a particular tomb observed by the women. The next chapter concerns this same Jesus and this same burial place, not an unidentified absence.
4 What practical care can we offer someone who is grieving?
AnswerWe can bring food, help with arrangements or spend time listening. Joseph gives his resources to honor Jesus’ body; his care reminds us that love has work to do even amid loss.
What This Means for Us
Joseph cannot undo the crucifixion, but he can care for Jesus’ body. He uses what he has, including his own tomb, to honor his Lord. When a loss feels beyond anything we can repair, there may still be a meal to prepare, a journey to arrange or a person who needs company.
The women remain opposite the tomb. Faith does not require them to pretend that death is less terrible than it is. We can give mourners room to speak of the person they miss without rushing every conversation toward a cheerful conclusion.
The sealed stone also leaves us waiting on Jesus’ promise. Neither the women’s grief nor the authorities’ precautions can decide what God will do. Our hope rests in the Lord who has said He will rise, even during the silence before that promise is fulfilled.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the care Joseph and the women gave Your Son. Help us honor those who have died and stay near people who mourn. Teach us to trust Your promise when grief leaves us waiting. Amen.