Joseph of ArimatheaSample

Strategy  

Joseph . . . asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission.  - John 19:38 

Joseph didn’t have an intricately planned strategy to implement, nor a big team to execute it. It was not his function to bury the body— that would have been the family—but he took the first step. He took the initiative and the first part of the initiative was to acquire permission to access the body. I can only imagine the state of his heart as he plucked up his courage and went boldly to Pilate. Joseph was a respecter of authority and understood that sometimes one has to follow bureaucratic procedures in order to achieve objectives. He knew that action was required, but he also respected the process and channels through which those actions had to flow. He wanted to act honorably, and he knew he had to act fast. 

That’s when Joseph swung into action. Joseph was a practitioner. He understood the Jewish customs. Joseph knew that certain processes had to be fulfilled and specific procedures had to be followed. He drew upon his resources and brought Nicodemus alongside him. Nicodemus brought the spices and linens. John states that Nicodemus brought seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). 

It was two business people who were there when the practical stuff had to be done. They got their hands dirty and became unclean in order to show respect to the one they put their hope in. Therein lies a lesson for us all, we cannot use praying on our knees as an excuse for not participating with our hands. Faith in action involves both. Joseph and Nicodemus show us that it isn’t good enough merely to be followers of Jesus Christ; we must also get our hands dirty doing the work that He calls us to.