John 19:38

All four evangelists mentioned Joseph of Arimathea but only with Jesus’ burial. The Synoptics tell us that he was a rich God-fearing member of the Sanhedrin who was a follower of Jesus and who had not voted to condemn Jesus. Only John identified him as a secret disciple who feared the Jews, namely, the unbelieving Jewish leaders. Jesus had warned His disciples about trying to hide their allegiance to Him (John 12:42-43). Finally Joseph came out publicly by courageously requesting Jesus’ body from Pilate.

Normally the Romans placed the bodies of crucified offenders, whose bodies they did not leave to rot on their crosses, in a cemetery for criminals outside the city. [Note: Josephus, Antiquities of . . ., 5:1:14.] Family members could not claim the bodies of people who had undergone crucifixion as punishment for sedition. [Note: Carson, The Gospel . . ., p. 629.] Thus Jesus’ corpse would have ended up in the grave of a common criminal but for Joseph’s intervention. Pilate probably granted his request for Jesus’ body because he realized that Joseph wanted to give Jesus an honorable burial. That would have humiliated the Jews further.

Joseph’s courageous act doubtless alienated him from many of his fellow Sanhedrin members. We do not know what the ultimate consequences of his action were for him. Evidently it was Jesus’ death that made him face up to his responsibility to take his stand for Jesus.