Why Is Joseph of Arimathea Important to the Easter Story?
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Who Was Joseph of Arimathea?
The Bible has a way of repeating itself. All of Scripture is worthy of deep study and meditation, and the reader should take special note of everything in it. There are no wasted words in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) each have accounts of the life of Jesus while He “wore flesh” on earth. The four Gospels don’t share all the same reports, but Joseph of Arimathea and his role related to the burial of Jesus is mentioned in each.
What does the Bible have to say about Joseph of Arimathea? He is described as:
From the Jewish town of Arimathea (Luke 23:50). Arimathea is said to have been located about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The name, Arimathea, means “heights.” Joseph was (and is) a common name. Without a last name, people who had common names were given an identifier such Joseph (of Arimathea) had.
A rich man (Matthew 27:57). A rich man in that day would have had wealth and means far above the common or middle-class person.
A disciple of Jesus (Matthew 27:57, John 19:38). A disciple is defined as one who is a follower, a believer in the principles of another. As such, Joseph would have intimate knowledge of much Jesus taught. He would have believed in Him as he spent time with Him.
A man who feared the Jews (John 19:38). The ruling body of the Jews sought to kill Jesus (John 7:1). After the crucifixion, however, the disciples were persecuted by the Jews (on Jesus’ behalf). To have been aligned with Jesus would have been cause for fear.
A respected member of the Council (Mark 15:23, Luke 23:50). The Council was that of the Sanhedrin, who acted as the religious ruling body for the Jews. They also maintained civilian and criminal dominion over the Jews. Because Joseph was a respected member, he was given access to Pilate due to the charges made by the Jews, that Jesus “claimed to be King of the Jews,” which would seek to supersede Caesar’s rule.
Looking for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43, Luke 23:51). As a disciple of Jesus, Joseph would be familiar with the Lord’s teaching on the kingdom.
A good and righteous man (Luke 23:50). To be described as righteous in Scripture is high commendation, putting Joseph of Arimathea in the company of Abraham (Romans 4:3), Job (Job 1:1, where his description of being “blameless and upright” are tantamount to being righteous), and Noah, (Genesis 6:9). That’s a formidable group in which to be included.
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What Was Joseph of Arimathea Known in the Bible?
Joseph of Arimathea came in the evening of the day of Jesus’s crucifixion and death—the day of Preparation, which was the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42-43). He served as a respected member of the Sanhedrin, and yet was a secret disciple of Christ, for he feared the Jews (He hadn’t consented to the religious leaders’ decision or action with what the council wanted to do about Jesus).
Joseph bolstered his courage (Mark 15:43), asked Pilate for, and received the body of Jesus after He died on the cross (Matthew 27:58 Mark 15:43, Luke 23:52, John 19:38). What greeted Joseph and Nicodemus at the cross would probably cause even the staunchest heart to falter. Isaiah describes Jesus as “having an appearance so disfigured as to not even look like a man—his form not even resembling a human being” (Isaiah 52:14 CSB). Disciples grow to know and love their teacher. It’s hard not to imagine their horror at the sight of their Master, the One who explained their longed-for kingdom of God. After Joseph and Nicodemus took down the body of Jesus from the cross, they covered it in a clean linen shroud and anointed the body with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, “as is the burial custom of the Jews” (John 19:39). To remove one from such a form of crucifixion, a man had to climb up behind the cross and get the nails out that affixed the crucified person to his cross. Illustrations show a long piece of cloth used to gently lower the body of the corpse to the ground. The Lord had not been dead so long that the blood would have dried, so these two men would have been in contact with His fresh blood. The two men placed Jesus’ body in a new tomb owned and cut by Joseph himself (Matthew 27:57) and then “…rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:60, Mark 15:46).
Do We Know What Happened to Him after Easter?
There is nothing mentioned in the Bible about Joseph of Arimathea after the account given in the Gospels about his actions following Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Legend has him becoming the first Christian missionary to Britain and, according to the BBC, he carried the Holy Grail there and founded the Glastonbury Abbey. The only reliable, documented accounts of Joseph of Arimathea are found in the Bible, and Joseph would probably agree, that is enough.
Why Is Joseph of Arimathea Important to Easter?
Joseph of Arimathea is important for this holy day because of his reverence for Jesus, even for His body after death. Jesus was not left to hang dead on the cross nor be thrown into a pit with all the criminals. Joseph belied Jewish beliefs about the unclean nature of a corpse when he and Nicodemus touched Jesus’ dead body. Also, his stature as a rich man enabled him to wrap Jesus’ corpse in the traditional long strips of clean linen treated with a mixture of spices.
Had the body been left to the Romans (slaves of the empire, rather) to dispose, it would have been left to the elements and animals to clean up the remains. It then would have been tossed into the valley of Hinnom along with those bodies the people of the day considered rabble. A dusting of lime was thrown over the piles to keep the smell at bay. This, the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, was used in Old Testament times as a place of defilement, where people did detestable things (2 Chronicles 33:6, Jeremiah 7:31). During the time of Jesus, it was called Gehenna, which is likened—but not in the literal sense—to the word, “hell.” Joseph of Arimathea, along with Nicodemus, showed (and modeled) utmost respect for and worship of the Lord with what they did and how they treated His body.
Another important fact about Joseph was that he played a part in fulfilling prophecies (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:25-28). Jesus would not see corruption (the word used for corruption here means the pit, or ditch, grave). Joseph saw to it that Jesus’ body was kept as pristine as possible and, together with Nicodemus, laid him in his own unused tomb. Joseph then rolled the large stone over the front of the tomb, ensuring no man or animal could enter it and defile his body. Matthew 27:62-66 recounts the narrative of how the Jewish religious leaders went before Pilate and reminded him of what Jesus said, that He would rise after the third day. They asked that the tomb be sealed and guarded. “The seal was a soft, moldable substance, probably clay, that was imprinted with the Roman imperial seal and attached to the stone with a rope. Breaking the seal would incur the Empire’s wrath — if someone could get past the guards” (Ligonier Ministries).
As we know, the only way in (or out) was through a supernatural act of God, and two of His angels were there to greet Mary the next morning John 20:1-18).
While there is not much written in the Bible about Joseph of Arimathea, what he did speaks volumes.
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