John 19:30,38-42

John 19:30,38-42  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. When Jesus died, it was the day before the Passover, which is one of the Jews’ most important religious celebration days. So Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus asked Pilate to release the body of Jesus to them so that they could bury him before the Passover started. The Jewish day ended at sunset, or 6pm, and th4e next day started then too. So at 5:30pm it was Jewish Friday, but at 6:30pm it was the beginning of Saturday, the Sabbath day. The Jews weren‘t supposed to do any work on the Sabbath day, so they had to get the body into the stone cave before 6pm. And like the Egyptians, they put spices all around the body and wrapped it in linen round and round and round. Then they wrapped the head with another piece of linen cloth. Joseph of Arimathaea was a follower of Jesus. He was not afraid to be associated with Jesus, even though the religious leaders might be coming after Jesus’ followers. I am so glad to read that Nicodemus was brave enough to get involved too. John chapter 3 does not leave us knowing whether Nicodemus believed in Jesus or not. But here he is in John 19 standing up before Pilate and letting everyone know that he was a follower of Jesus. I hope we are just as brave and let others know that we are followers of Jesus too.