Station fourteen: Jesus is laid in the tomb

Bible reading

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 

Matthew 27:57-60 (NIV)​

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Pause

Jesus’ friends wanted to make sure that his body was placed in a tomb and treated with respect. The next day there was a big religious festival and so they needed to act quickly because the Jewish religious rules meant that they would not be able to bury or tend to Jesus’ body the next day. So they did their best, Joseph, who was an important man and knew the authorities well, went and asked for Jesus’ body and offered the tomb that he had bought for himself. The entrance was sealed with a stone and Jesus was completely separated from his friends. They must have been very sad and full of despair. Life around them continued. The next day was the Sabbath and all the Jews who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the special festival of the Passover, would be involved in their celebrations.

​I wonder what the disciples did? Did they join in? Were they too upset to do so?

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Ponder

• Have you experienced the death of someone you loved?
• What did you do to give thanks for their life and to mourn their loss?
• How do you keep your memories of them alive now?
• Take a moment to name them and give thanks to God for their lives.