Eyes Wide Open: 40-Day Lenten Devotional Sample

Out of Darkness: A Promise to Live in the Light

“Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.” - John 19:38-40

Jesus lived radically; nobody disputes this fact. His life and works stood in stark contrast to many of the religious misunderstandings of the Jews. To follow Jesus, then, meant being rejected by one’s people and being put out of the social epicenter of life, the synagogue. 

Because of this, several people with lots to lose followed Jesus secretly. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were two influential men who fall into this category. Before the death of Jesus, these secret disciples believed the teachings of Jesus but did not acknowledge him publicly.  

That changed for the both of them at the cross.  While we do not know how these two experienced the injustice and brutality of that day, we do know that they came into the light, publicly and visibly tying their story to Jesus.  

In this mutual act of veneration, both Joseph and Nicodemus chose to come out publicly in a costly way as the Jewish leaders would have been well aware of their actions! Having a personal faith in Jesus that is private is possible for a time but the cross calls us to go public with our story in risky and often costly ways.

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief! Help me in the places where I’ve hidden my faith, played it safe, and come to you only ‘at night.’ Help me to go public with your good news, regardless of the cost. Thank you for dying for me willingly and publicly and help me to die to myself in this same way.

- Written by R. York Moore