A Temporary Tomb

A Temporary Tomb

Pastor Jim Quigley

John 19:38-42

The suffering of the cross was over. The nails were removed and the crown of thorns taken off. Some of Jesus’s disciples took Him off the cross and prepared His body for burial using the finest spices and perfumes. One of the perfumes was myrrh, which was one of the gifts given to Jesus when He was just a child. It seems poetically fitting that myrrh would also be “given” to Him now at His death.

The death and burial of Jesus brought mixed reactions. The Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders were glad. They thought they had won. They thought they got rid of the problem. They thought they reestablished their control and authority. The disciples on the other hand, were deeply saddened and afraid. Even though Jesus has told them on several occasions that He must die and rise from the dead (see, for example, Luke 9:21-22), it apparently never registered with them. They were devastated that their beloved and innocent teacher had died at the hands of sinful men. Not only were they downcast, but they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders (John 20:19), fearing that they would come for the disciples next.

The religious leaders spent that Sabbath day joyfully, while Jesus’s disciples endured the day somberly. Neither group thought that Jesus’s tomb was temporary. They had no idea what the next day would bring...

Reflection: Consider the fact that Jesus came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. In fact, they not only did not receive Him, they rejected Him and had Him killed. If we are His disciples—who are called to follow Him—then how should we expect to be rejected and to suffer for the sake of following Jesus and proclaiming the gospel?