(REFLECTIONS ON John 19:38-42)

After Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit, who was there? In today’s Scripture, we read about Joseph of Arimathea, a “secret” disciple for fear of the Jews. We also see the third appearance of Nicodemus, who is the one that first came to Jesus by “cover of night.”

At the moment that Jesus’ disciples had scattered, where even Peter denied Jesus three times, who was there? It was the two secret disciples, when fear filled the disciples, that stepped out of their fear and into the light.

They took Jesus’ body and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Although Jesus was hung on the cross as a criminal, He was honored in burial, showing the love and care of these two secret disciples for their Lord.

Joseph and Nicodemus were not worried about Jewish customs of becoming ceremonially unclean for touching Jesus’ body, because as they stepped out of their fear and into the light, their sole focus and devotion was on giving Jesus the honor of a proper burial.

This also reminds us that Jesus’ death was a true death. At that moment, despite Jesus’ death representing failure to many, and the end for the disciples’ hope in Israel’s revival as a religious and political power in this world, who was there and willing to stand by Jesus past the end?

Sometimes in our faith, when belief in Jesus becomes more than just an affirmation of Him, but rather turns into a real life struggle in the midst of fear and shame, are we willing at that time to walk out into the light for Him?

Who was there? The secret disciples, the ones that the scattered disciples may have made fun of, criticized, or looked down up before. However, now when the rubber meets the road, at a time when true faith is required to believe in a dead Jesus, who was there?

May we reflect on today’s Scripture, and consider for ourselves, where we would have been?

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 19