John 19:38-42 – O, death where is your sting?

In verse 38 we are introduced to Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus. Being fearful of the Jews, he dared not openly admit his faith and admiration in Jesus while He was still alive. Now that the Lord had died, he found a new lease of courage and boldness, and so decided to make his commitment open. Coming to Pilate, he requested for the body of Jesus so that he could give Him a proper burial. This was again a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. The prophet said in Isaiah 53:8 that “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” Jesus would have been buried in the one of the three tombs prepared for Him and the other two who were crucified together with Him. But Christ was not buried with them because Joseph sought the permission of Pilate for His body and have Him buried in a newly acquired tomb. Hence it’s so true that “He was with the rich men in His death.” More importantly, the transformation of Joseph attests to the power of Christ’s redeeming death. Like Joseph, who openly admitted the Lordship of Christ, we can also have a transforming experience for ourselves. His strength will be made perfect in our weakness. So, come to Christ and be strengthened.

John then proceeded to narrate the bold act of Nicodemus. He was the one who was first introduced in John 3. Nicodemus came to Jesus in the cover of night and had a discussion with Him concerning the experience of the new birth. All these while, he was a covert believer. Now, overcame by the grace of God, he came out openly and unashamedly to show his love for Jesus. He came bringing myrrh and aloe, worth a hundred pounds weight, to embalm Jesus. The purpose of indicating the amount he brought to embalm Jesus was to show the depth of his love for Jesus now. When one realizes and feels the love Christ, all fears will be disarmed. It will propel one to love Him in return. So according to the custom of the Jews, Nicodemus and Joseph took the body of Jesus and bound it with linen wrappings together with the spice, and got it ready for burial.

In the last two verses, John wants us to know about the glorious burial place of the Lord. John tells us that this was a garden tomb where no one had been placed in before. Besides, it was also near the place when the Lord was crucified. We can roughly guess why John chose to speak about the garden tomb. For it was in another garden, the Garden of Eden, that man first sinned against God. It was there that death became the experience of every man, because Adam and Eve was beguiled and deceived by that ancient serpent. It would be in this new garden tomb that sin and death would meet its conqueror. It was here in this garden that Jesus entered the domain of death. It was here that “…through death He (Jesus) might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives” (Hebrews 2:14b-15). Just as sin entered humanity in a garden, now in another garden, death would be dealt a final blow. Herein is our liberation. No wonder Paul would boldly proclaim in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”