Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Episode 399:Join us for as we dive deep into the events following the crucifixion of Jesus. Looking at Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19, we reflect on the actions of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two secret followers of Jesus who stepped out of the shadows to care for His body after His death. We discuss the implications of being a secret believer and the importance of boldly sharing our faith.
Whether you’ve been following Jesus for years or you’re just starting to ask questions, there’s a seat for you here.
Join Jeff and Chris for honest conversations about Scripture, faith, and the everyday stuff we all navigate. With humor, personal stories, and plenty of back-and-forth, The Bible Guys explore what the Bible says and how it connects to your life.
Subscribe, bring your questions, and get to know the Bible one conversation at a time. Head over to TheBibleGuys.com for more information!
You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey, everybody, we are the Bible Guys. Actually I'm the Bible Guy and this is my faithful companion named Jeff. Wow. That's It's just nice to be considered faithful. And I would love to be you forgoting me. That's right, and I love being your companion. Thank you, Thank you for letting me join you today. I just can't believe I get to join you again for episode number three ninety nine The Bible Guys. I will allow that. Did you see that? Today's the three hundred and ninety ninth episode of The Bible Guys. Wow, I did not see that. Yeah, it's a big deal. How do you know that because it says right there on my show sheet, episode three ninety nine, where where it is, Yeah, shun it a gun. Yeah, that's great. It's fantastic. And we used to do it she daily before we switched it to the Bible. We had one hundred and seventy something of those episodes. Wow. Wow, it's a big time. Yeah, And I've been your faithful companion all these days. Yeah, that's that's great. You can give me a Scooby snack. Yeah, there you go. Hey, So we love doing where our listeners from. Oh yeah, yeah, because it always fascinates me. Yeah, it's amazing. I get well. One, we can't believe anybody listens, right, that's amazing, let alone from have you heard? Have you heard the train wreck that this episode is? People keep coming back? That's so funny. Okay, so it says it's so fun to see where our listeners are from. Today, we're going to highlight some of our listeners by starting by stating fun facts about their location. We recently talked about how we people listening around the world. We're going to highlight a whole country today. So number one, the Granny Smith apple originally here in eighteen sixty eight. Well, that's one of my favorite apples too. That's pretty sour. Yeah, that's great. Now everybody who lives here immediately knows what this is. Yes, probably. Yeah. In two thousand and eight, this city won the world record for the longest line of pizzas in the world, when a line stretching two hundred and twenty one meters took over their little Italy. That is a heck of a claim. Two hundred and twenty one meters means you know, it's not the US or the UK. Right, there you go, there you go. That's funny. Number three, it's wildlife includes unique species such as here comes kangaroos and koalas. Oh, everybody knows. Now, everybody knows now. And then if you didn't know, they hosted the last Olympics of the twentieth century. Oh now, I know, right, why would we put that number four? Less Olympics? Now I know it's what it is. Stupid Sydney Australia. Yay, welcome. Yeah, that's great Sydney Australia. We're so glad you guys are listening. Whenever I think of Sydney Australia, or actually Australia in general, I think one of my favorite movies of all time is Dumb and Dumber. Uh huh where uh that's one of your favorites? Oh, my goodness, it is so great. It is so great. It's a masterpiece, which is the other title we thought about calling this podcast. But at the very beginning, he's a limo driver and he sees this beautiful girl on the side of the road, and he stops and then you're not able to see anything because it's dark windows. So he literally climbs in the back and acts like he's the passenger. Oh, and he rolls it down. Of course he's got a missing tooth and a goober face and everything else. And he asked the girl. He's like, you know, I'm giving a lecture in about twenty minutes. He's like, where's the university? And then and then she and then she says down here, and he goes, that's a wonderful accident accent. And she's talking just like armed sorts thinger, right, you got this deep accent. And he goes and she goes, it's from Austadia. And he goes, oh, Austria. He goes, uh down under, he goes, put another strip on the bobby. You know, he's thinking, he's thinking Australia. Austria and Australia are two different countries, different things. So anyway, that's where always think. And now that's everything we know about Australia. That Australia is not Austria. Hey, I will say this, Australia is on my bucket list? Is it? Oh? Yeah mine too? Have you I've never I've never been to Australia. Yeah, I really truly want to go to Australia. Well, hey, all you Australia listeners, give us a hookup, invite us out. We'll do like a live Bible guys event. That's hilarious fun if you live in Australia and your business somehow has the means to to bring us over there. Actually we were do an event. We would definitely do an event, come and talk to pastors and church leaders and oh yeah, it'd be great. You know what I've it is rare that I've ever asked for anything that way. Leverage your influence for personal games. It's not personal gain, it's for ministry purposes. But it'd be a lot of fun because we've never been there. Yeah, well it's my it's my bucket list to go. Yeah, that'd be fantastic. So please help Chris out otherwise she's going to be impossible. Now, well, keep in mind I want to go because I have always seen and heard great things about Australia. Oh yeah, right, so it's so it's not for wanting a vacation, it's me wanting to actually see Austria. Of course, everything in Australia is trying to kill you, Chris. Every spider, every snake, every plant, everything that's in the water, everything's trying to kill you. There. People in Australia are tough. Yeah, they're tougher than you and me. Yeah. Well well, I mean I know because I've seen crocodile dundee. Yeah, well you're an expert, then you're an expert on Australia culture. Which, by the way, it was one of the most ridiculous movies, right you look back now at that eighties movie because back then, you know, the world was bigger and the internet, you know, like stereotypes were huge, right, and this guy didn't know what a toilet is, right, you know, this guy thinks from another planets, right, he's from Australia. For loud, you know, it's hilarious. Okay, so good. Well, anyways, we're so glad you guys listen, and so keep telling your friends and family about us. And we love the fact that we get to be a part of of the walk that you're that you're on, this journey that you're on spiritually. So thank you for letting us apart. Which, by the way, do you know the most famous quote from crocodded Unde, No, but I guess you can tell me. Yeah, he says, you call that a knife? This this? Yeah, that's right, I remember that. Yeah, that is the most famous quote. Well, good job, all right, buddy. Can you imagine if you knew as many Bible verses as you do movie quotes. I know more Bible verse I know. I do not know thirty thousand quotes from the movies, But you know thirty thousand Bible verses. No, I do not. But I'm not sure how that was building up your argument there. But there are thirty thousand. But hey, let's read some of these. Yes, hey, maybe you can learn some of these today. So today it's a very somber mood. Again, Jesus had just literally died on Friday at three in the afternoon, three hours before the Sabbath is starting. That's correct, And so that's where we picked. Yeah, we're still in that somber time here. This is in that three hours before passover begins. So in Matthew Chap Twenty seven, verse fifty seven, it says as evening approached Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a folloer of Jesus, went to Pilot and asked for Jesus's body, and Pilot issued in order to release it to him, and Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock, and then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. In Mark, chapter fifteen, verse forty two, it says this all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of ai Mathea took a risk and went to Pilot and asked for Jesus's body. Joseph was an honored member of the High Council and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. Pilot couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet, and the officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilot told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph brought a long sheet of linen cloth. And then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance, and Mary Magdalene and Marry, the mother of Joseph, saw where Jesus' body was laid. And then in Luke chapter twenty three, verse fifty, it says, now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish High Council, but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea and Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. He went the pilot and asked for jesus body, and then he took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth, and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin. As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoin his body. But by the time they were finished, the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. Then in John chapter nineteen, verse THIRTYE says, afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders, asked Pilot permission to take down Jesus's body. When Pilot gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who would come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy five pounds of perfumed ointment made from murr and aloes. Following jesus burial or the Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus body with the spices and long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden where there was a new tomb never used before, and so because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover, and since the tomb was closed at hand or close at hand, that laid Jesus there. So you have Joseph of Verimathea and Nicodemus, you have married jesus mother and married Joseph's mom are the ones that are in this story, along with pilot who shocked that Jesus is dead, right, Like what, yeah, well, he's such a strong man, right. Jesus was a probably the epitome of a human you know, specimen. He's very strong, and obviously he was you know, we already went over this, but you know, he was brutalized. Yeah, and even but even in spite of that, Pilots still thought Jesus would have survived longer. Right, So he brings in the officer who was in charge of this crucifixion. And remember this officer. We didn't even cover this in the previous episode because you're talking about some many things. But when they found out that Jesus' legs, you know, didn't need to be broken, which, by the way, fulfilled prophecy that he'd have no bones broken, they just stabbed Jesus with a spear and out came blood and water, which is an indicator of the swelling around the heart, and it's a medical thing. So it's really interesting that that was the description it's such a rare thing that they would have seen in their day. But we know medically that under that kind of stress, your body, your heart begins to you know, suffocate with water around the heart. So so they call their pilot, calls that leader in, who, by the way, goes, surely this is the son of God. This is a conversion moment for him too, right, And then the guy goes, yeah, he's dead. He goes, okay, you can't have his body. So I think there's a lot to be said about Joseph and about Nicodemus, but that that was that's how we get to this point. Yeah, and you know, Nicodemus is is the It's the story that almost was, isn't it. So Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedron. He was on the council the seventy two. You know, he was a man who came to Jesus by night demonstrating his belief. He also, I believe he stood up too and said uh and and and spoke on behalf of Jesus and leveraged his influence so people wouldn't kill Jesus, you know, during the time, and said hey, let it be right. And then and then here he is. Now, you know, a person who didn't fully follow Jesus. He was very inquisitive of he believed in him, but he still remained on the Saint Adrian, not letting go his his title. And then and now that Jesus is gone, uh, he shows up, which, by the way, is a heck of a statement. Yeah. Right, So if the Sanhedron truly is the one who initiated this execution trial with pilot in herod uh, you know for him to make a statement to go surely surely this is not as that secret of you can't keep this secret, right, This is the public, the public removal of Jesus's body, which means this would have been done. It's not like everybody left and went home. Well after seeing the events that happened, Father, forgive them, you know, darkness, darkness, the temple veil being torn into which which finished, which people, by the way, believe that it could have been an earthquake as well, which said that there was an earthquake. Yeah, and then the earthquake and then dead bodies, you know, resurrecting and coming back, all these things together might nudge you over the edge at that point. Yeah, so you have Nicademas he didn't happen to after the resurrection. Yeah, I thought the same thing, but it actually said after the rest, after the resurrection of Jesus. Is it Okay, that's coming, So these things are are happening. Nicodemus is a member of the High Council. But the Bible says here that Joseph was an honored member of the High Council. So there's Nicodemus and then Nicodemus's boss on the High Council. Right, this is the celebrity senator, not the just junior senator from whatever. Right, that's what you've got is Joseph Amith aarmythe is a wealthy man. He's a powerful man, and he's an honored member of the High Council, and he's waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. And he decides that of all the people who could take care of jesus body, Joseph Arimathea could, who's gonna fight him? And it says that he voted against it. He disagreed with with them condemning Jesus. Right, it says, now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. It really it's really amazing. But he was a secret follower of Jesus. I wonder about that. Now, all of this had to have happened the way that it happened in order to fulfill scripture. At the same time, just because it was required to happen doesn't let the Romans off the hook. It doesn't let the Jewish leaders off the hook. It doesn't let Judas off the hook. And I wonder how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus felt about their decision to be secret followers of Jesus instead of open followers of Jesus. I wonder if a famous guy like Joseph of Aharimathea, if he had stepped on going no, I'm a follow Jesus. I believe it was legit. I wonder what would have happened. It's hard to kill famous people. They were feel afraid of killing Jesus, right, they were afraid of the riots. And if more people have spoken up, I wonder. I wonder how Joseph thought about his silence the rest of his life. There certainly there's some care for Jesus when you look at it was to say, seventy something pounds of of you know that reminds me of of Myrrh and Aloes, which which sounds pretty kingly, doesn't it. It's well, it's incredibly rich that the cost of that would have been unbelievable. Yeah, yeah, I was just sorry. I was at a random thoughts. Your thoughts are random, Yeah, I know, we're But when you talked about when you talked about the silent followers, I was thinking of King of King of Grippa, where you said you almost persuaded me to be a Christian. Wasn't that King Grippa or Festus? That was one of those guys Book of Acts. Yeah, so almost. So in this situation, they were followers of Jesus. This isn't an almost thing. It says that they were followers of Jesus, and so I think that it said that they were secret followers, right. So Joseph air Mathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus, who had been not became right, had been a secret follower of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders. So his fear kept him from speaking up. And then when you see it is finish in the earthquake, the temple vale splitting, the sky going dark. At that point you go, okay, I'm all in. Yeah, right, at that point, somehow he lost his fear. And I believe that God brings us to these moments where we have a choice of am I going to go all in or not? And Joseph does, and thank God, he did it at his own sacrifice. It's his own money, it's his own resources. And then seventy pounds seventy five pounds of perfumed ointment made from mer and alos would have been extremely expensive, so across the board. Well, so stepping up now, So it doesn't say that Joseph of Arimathea purchased the new tomb, But that's what people believe, don't they. They believe that this tomb had to have been purchased. It wasn't just as opposed to requisitioning it. Is that what you're saying, requisitioning it taking it over? Well yeah, yeah, it says it's a new tomb carved out of rock, which means surely there was there was an investment here that that wasn't It's not like somebody's going to labor create a tomb and then say whoever wants he can have it, right, So so there has to be some sort of a uh uh you know claim to this tomb. Uh. That is that is clearly carved out of rock, clearly in a garden, which means, you know, not all tombs have the privilege of being in a garden, right right, So so this was a rich man's tomb, and so uh, you know, it's it's it's most scholars belief that Joseph Averimathia purchased the tomb, and it was it was a rich man's tomb, and number one had never been used before. And by the way, it was probably used again because it was vacant after three days. Well, need to borrow it, need to borrow it. So the only man who rented a tomb and uh and and uh and and by the way, it's it's also uh probably an appropriate place to talk about the fact that he dies only with three hours left on Friday and then he rises early on Sunday. And so keep in mind that people are like, hey, that's just that's a little over like one day. It's like twenty four hours plus three on Friday, plus you know, maybe an hour on Sunday or something like this. That's like twenty seven hours in a tomb. But he never said he'll be in there for seventy two hours. He said every time, he said on the third day, so which means he dies on a Friday, raises on a Sunday. So that's really how it happened. He's in the tomb four technically calendar three days. But yeah, so in other words, all that to say the tomb wasn't vacant or it wasn't occupied for very long, right, the day and a half pretty much. So yeah, so what else we have in here? We have maybe a minute or two. Yeah. So there's a great note for John chapter nineteen, verse thirty eight through forty two. It says Joseph of Verimythea and Nicodemus were secret followers of Jesus. They were afraid to make this allegiance known because of their positions in the Jewish community. You know, a lot of people, I think, struggle to make their relationship with Jesus known in their workplace because they're afraid or to right, or in their school or whatever. Joseph was a leader and honored member of the Jewish High Council. Nicodemus also a member of the High Council. Came to Jesus by night in John chapter three. That's where we get John three sixteen God so love the world right, right, and later tried to defend him before the other religious leaders in John chapter seven, but Joseph didn't join him. Then it was just Nicodemus speaking up on his own. Yet they risk their reputations to provide for jesus burial after the death of Christ, right, and so it was the death of Christ that got their attention and decided to push them out from the darkness and into the light, to push them from hiding into boldness. Right, and it says, are you a secret believer? Do you hide your faith from your friends and fellow workers? Right now, this is an appropriate time to step out of hiding. Let others know whom you follow. Right, Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we shouldn't be hiding in the shadows. We should step out. Jesus said, you know there's going to be ssequences to that, certainly, But here's what I know. Joseph and Nicodemus when they get to heaven will not regret coming public. The regret is going to be hiding right, right, So the regret is going to be not speaking up. And so while there may be earthly consequences to stepping up, when you get to heaven for the rest of eternity, your regret will not be stepping out into the light with your faith, right You're one of the things you'll be rewarded for is the boldness of being willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people around you. So anyways, I just I think about that. It's just a missed opportunity for them, But I'm glad that even here at the end, they finally did step up. And well, hey, it's a great reminder for all of us, isn't it. Yep? You know, don't be private with your faith. Your your faith is never intended to be private. It's definitely intended to be personal, but it's never intended to be private. So step out, have boldness, and don't be ashamed. The Bible says, hey, if you're ashamed in front of me, I'll be shamed in front of my father, Jesus said, and he calls us to be bold in our faith. So that's a good reminder. Okay, Well, hey, we will see you next time. On the Bible guys mhm h