Joe: Luke 23.50-55 (ESV)

I was reminded this past week of a thought.  I grew up in a very conservative church.  My first sermon was red faced screaming hell, fire and brimstone.  There was a lingering sense that God is mad at us.  This past week I was reminded of a simple truth: the wrath of God was satisfied because Jesus took the wrath of the Father upon Himself and we are justified.  It's true.  Jesus absorbed that wrath and we are not set apart for the wrath of God.  This is hard to grasp if you grew up like I did.  There's a release to know Jesus came for us.  This is Holy Week.  Jesus took our place and that means a lot for our spiritual well-being.

Today we focus on Joseph of Arimathea (Joe) in Luke 23:50-55.  We're going to take a closer look at Joe, who showed up.  Looking at Joe has changed my perspective.  We tend to naturally gravitate towards bad things but there's some really bright spots around the cross.  Have you ever gotten some help unexpectedly?  I was at a store trying to load a large heavy box into my cart.  An old lady walked by watching me.  "Do you need some help?" she asked.  I was thinking, "Probably, but not from you."  She then said, "I can't pick up that box but I can help steady your cart for you."  She was helpful!  I didn't think I needed help but my cart was moving away from me and her holding it was a big help.  I was thankful she stopped to help me.  In Luke 23:50 Jesus has died.  His body is on the cross and Joe enters the story.  We learn a few things about Joe's character.

Character

 Character is what kind of person someone is.  

                        ⁵⁰Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, ⁵¹who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.

 Luke tells us helpful things.  He writes to a non-Jewish audience.  Luke explains a lot.  He says Joe was from a Jewish town called Arimathea.  There's no need to tell a Jew that Arimathea is a Jewish town.  Jews already knew Arimathea was Jewish.  We are thankful for Luke's writings because he overexplains things and it's helpful to have this information.  

This past week I learned about cocomelon.  I was introduced to cocomelon and at first I thought it was something you eat.  It's an animated series for preschoolers!  My niece loves it.  There's things we do not know about until someone tells us.  Luke is informing us.  Many things happened and if they aren't explained we don't know what's going on.  We do not have all the info. of what happened at the cross.  We have several stories of people intervening in Jesus' life.  We wonder how many stories like this are there that we do not know about?  Many people served Jesus along the way.  All four Gospels tell us Joe was there to take the body of Jesus.  He's inserted into the story all of a sudden.  He was a member of the council and that means he was a Pharisee or a Sadducee.  I think he was probably a Pharisee like Paul.  This means he was educated and wealthy.  Today, we think of lower, middle and upper classes.  Back then there was only wealthy and poor.  You got paid every day for your work and lived from day to day or you had enough and weren't living day to day.  This tells us about the kind of people Jesus reached.  Jesus reached the lowest of the low, the outcast that people avoided and Jesus reached wealthy people, the kind that climbed up a tree to hear Jesus.  Joe was a person at the high end of society.  What we learn here is Joseph was a good and righteous person.  He was right with God.  Luke is writing this after the resurrection of Jesus.  In verse 51 he did not consent to the decision of the council.  This tells us things were not unified on the council.  God was speaking to people.  They're realizing who Jesus is.  We always put the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the bad camp but God reaches into every segment and redeems.  The last thing we see of Joe's character is he was looking for the Kingdom of God.  This same phrase is used for Simeon and Anna when Jesus encountered them as a child in the Temple.  This is like a code word for a follower of Jesus, someone who is pressing into God.  From the beginning of the Gospel to the end there were people who were part of the Kingdom and devout.  They were looking for  Jesus.  We find out what our character is when we get squeezed.  What comes out of us is what's really inside.  We see a remarkable man who goes into action.  Joe begins to serve Jesus when everything is going crazy.  

Work

            ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.

 Normally when someone is crucified their body was thrown into a common pit.  For a Jew this was the worst way for your life to end.  It's not a proper burial.  Joe goes to Pilate.  Having access to Pilate shows Joe was powerful.  Most people couldn't have walked in and had an audience with Pilate.  He uses his power for good.  Sometimes you're in a position of power to do good.  This is a moment when most of the people that were following Jesus have disappeared.  One betrayed Jesus and most are scared.  They didn't go to Pilate.  Remember Peter hanging outside by the fire at the trial of Jesus?  Peter denies he knows Jesus three times.  Jesus was on trial and they were looking for anyone associated with Jesus.  They might have crucified Peter too.  What's it mean for Joe to say to Pilate he wants Jesus' body?  It's a phenomenal risk!  Joe earned the right to go to Pilate.  Pilate condemned Jesus to die.  I cannot emphasize enough that Joe risks his reputation, his finances and his life when everyone else is afraid.  What does Joe have to gain?  People came to Jesus for many reasons: miracles, healing and entertainment.  People came to Jesus with all kinds of needs.  Joe didn't come to gain anything.  Jesus died.  Joe gains nothing and risks losing everything.  He went to the cross and removed Jesus' body.  It was gruesome.  Joe wasn't alone in this.  Nicodemus shows up with spices for the burial.  While Jesus is coming off the cross two councilmembers are there.  God was still working in people's lives.  This is truly believing in Jesus.  They were grieving as well.  He took the body of Jesus and placed it in his own tomb.  We know Jesus died and his body was placed in a tomb.  Pilate sends guards to watch over the tomb.  Pilate knows where it is.  This is historical fact.  These things have been confirmed.  Jesus was crucified.  Jesus dies and Jesus' body was placed in a tomb.  We are able to confirm this.

Witness

            ⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. ⁵⁵The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

This was a very dark and emotional time.  It's hard.  They're hurting and grieving.  They're doing a burial.  In that darkness they do not know Sunday is coming!  Friday at 6pm, Sabbath, and it's still dark.  They did not finish everything for the body.  They had to wait until Saturday at 6pm when the Sabbath was over at 6pm.  It was dark again.  They don't know what's coming.  They noticed how the body was laid.  When John comes to the tomb he doesn't go all the way in.  He saw how the linen was laid and he knew.  Stay here in this moment.  They served in darkness, in difficult times.  Joe cared for the body of Jesus.  Let's fast forward.  One day Joe finishes his last day on earth and arrives in Heaven.  In Heaven Jesus stands face to face with Joe.   Joes took down Jesus' body.  Joe served Jesus.  Imagine Jesus reaching out to Joe and saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"  That's what we live for.  You have done some hard things that many people don't know about.  God knows.  Remain faithful and do hard things.

Sermon by Dr. Scotty Carpenter.  Sermon notes by Jeni Martin Johnson.