The death of the Messiah was a very painful death in order to pay the penalty for our sins. Despite the loneliness and His disciples and the Father forsaking Him in the time of His burial, He “was given an honorable burial after his dishonorable death because of his perfect innocence.” The Lord Jesus was worthy to receive such honor. In fact prophet Isaiah had recorded through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ would be buried by a rich man after His death (Is. 53:9).
Who was this rich man? Matthew answered that he was a rich man of Arimathaea whose name was Joseph (Matt. 27:57). “He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed” (Matt. 27:57-60). Joseph, being a rich man, provided all the necessary things for the burial of the Christ, so that Christ would be buried in a proper way and even according to Jewish tradition. He was not just thrown as the two thieves crucified with Him were.
Joseph together with Nicodemus prepared for the burial of Jesus Christ within a short time. These two disciples of God had shown their love for Christ. They were not one of the twelve disciples, but ordinary people who believed the Lord Jesus to be the Messiah sent by God the Father to fulfill what was written in the Scriptures concerning Him. On the other hand, His own chosen disciples did not come back to see the dead body of Christ, except “Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher” (Matt 27:61). God had allowed events to happen in such a way that the prophecy might be fulfilled as it was written.
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