"Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for
the kingdom of God."--MARK xv. 43.
The crucifixion of our Lord produced strange and startling effects in
moral experience, as well as in the physical world. The veil of the
Temple was rent from top to bottom as if a hand from heaven had torn
it, in order to teach men that the ancient ritual was done with.
Darkness covered the earth, suggesting to thoughtful minds the guilt of
the world and the mystery of the sacrifice which atoned for it.
Concurrently with these physical phenomena were spiritual experiences.
The Roman centurion who, in command of four soldiers, had the duty of
seeing the sentence of the law duly executed, was so profoundly moved
by what he saw of the Divine Sufferer and by His dying cry, that he
exclaimed, "_Truly this was the Son of God_," and thus he became the
first of the great multitude out of all nations who give honour to the
Lamb that has been slain. The women, too, who were sometimes despised
for weakness and timidity, proved themselves in this crisis to be
heroines. And Joseph of Arimathea, who up to this moment of shame and
apparent defeat had been content to remain a secret disciple of our
Lord, now boldly avowed his love and loyalty.
The "_even_" had come, the second evening of the Jews, and the last
streak of golden light was beginning to fade from the western sky.
Three lifeless bodies were still hanging on the crosses at Golgotha,
but according to Jewish custom they were about to be taken down, and
flung into a dishonourable grave, when Joseph "_went in boldly to
Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus_," caring for our Lord in death as
another Joseph had cared for him in infancy.
This man is described as an "_honourable counsellor_," which doubtless
means a member of the Sanhedrim. He is also spoken of as "_a good man
and a just_," which could not have been said of many of his
fellow-counsellors. On this occasion his action was sufficiently
important in its relation to prophecy, and in its bearing as evidence
of the reality of the burial and of the resurrection of our Lord, to be
mentioned in each of the Four Gospels. Yet neither by this nor by
social influence, nor by brilliant gifts (if he possessed them), did he
become prominent in the early Church. Probably he was a man of
practical sagacity and ready resource, rather than of great spiritual
force. He could not stand on the same level with Simon Peter, the
fisherman, whose honour it was so to hold the key of the Kingdom as to
open the door of it to the Gentiles; nor did he ever attain influence
comparable to that of Paul, who shook the citadel of paganism to its
foundations, and planted amid its fallen defences the seed of the
Kingdom, even the word of God. Joseph must be regarded as a common
soldier, rather than as a general in Christ's army; but when the
officers had fallen, or deserted their Leader, he bravely stepped to
the front and proved himself a hero. Perhaps all the more on this
account some study of his character and conduct may encourage those who
are not prominent in the Church to cultivate his fidelity, promptitude,
and courage.
If we piece together the few fragments of his biography which are
scattered through the Four Gospels, we shall gain a fuller and more
accurate conception of the man.