In Matthew 27:57-60 we see that Joseph of Arimathea fulfilled prophecies concerning the death and burial of Jesus. By fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9 Joseph of Arimathea is used by God to confirm the deity of Christ. Now in Matthew 27:61 we see that Mary of Magdalene and the other Mary (the wife of Cleopas) was present at the tomb when Jesus was laid to rest. These two women are used by God to confirm the deity of Christ through first-hand testimony. It is not hearsay or rumor that Jesus was dead, they saw the body, and where the tomb was that they laid the body of Jesus. This is a reminder to us that God uses ordinary people to relay the truth of the gospel of Christ. We do not have to be anyone “special” we just need to be available and ready to serve the Lord when we are able. These women, come back with others on the first day of the week after Passover, and discover that Jesus had risen, just as He said He would. We should not be surprised or shocked at this information, because the reality is that Jesus ALWAYS does what He … READ MORE

Have you ever noticed how God used people we do not know to do great things? We know very little about Joseph of Arimathea other than he was a member of the Sanhedrin (The ruling religious body of the day), was a rich man, and was from Arimathea. The region of Arimathea is unknown, but is traditionally identified with several hill towns near Jerusalem. Interestingly, some traditions say that he was the uncle of Jesus’ mom, Mary, and therefore, the uncle of Jesus. Yet that cannot be substantiated by any external source. What we know is that this was a man, who was destined to be reported of in all four gospels for his part in the death of the Messiah. This is a reminder to us that, God uses the unknown to do fulfill His purposes. What does that mean for us? That means that the circumstances of our lives have a greater purpose than filling up time. God is working in our lives in a way that we may not realize, and preparing us to impact the lives of many directly or indirectly. Joseph of Aramathea, did not choose to bury Jesus in his tomb, in order to … READ MORE

There are two major prophecies that we must relate to the burial of Christ. The first was found in Isaiah 53:9 “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.” The second is found in Matthew 12:40 and is the response of Jesus to a question by the Scribes and Pharisees, in verse 38, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” His response was, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah,” not only must he be buried with the rich in his death, He would also be buried for a period of three days. Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9 am and was dead by three in the afternoon. The three days, were to be a sign to the Jews, who were always looking for a sign. According to their reckoning, any portion of a day was equal to an entire day. So Jesus had to be buried on Friday, so that Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at least a portion of each of those days, He would spend in the earth as He … READ MORE