January 18 - New Tomb

January 18 – New Tomb

“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 27:60)

Joseph honored Jesus with this type of burial.  The Jews believed that having been crucified as a criminal, Jesus was cursed by God.  However, he was buried in a fresh tomb owned by a rich man – this would have been a burial that honored Jesus Christ.  Tombs cut out of rock were expensive and the same passage found in John also emphasizes that this was a new tomb (John 19:41), probably prepared by Joseph for a close relative who was either quite old or close to death.

Jesus was not left on the cross which was common to the Romans because Joseph of Arimathea requested his body.  He was also not buried in a common grave with the other criminals. The fact that this is a new tomb is also important to the story in that there was no other body (or bodies) in the tomb and thus no confusion over who was no longer then when Jesus returned from death.

We know a little about death in these tombs from bits and pieces.  The women came with burial spices for the body, but the story of Lazarus’ death found in John 11 tells us that everyone was prepared for a bad odor to come out of the tomb when Jesus ordered the stone to be rolled away.  I personally love the King James wording, “Lord, by this time he stinketh!” (John 11:39)

Not only did the tomb of Lazarus not stink, but he walked out of that tomb after four days, alive and healthy.  Jesus Christ offered proof of resurrection, but that proof was soon forgotten by those who loved him.  They were focused on the pain of their sorrow and could not imagine that a great miracle would possibly happen.

Matthew 27:61 paints a picture of their despair, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb.”

They watched Joseph lay the body of Jesus in that tomb, they watched him roll a stone over the front of it to secure the tomb and they just sat there.   This moment of despair would be transformed when they returned after the Sabbath and discovered the angel who gave them the good news of Jesus’ resurrection.

The best news about this story is that whether the tomb was old or new, it was not enough to hold Jesus Christ.  He left the tomb, He left death behind.  It is this resurrected life that He offers to each of us.