When
evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.
Mark 15:42-45
Mark 15 [40.] There were also women watching from afar, among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and served him; and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
Mark 15 [42.] When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid.
Mark 16 [1.] When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.
Meaning:
Jesus has died at the ninth hour, and the women who followed him from Galilee have watched from a distance (Mark 15:40-41). Evening is approaching, and with it the Sabbath. At this point a new figure steps forward. Joseph of Arimathaea, a member of the very council that condemned Jesus, takes a risk to give him an honourable burial.
- “When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day”
Jesus died around three in the afternoon. The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday, and no burial work could be done on the Sabbath, so there were only a few hours left. The Law of Moses also commanded that the body of an executed man should not remain hanging overnight: “his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day” (Deuteronomy 21:23). The Romans often left crucified bodies on the cross for days or threw them into a common grave, so without someone’s intervention Jesus’ body might have been dishonoured.
- “Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for God’s Kingdom”
Arimathaea was a town in Judea. Joseph was a respected member of the Sanhedrin. Mark describes him as one who was “looking for God’s Kingdom”, a man waiting for God to fulfil his promises, the kingdom Jesus had proclaimed from the beginning: “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand!” (Mark 1:15). He sat on the council that had judged Jesus worthy of death (Mark 14:64), yet he now acted very differently from his colleagues.
- “He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body”
This took courage. By asking for the body of a man crucified for claiming to be king, Joseph openly associated himself with Jesus before the Roman governor and before his fellow council members. He stood up for Jesus at the very time when the disciples had fled (Mark 14:50). Jesus had warned, “For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him” (Mark 8:38). Joseph was not ashamed. “The righteous are as bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).
- “Pilate marveled if he were already dead”
Crucified men often lingered for a day or more, so Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died within about six hours. He had marveled earlier at Jesus’ silence (Mark 15:5). Before releasing the body he checked with the centurion, the officer who had watched Jesus die and had said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). The Roman officer’s report confirms that Jesus truly died. His resurrection was not recovery from a faint, but life from the dead.
- “he granted the body to Joseph”
Pilate gave the body freely. The governor who had condemned Jesus now released him to a disciple, and Jesus would be laid in a tomb provided by a prominent and wealthy man, as Isaiah had foretold: “They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death” (Isaiah 53:9).
The Significance of Mark 15:42-45
- Courage at the right time
Joseph acted when it was hardest. Faith that has been hidden can become bold when it matters most. Each believer is called to stand with Jesus openly, even when it costs reputation or position.
- Jesus truly died
The centurion’s report removes any doubt about the death of Jesus. Paul lists it among the first truths of the gospel: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Cross-References:
Deuteronomy 21:23: "his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him the same day;" The law behind Joseph’s haste.
Mark 15:39: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" The centurion who confirmed Jesus’ death.
Mark 8:38: "For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation," Joseph was not ashamed.
Proverbs 28:1: "The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion." The boldness of the righteous.
Conclusion: As the Sabbath approached, Joseph of Arimathaea, a respected council member who was waiting for God’s Kingdom, boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised that Jesus had already died, confirmed it with the centurion and granted the body to Joseph. The passage shows the courage of a secret disciple who came forward at the darkest hour, and it confirms that Jesus truly died, preparing the way for the good news of his resurrection.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible