Joseph of ArimatheaSample

Legacy

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
- Matthew 28:6 

Joseph wasn’t to know with any certainty that his deeds would be depicted in the Scripture for generations to come. Yet he faithfully did what he could do with what he had. At times, our purpose can feel doubtful, and we call into question why we do what we do. This must have been how it felt for Joseph. We can’t ignore the hours that we hear nothing about. Living in the tension of waiting, grieving, and suffering. His hopes entombed in the sealed grave where his friend and master lay. 

So often, we are clueless as to how our purpose fits into anything of greater significance. I’m sure Joseph must have replayed the events of the last few days over and over again. Thinking to himself: What now? 

I can imagine when Joseph goes to the tomb on Sunday morning to pay respects to a man that had forever changed his life and his purpose. He winces, viscerally affected by the memories of carrying the weight of Jesus’ lifeless body. But as Joseph gets closer, he sees that the heavy stone he used to seal the tomb is rolled away. 

Could he dare to believe that the rumours were true? When he saw the first sign of resurrection—an empty slab, abandoned burial cloth, a folded linen shroud—no doubt he ran in to examine the tomb like Peter did, as described in John’s Gospel. 

Joseph gets his tomb back. Just as Jesus said He would: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). 

The next time pain and pointlessness attack and attempt to push you into the darkened tomb, remember what Joseph must have seen. The tomb was empty. This is the Christian hope, and this Christian hope is verified by the miracle that left Joseph’s tomb. We can now build our lives on the promises of God. We now have purpose. Nothing is pointless. Even the most devastating situations can be turned around by God’s grace and resurrection power. A word that’s unbreakable, a victory of such finality. We stand on this unshakeable and precious promise of God. Death has been swallowed up in victory. It’s a promise that’s more precious than anything else we could ever grip or hold onto. There are times when we need to claim the resurrection power in our lives, even when we cannot see it and even when there are dead ends to our endeavours. So we cry, Hallelujah, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! That is the power that transforms our day-to-day lives. The privilege of knowing that Jesus Christ transforms and makes all things new.