God's Indescribable Gift

Last night at Bible study we discussed the crucifixion and burial of Jesus in Matthew 27.  Typically Roman crucifixion was reserved for the worst criminals, and after being taken down from the cross their bodies were treated as unclean refuse and left to rot.  Matthew tells us a wealthy disciple of Jesus named Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for His body.  After Jesus was confirmed dead by Romans, Joseph was granted permission to take the body of Christ.

Matthew 27:59-60 says, "When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed."  The Gospel of John adds in John 19:39-42:  "And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰ Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹ 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."  Joseph had a new tomb hewn out of the rock for himself and possibly as a family crypt, yet it had yet to be used.  Joseph and Nicodemus, accompanied by women who went to see where the body of Jesus was laid, were generous in the care they showed the deceased King of the Jews by giving Him a proper burial.

Some might have been impressed by the generous gift of Joseph placing the dead body of Jesus in his expensive new tomb hewn out of the rock, but truly it was the other way round.  When Jesus the Son of God died on the cross, He provided atonement for the sins of the world--and for the sins of Joseph of Arimathea as well.  Jesus literally took Joseph's place in his own tomb and illustrated what He did spiritually and eternally by God's grace for all who repent and trust in Him.  Just as Jesus predicted many times, days later Jesus would rise from the dead glorified and thus proved His power over sin and death, that all authority in heaven and earth is His, and He is able to give eternal life to those who receive the Gospel.  Spiritually we were crucified with Christ by His substitutionary death and risen with Him in newness of life, so death no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:4-10).

By the indescribable gift of Jesus Christ, all who receive Him by faith are born again, granted pardon from sin and given eternal life.  How could our greatest sacrifices or offerings compare to all God has given us?  When we were completely undeserving Ephesians 2:4-9 says:  "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast."  Since we are God's workmanship by His grace, let us be those who gladly present ourselves as living sacrifices unto Him as our reasonable service to Him who purchased us with His own blood (Acts 20:28).