Joseph of Arimathaea

57When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea arrived. His name was Joseph. He was a follower of Jesus.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

NoteArimathea was a small town. Usually Romans left bodies on the cross. Asking for the body took courage.

58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate ordered that the body be given to him.

He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

59Joseph took the body. He wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

NoteLinen is a cloth like a sheet. Wrapping a body in it was how people said goodbye then.

60He laid it in his own new tomb, which was cut into the rock. He rolled a big stone across the door. Then he went away.

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 sepulchre, and departed.

NoteTombs were rooms cut into rock, like little caves. A big round stone rolled across the door to close it.

61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there. They sat across from the tomb.

And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

42Evening came. It was Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath, the day of rest.

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

NoteFor these people a new day started at sunset. So all work had to be finished before dark on Friday.

43Joseph from Arimathea was an important member of the council. He was waiting for God's kingdom to come. He went bravely to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

NoteArimathea was the town Joseph came from. Asking for the body was brave. Jesus had just been killed as an enemy of Rome.

44Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead. He called the officer and asked if Jesus had been dead for a while.

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

45The officer told him it was. So Pilate let Joseph have the body.

And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

46Joseph bought a clean linen cloth. He took the body down and wrapped it in the cloth. He laid it in a tomb cut out of solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone over the doorway.

And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

NoteLinen is a smooth cloth. Dead bodies were wrapped in it. A tomb was a small room cut into a rock hill. A big round stone was rolled across the doorway to close it.

47Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

50There was a man named Joseph. He was a member of the ruling council. He was a good man who did what was right.

And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

NoteThe ruling council was a group of leaders who judged cases.

51He had not agreed with what the others planned and did. He came from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was waiting for the kingdom of God.

(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

53He took the body down and wrapped it in linen cloth. He laid it in a tomb cut out of rock. No one had ever been laid there before.

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

NoteLinen is a plain, strong cloth. Tombs were small rooms cut into rock, with a stone rolled over the door.

54It was the day for getting ready. The rest day, called the Sabbath, was about to begin.

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

NoteThe day for getting ready came before the Sabbath. The Sabbath began at sundown.

55The women who came with Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

56Then they went home and got sweet-smelling spices and oils ready. They rested on the Sabbath, just as God's law said.

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

NotePeople rubbed sweet spices and oil on a body. It was a way to show love and honor.

38After this, Joseph from the town of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph followed Jesus, but he kept it secret because he was afraid of the leaders. Pilate said yes, so Joseph came and took the body away.

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

39Nicodemus came too. He was the man who had first come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes, which are sweet-smelling spices.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

NoteThe King James Bible says "an hundred pound." A Roman pound was smaller than ours, about three quarters as heavy. So it was about seventy-five of our pounds. That is very heavy to carry. Sweet-smelling spices were put with a body when someone was buried.

40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in strips of linen cloth with the spices. That was the Jewish way of burying someone.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

NoteLinen is cloth made from a plant called flax. It is light and smooth, like a thin sheet.

41There was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified. In the garden was a new tomb. No one had ever been laid there.

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

NoteA tomb was not a hole in the ground. It was a small room cut into a rock hillside. A big round stone was rolled across the door to close it.

42It was the Jewish day to get ready, and the tomb was close by. So they laid Jesus there.

There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.