- 42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, 43 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.
- 44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. 45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
- 46 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. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
- Compare: Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42
Jesus Placed in the Tomb
Jesus’ burial is important because without it, there can be no tomb from which Jesus can arise in three days. It’s also historically implausible: crucifixion was intended as a shameful, horrible execution which included allowing the bodies to remain nailed up until they rotted off. It’s inconceivable that Pilate would have agreed to turn the body over to anyone for any reason.
Who is Joseph of Arimathaea? Mark doesn’t tell us, but he does say that Joseph is a “counsellor,” suggesting that he has a role in the Sanhedrin. If that is the case, did he also vote to condemn Jesus? Mark records that the vote to condemn was “unanimous,” so Joseph’s role would have been interesting to learn.
The conversation with Pilate is probably designed to answer critics who claimed that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross. Mark’s chronology suggests an unusually quick death — it wasn’t uncommon for crucifixion victims to linger for a couple of days, if they were strong and healthy to begin with. Detractors and heretics might have plausibly argued that Jesus was merely in a coma and hence “rose” not from death but from unconsciousness. Mark here relies upon Roman thoroughness and efficiency to testify to the genuineness of Jesus’ demise.
Once again we encounter Mary Magdalene. She was there in the previous passage describing Jesus’ death, she’s here observing where Jesus is laid to rest, and she will be there on Easter morning to witness that the tomb is empty because Jesus has risen. She thus serves to create a personal bridge between Jesus’ death and resurrection, a witness to all the relevant events.
