The Audience John Is Writing To
Jesus is dead.
The declaration has been made: “It is finished.”
The spear has pierced His side.
John has testified: I saw it.
He truly died.
Now another question becomes important.
What happened to the body?
John answers carefully.
Jesus is not abandoned at Golgotha.
He is buried.
In a known location.
In a new tomb.
By identifiable people.
And remarkably, the men who step forward are not Peter.
Not Thomas.
Not Andrew.
And not even John.
They are two men whose discipleship had largely remained hidden.
Joseph of Arimathea.
And Nicodemus.
John now shows us something beautiful.
When nearly everyone assumes Jesus’ movement has ended…
two frightened disciples become courageous.
John 19:38-42 NASB95
After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. [Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Key Focus of the Passage and Jesus’ Character
The focus is the burial of Christ, the emergence of previously secret disciples, the transformation of Nicodemus, and God’s sovereign preparation for the Resurrection.
Jesus is revealed even in death as:
- the King worthy of costly honor,
- the fulfillment of Scripture,
- the One whose death draws hidden believers into public allegiance,
- and the Savior whose body is carefully placed in the tomb from which He will soon rise.
This short passage quietly prepares everything necessary for resurrection morning.
The People in the Interaction
- Jesus
- Joseph of Arimathea
- Nicodemus
- Pontius Pilate, from whom Joseph requests the body
What Happened in the Scene
After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea approaches Pilate.
John tells us Joseph is: “A disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews.”
Joseph asks permission to take Jesus’ body.
Pilate grants the request.
Joseph comes and removes the body from the Cross.
Then John tells us: “Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came.”
Nicodemus brings a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred Roman pounds.
Together, Joseph and Nicodemus take Jesus’ body.
They wrap it in linen cloths with the spices according to Jewish burial custom.
Near the place of crucifixion is a garden.
Inside the garden is a new tomb.
No one has ever been buried there.
Because the Sabbath is approaching and the tomb is nearby, they place Jesus there.
The stone will soon close the entrance.
For the moment…
the story appears finished.
But John has already told us otherwise.
The Deep Theology of the Burial
Joseph Was a Disciple
John gives Joseph an extraordinary description.
“A disciple of Jesus.”
He belongs to Christ.
Yet immediately John adds: “But a secret one.”
Why?
“For fear.”
This connects directly with themes John has been developing throughout the Gospel.
Earlier, some rulers believed in Jesus but would not confess Him publicly because they feared being expelled from the synagogue.
John said: “They loved the approval of people rather than the approval of God.”
Joseph has apparently lived within that tension.
He believes.
But fear has controlled the visibility of his discipleship.
Until now.
Fear Can Silence Genuine Conviction
We should be careful not to dismiss Joseph too quickly.
Fear is powerful.
Publicly identifying with Jesus could cost:
status,
relationships,
religious standing,
social acceptance,
perhaps even personal safety.
Joseph understands the price.
For some time, he has apparently decided that secrecy is safer.
Yet secret discipleship creates its own burden.
Eventually allegiance must become visible.
The Cross becomes the moment Joseph stops hiding.
The Strange Moment Joseph Chooses
Think about the timing.
If Joseph wanted to become publicly associated with Jesus, there were many seemingly better opportunities.
After Lazarus was raised?
Thousands were interested.
During the Triumphal Entry?
Crowds shouted:
“Hosanna!”
During Jesus’ public ministry?
Miracles surrounded Him.
But Joseph does not step forward then.
He steps forward after Jesus is dead.
From a human perspective, this is the worst possible moment.
The movement appears finished.
The Messiah appears defeated.
The religious authorities have won.
Rome has executed Him.
There seems to be nothing left to gain.
And that may be precisely what makes Joseph’s action so powerful.
Now his devotion cannot easily be explained by personal advantage.
Jesus appears able to give Joseph nothing.
Joseph honors Him anyway.
Asking Pilate for the Body
Joseph must approach Pilate personally.
That requires courage.
Crucified criminals were often treated with dishonor even after death.
Requesting the body publicly associates Joseph with the condemned Jesus.
He cannot remain invisible while making this request.
The secret disciple has crossed a line.
His faith is now public.
There are moments when following Jesus requires stepping out of anonymity.
Joseph has reached his.
Nicodemus Returns
Then John brings back someone we have not seen for several chapters.
“Nicodemus…”
John immediately reminds us who he is: “Who had first come to Him by night.”
That description is intentional.
John wants us to remember John 3.
Darkness.
Questions.
Uncertainty.
A respected religious leader quietly seeking Jesus when no one is watching.
Now compare the scenes.
In John 3: Nicodemus comes at night.
In John 19: Nicodemus comes publicly to the crucified Christ.
Something has changed.
The Journey of Nicodemus
Nicodemus appears three times in John’s Gospel.
And each appearance seems to move him closer toward open identification with Jesus.
John 3 — Nicodemus Comes at Night
He is curious.
Respectful.
But cautious.
He says: “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher.”
Jesus tells him: “You must be born again.”
Nicodemus leaves the conversation with much to consider.
John 7 — Nicodemus Speaks Up
Later, religious leaders want to condemn Jesus.
Nicodemus cautiously objects: “Our Law does not judge the person unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”
He does not openly confess Jesus.
But he does defend fair treatment.
The man who once came privately is beginning to speak.
John 19 — Nicodemus Steps Into the Light
Now there is no hiding.
He comes to the Cross.
He brings spices.
And he handles Jesus’ body.
He participates in the burial.
Whatever questions remained earlier, Nicodemus is now willing to be identified publicly with Jesus.
John’s use of darkness and light makes this transformation especially beautiful.
The man who first came at night now acts openly when it seems darkness has won.
Growth Does Not Always Happen Instantly
Nicodemus’ story should encourage us.
Some people come to bold faith quickly.
Others move gradually.
Question.
Consider.
Observe.
Take a small stand.
Then eventually step forward.
We should never use this to excuse permanent secrecy.
But neither should we assume God is absent simply because someone’s faith is developing slowly.
Jesus patiently worked with Nicodemus.
John allows us to see the progression.
One Hundred Pounds of Spices
Nicodemus brings an extraordinary quantity of myrrh and aloes.
John describes approximately one hundred Roman pounds—likely around seventy-five modern pounds, depending on the measure used.
This is not a modest burial contribution.
It is lavish.
Costly.
Extravagant.
The man who once approached Jesus cautiously now honors Him generously.
A Burial Fit for a King
Large quantities of spices could be associated with distinguished burials.
John does not explicitly say:
“Nicodemus buried Jesus like a king.”
So we should avoid claiming more than the text states.
Yet within John’s Passion narrative, the royal imagery is difficult to miss.
Jesus has already received:
A crown.
A purple robe.
A royal title.
Now His body receives an extraordinarily generous burial preparation.
The world crucifies Him as a criminal.
His followers honor Him as someone of immense worth.
Myrrh Appears Again
Myrrh carries interesting biblical associations.
It appears in royal and bridal imagery.
Matthew records the Magi bringing myrrh among their gifts to the young Jesus.
Now myrrh appears at His burial.
We should not force every occurrence into a single symbolic system.
Yet the movement is beautiful.
Myrrh appears near the beginning of Jesus’ earthly life.
And again near its apparent end.
The King who entered the world has completed His mission.
They Handle the Body
Joseph and Nicodemus physically handle Jesus’ dead body.
This matters.
John has gone to considerable lengths to establish that Jesus truly died.
The spear.
Blood and water.
Eyewitness testimony.
Now two identifiable men prepare His corpse for burial.
There is no suggestion Jesus merely fainted.
No uncertainty about whether He died.
The Resurrection will not be resuscitation.
A dead man is being placed in a tomb.
The Linen Cloths
They wrap Jesus’ body with linen cloths and spices according to Jewish burial custom.
This detail will become important very soon.
When Peter and John enter the empty tomb, they will find:
The linen wrappings.
But no Jesus.
The burial details of John 19 prepare the evidence of John 20.
John is carefully setting the stage.
A Garden Again
John tells us: “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden.”
Another garden.
John’s Passion began in a garden.
Now Jesus is buried in one.
The Bible itself began in a garden.
Humanity’s first great failure occurred there.
Now redemption is moving toward its greatest victory in another garden.
And resurrection morning will begin there.
The imagery is powerful.
The story of fallen creation is moving toward new creation.
A New Tomb
John emphasizes that the tomb is new.
“In which no one had yet been laid.”
This matters for several reasons.
There can be no confusion about whose body later disappears.
No other remains occupy the tomb.
Jesus alone is placed there.
When the tomb is empty, the question is specifically:
What happened to Jesus?
Isaiah 53 and the Rich Man
John does not explicitly quote Isaiah 53 here, but the burial strongly recalls its prophecy: “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.”
The other Gospels identify Joseph of Arimathea as a rich man.
Jesus dies among criminals.
Yet He is buried through the generosity of a wealthy disciple.
The suffering Servant continues fulfilling Scripture even after death.
Why the Nearby Tomb?
John gives a practical explanation.
The Jewish day of preparation is ending.
The Sabbath is approaching.
And the tomb is nearby.
Therefore they place Jesus there.
Again, divine providence works through ordinary circumstances.
No dramatic voice tells them: “Use this tomb.”
Time is short.
The location is convenient.
Yet the ordinary decision becomes part of history’s greatest resurrection account.
God’s providence often works through practical decisions that appear entirely ordinary at the time.
The Sabbath Approaches
There is another profound biblical echo here.
Jesus has completed His work.
“It is finished.”
Then His body is placed in the tomb as the Sabbath begins.
Creation offers an interesting parallel.
God completes His work of creation.
Then rests.
Christ completes His work of redemption.
Then His body rests in the tomb.
We should treat this as theological reflection rather than something John explicitly explains.
Yet the pattern is striking.
Work completed.
Then rest.
And beyond the Sabbath…
new creation.
The Silence of Saturday
John does not describe Holy Saturday.
The tomb closes.
Jesus’ body remains inside.
The disciples grieve.
The religious leaders believe the threat has ended.
Rome considers the execution complete.
From every visible perspective:
Nothing is happening.
Yet God’s greatest victory is only hours away.
This is one of Scripture’s great lessons about silence.
God’s silence does not mean God’s plan has stopped.
Secret Disciples Become Public
Perhaps the most beautiful human element in this passage is the reversal.
During Jesus’ public ministry:
Joseph hides.
Nicodemus comes at night.
Now Jesus is dead.
And they step forward.
Meanwhile, many of the publicly identified disciples have scattered.
John shows us that faith journeys do not always move in predictable ways.
Strong disciples can fail temporarily.
Timid disciples can become courageous.
Grace is still working in both.
Courage Sometimes Arrives Late
We might wish Joseph and Nicodemus had spoken sooner.
Perhaps they did too.
But there is grace even here.
Their earlier fear does not prevent later faithfulness.
That matters for anyone who regrets moments when fear kept them silent.
The question is not merely:
Why didn’t I act before?
The better question is:
What does faithfulness require of me now?
Joseph cannot change yesterday.
Nicodemus cannot redo John 3.
But both can honor Jesus today.
So they do.
Faithfulness When There Appears to Be No Reward
This may be the most powerful lesson from these men.
They honor Jesus when they apparently have nothing to gain.
No miracle is expected.
No position is promised.
And no crowd applauds.
No resurrection has yet occurred.
They simply love Him enough to care for His body.
There is a purity to that devotion.
Faithfulness is deepest when obedience does not appear immediately rewarding.
The Body Matters
Christianity does not treat the body as disposable.
Jesus’ body is handled with dignity.
Prepared.
Wrapped.
Buried.
The Christian hope is not ultimately escape from physical existence.
It is bodily resurrection.
The body placed into the tomb will rise.
The burial therefore prepares us for a deeply physical resurrection.
The Tomb Is Not the End
For Joseph and Nicodemus, the burial may have felt final.
They likely believe they are performing the last loving act anyone will ever do for Jesus.
But the reader knows something they do not yet understand.
Jesus has already said: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
He has predicted His resurrection.
The tomb is real.
But temporary.
The Seed Goes Into the Ground
Earlier Jesus said: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Now the image becomes reality.
The grain has fallen.
The Son has died.
His body is placed into the earth.
The harvest is about to begin.
From Darkness Toward Dawn
John’s Gospel has repeatedly contrasted darkness and light.
Nicodemus began in darkness.
Judas walked into darkness.
Jesus, the Light of the world, has now entered the darkness of death.
Yet darkness will not overcome Him.
John told us that in chapter one.
We are about to see it demonstrated.
Mood and Tone
The tone moves from grief → courage → devotion → burial → quiet expectation.
The apparent finality of death quietly prepares the reader for the impossible event that comes next.
What Jesus Reveals
Even in death, Jesus is revealed as:
- the King worthy of costly devotion,
- the suffering Servant,
- the fulfillment of Scripture,
- the One whose death draws people into courageous discipleship,
- and the Savior whose tomb will soon become evidence of His victory.
The Response of Others
Joseph of Arimathea
Fear gives way to public courage as he requests Jesus’ body and provides for His burial.
Nicodemus
The man who first came by night now publicly honors Jesus with extraordinary generosity.
Pilate
He releases the body to Joseph, confirming that Jesus’ execution is complete.
Jesus
His body is lovingly prepared and placed in a known, new tomb—setting the stage for resurrection morning.
The Lesson for Us in 2026
1. Fear Does Not Have to Define the Rest of Our Story
Joseph and Nicodemus show that timid disciples can become courageous.
2. Genuine Faith Eventually Becomes Visible
There comes a time when private conviction must become public allegiance.
3. It Is Never Too Late to Take the Next Faithful Step
We cannot rewrite yesterday, but we can obey Christ today.
4. True Worship Gives Without Calculating the Return
Joseph and Nicodemus honor Jesus when they appear to have nothing earthly to gain.
5. God’s Silence Never Means His Plan Has Failed
The sealed tomb looks final only because Sunday has not yet arrived.
Final Reflection
There is something deeply moving about Nicodemus standing beside the body of Jesus.
Think about where his story began.
Night.
Questions.
Caution.
Fear.
He came to Jesus privately because being seen carried a cost.
Jesus told him: “You must be born again.”
And: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”
Nicodemus could not possibly have understood the full meaning of those words that night.
Now he stands beneath the One who has been lifted up.
Perhaps the conversation from years earlier returns to his mind.
The serpent in the wilderness.
The Son of Man lifted up.
God loving the world.
The Son being given.
Eternal life offered to everyone who believes.
Everything Jesus told him that night has now taken on terrible and beautiful clarity.
The teacher who came to Jesus under darkness now stands beside the Cross in daylight.
And he has brought nearly seventy-five pounds of burial spices.
That is not cautious curiosity anymore.
That is devotion.
Something has happened in Nicodemus.
John never gives us the moment.
There is no recorded conversion prayer.
No dramatic declaration.
No paragraph explaining precisely when Nicodemus moved from curiosity to faith.
Instead, John shows us the fruit.
Nicodemus steps forward.
Sometimes transformation becomes clearest not through what someone says but through what they are finally willing to do.
And Joseph’s story is similar.
John tells us plainly that he had been a disciple secretly because of fear.
But eventually fear loses.
Faith steps forward.
Think about the irony.
When Jesus was performing miracles, they remained mostly hidden.
When thousands were following Him, they remained cautious.
And when Jesus entered Jerusalem to cheering crowds, they did not publicly identify themselves.
But when Jesus hangs dead upon a Cross…
they step forward.
Humanly speaking, Jesus can offer them nothing now.
No miracle.
No position.
And no influence.
No earthly advantage.
His movement appears finished.
His followers have scattered.
And His enemies appear victorious.
And this is when Joseph and Nicodemus decide that hiding is no longer acceptable.
That may be one of the purest expressions of devotion in John’s Gospel.
They are not following Jesus because of what they expect Him to do for them.
They simply believe He is worthy of honor.
So they give Him what they can.
Joseph gives the tomb.
Nicodemus gives the spices.
Both give their public identification.
And together they give Jesus something every human being eventually needs.
A grave.
They wrap His body.
They carry Him into the garden.
And they place Him inside the new tomb.
Perhaps they pause before leaving.
Perhaps they look one final time at the face of the Teacher they had been afraid to follow openly.
Then the tomb is closed.
Silence.
Everything Jesus said appears to have ended behind that stone.
But we know something Joseph and Nicodemus do not yet understand.
They believe they are preparing Jesus’ body for permanent burial.
God is preparing the tomb for temporary occupancy.
They think they have given Jesus His final resting place.
Jesus is about to turn their tomb into the greatest evidence of resurrection the world has ever known.
That changes how we understand the silence between Friday and Sunday.
Sometimes God’s work appears most absent immediately before His power becomes most visible.
The stone is closed.
The body is inside.
Nothing appears to be happening.
But God’s promise has not changed.
Jesus said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
He said: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
He said the Son of Man would be lifted up.
And He said He would lay down His life.
And He said: “I have authority to take it up again.”
The tomb cannot cancel those promises.
Neither can ours.
This is why Christian hope is fundamentally different from optimism.
Optimism looks at circumstances and expects improvement.
Faith looks to Christ and trusts His Word, even when circumstances seem impossible.
Joseph and Nicodemus see a dead Savior.
God sees a completed sacrifice.
The disciples see a sealed tomb.
God sees the doorway through which resurrection glory will soon emerge.
The world sees an ending.
Heaven knows Sunday is coming.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons hidden inside this quiet burial scene.
There will be seasons in our lives that feel like the tomb.
Prayers appear unanswered.
Plans appear dead.
Doors close.
People leave.
Circumstances make God’s promises difficult to understand.
And sometimes there is nothing left for us to do except what Joseph and Nicodemus did.
Take the next faithful step.
Honor Christ.
Do what love requires.
And leave the outcome with God.
Joseph could not raise Jesus.
Nicodemus could not defeat death.
Neither could they roll history forward to Sunday morning.
They simply did what faithfulness required on Friday evening.
God would take care of Sunday.
That is often our calling too.
We do not need to know how God will resolve every situation before we obey Him.
We simply need enough faith to take the next faithful step.
And there is one more beautiful truth.
Joseph’s fear did not get the final word.
Nicodemus’ nighttime faith did not remain nighttime faith forever.
Grace kept working.
Their stories remind us that spiritual growth is not always instantaneous.
Sometimes God patiently moves people:
From curiosity…
to conviction…
from conviction…
to courage…
and from courage…
to public devotion.
Nicodemus began by asking Jesus questions in the darkness.
He ends the Passion narrative carrying the body of Jesus toward the tomb.
That is a long journey.
But grace brought him there.
And the story is still not finished.
Because the tomb into which these two men lovingly place Jesus is about to become empty.
The spices will become unnecessary.
The burial cloths will be left behind.
And the stone will lose its purpose.
Death itself will discover that it has received Someone it cannot hold.
Friday’s faithful disciples are about to become Sunday’s astonished witnesses.
The darkness that surrounded Nicodemus’ first conversation with Jesus is about to give way to the greatest morning in human history.
The Light of the World is about to walk out of the grave.
So the question becomes:
Is fear keeping any part of my faith hidden today, and if so, what would it look like for me to follow Joseph and Nicodemus by taking the next faithful step into the light, publicly honoring Christ and trusting Him with what happens afterward?
