THERE were some good people even among the chief of the Jews; and two of these, named Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, went to Pontius Pilate, and asked him to let them bury the body of Jesus. People generally were much longer in dying on the cross, so Pilate sent to see if He was dead.
To make sure, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and out came blood and water together. The robbers were still alive, so the soldiers broke their legs, that they might die sooner; and so the repenting one soon went to our Lord in Paradise.
Then Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took the holy body down from the cross, quite dead. Now, close by, Joseph had a garden, and in it was a cave which he meant to be buried in, but where no one had yet been laid. They carried our Lord's body there; and the good women who followed Him, Mary Magdalene and the rest, wrapped it up in linen cloths and sweet spices.
They wanted to do more for it; but it was getting late on Good Friday evening, and the Sabbath or seventh day was counted from sunset, and then they could do no manner of work. So they had to wait till the Sabbath should be over; and Joseph rolled a great rock to close up the door, and they went away in their grief.
THE BURIAL OF JESUS.—John 19:41, 42.
And then came a guard of soldiers, whom the chief priests had sent to watch the stone, for fear, as they told Pilate, that the disciples should steal the body away in the night. So they put seals, to make sure that no one should move the stone; and the soldiers were set to watch.
QUESTIONS.
1. Who asked for our Lord's body? 2. What did Pilate want to know? 3. How did they make sure that our Lord was dead? 4. What was done to the robbers? 5. Where did Nicodemus and Joseph take the body? 6. To whom did the cave belong? 7. Who were there too? 8. How did they wrap the body? 9. What did they put with it? 10. Why did they not do any more? 11. What day was it? 12. What was the next day? 13. What is the Fourth Commandment? 14. When did the Sabbath begin?