Whom Do You Seek - Easterنموونە

Witnessing the burial of a loved one is a confronting reality. Seeing their body lowered into the ground can unleash the floodgates of loss and grief. They are gone, they are buried, and it is all so final. How can this be and how will I cope?

In his account of the burial of Jesus, Luke focuses on what happened with analytical attention to the details. He’s not being indifferent to the expression of emotions that comes with loss (Luke 23:48) but it is not his primary focus here. Luke was a ‘get our facts straight and our theology clear’ kind of guy.

What are the facts? Firstly, Jesus did not appear to die; He really did die and was buried. A real man called Joseph received Jesus’ physical body from Pilate, a real Roman ruler who handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus’ real body was taken down from a physical cross, wrapped in a shroud and placed in a tomb, cut in stone. This all happened on a real day in the Jewish calendar — the day of Preparation. The burial of Jesus was also witnessed by the women who had been with Jesus since Galilee.

Secondly, it is significant that Jesus was buried in a tomb “where no one had ever yet been laid”. In most cases, those who died by crucifixion were buried in public graves alongside other people. The empty tomb is key evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.

There are many particular details that Luke chooses to include in his account of Jesus’ burial that are worth paying attention to. They point to the sovereignty and power of God to establish His kingdom through the death of Jesus. They also point us to the hope we have in a God who is able to raise the dead to new life, turn mourning into joy, and work all things for His glory.

Today, ponder this: These details about Jesus are the means the Holy Spirit uses to bring us to faith in Jesus and keep us close to Him! Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 out loud for further encouragement.