His Burial

Lehman, let's take our Bibles a list go back to the gospel of Mark, not sure if I'll stay in Mark for next week, but for this series of sermons entitled God's unrelenting love for his children of Mably been in Mark one of the Gospels, preach through and how rich it has been for me to pour back over the narrative of our Lord's suffering in his betrayal, his arrest, his his crucifixion we saw last week and now were going to talk about his burial.

Red was always death last week. Crucifixion was before that. But now his burial and some powerful powerful things. One thing I want to remind you is that tough to be safe this way. Often folks will say well is that text. These descriptive are prescriptive is a just God describing you just describing the story or is there something prescribed there for us to honor and obey brothers and sisters. It's both.

It's actually true history.

It is a description of what happened with those glorious truths here for the child of God and what we have in this church age are the new kingdom age that has begun that you and I are living in now would begin in Mark chapter 15 verse 40 were going to verse 47 there were also some women looking on from a distance among who were Mary Magdalena and Mary the mother James the less in Joseph's and Salome.

And he was in Gallaudet all. Rather, when he was in Galilee that used to follow him and minister to him. And there were many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem when evening had already come because it was the preparation day. That is the day before the Sabbath.

Joseph of Arimathea came a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God and he gathered up the courage and went in before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate wondered if he was dead by this time and summoning the century and he questioned him as to whether he was already dead and ascertaining this from the centurion.

He granted the body to Joseph. Joseph brought a linen cloth and took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother mother of Joseph's were looking on the sea, where he was laid to begin our thoughts.

I want to read Revelation 21 verses one through five Revelation 21 verses one through five tell us.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband and heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and he will dwell among them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be among the and he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there were no longer be any death.

There were no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things. Note that the first things have passed away verse five now and he who sits on the throne said, behold, I am making all things new. That's what I want to hold onto. I am making all things new. Now this is a picture of the in the time this is a picture of our Lord. Establishing what we call the eternal state.

The last thing he's going to do so. Actually, in effect, is so just saying out making all things new. You could say he's finishing up his making of all things new.

That's what we see in Revelation chapter 21 you say right now in time and space history.

Jesus is in effect building a new world order. Sometimes it's called the new kingdom are the kingdom of God. Sometimes it's called the new creation. In this text. Revelation 21 I just read.

It's called the new heaven and the new earth.

But one thing that is for certain.

His church is redeemed.

Children is the centerpiece of it. Call it what you want the new kingdom.

The new creation the new heaven and earth, whatever else it is the church is the centerpiece of it all, and in one sense you could say the church is the new kingdom understand some theological questions about that, but nevertheless, at the least, the church is redeemed ones are the centerpiece of all that he's doing both in time and when he fully establishes our finally establishes the new created order. At the end of time. Now as when you and I live here today. God is creating a new, righteous people.

This church to inhabit this new world order of this new creation or this new kingdom, the new citizens must fit the new kingdom. The citizens are those he's redeemed through his suffering and bleeding on the cross and therefore he has bought them and brought them out of the kingdom of Satan in darkness and put them into the kingdom of the beloved son are the kingdom of light.

Sometimes now that's what he accomplished when he died.

Now we come to his burial after his death, and the events that surround his burial. The things of this new phase of God's work. If you will begin to unfold.

They begin to be unveiled begin to be manifested. You see in his burial.

A brand-new phase of God's purpose begins to unfold.

And in the circumstances and events surrounding the burial we begin to see the character and the nature of the church, something radically changes from when Jesus said it is finished and he dies in the burial begins something new has started say it's a foreshadowing of the word foreshadowing is the idea of to show are to prefigure before, not even call it a blueprint, though it's more than that there's a blueprint there's a prefiguring of this new age. This new work.

This building of his church that begins to be unfolding during the burial of our Lord. Isn't it amazing. Only God could take a funeral and a burial and turn it inside out to be the start of something gloriously new. Only God could do this but I'm telling you that's what were going to see here.

So let's look at some things that are foreshadowed of the church age are the new kingdom in his burial, as recorded in the text for different things. Number one. Let's note the foreshadowing of the Christian profession of faith through baptism. Of course that should be there because that's when you come up part of outwardly informally God's churches through the ordinance of baptism, but it is so powerfully pictured in the events surrounding the burial of Jesus Christ in verse 43. Again we see this man named Joseph of Arimathea coming to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, the Joseph of Arimathea, the another gospel writer tells us had been a secret disciple at a fear of the Jews. When I think that means is he had been effectually called by God. He was beginning to learn of Jesus.

He was beginning to embrace the things of Jesus had a love for Jesus, but I don't think he was yet converted until now when he saw Jesus suffered and died the way he did.

I believe that's the moment he went from being effectually called to effectually converted. So Joseph of Arimathea is a secret disciple no longer boldly. One translation says he comes the pilot to ask for the body of Jesus.

Literally, the new American Standard is right means. He gathered up courage. By the way, is a child of God when you face trials and difficulties with your persecuted for your faith October 19 is raging through the world. Sometimes you have to grab yourself and gather up courage. That's what this word means. He gathered up courage and went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus calming. This wasn't easy. Joseph of Arimathea had fear.

He had every human reason to have fear, but he would not allow fear to control this action, he chooses to function on faith and disregard the fear. Think about it for just a moment Jesus is hanging on a pole as a dead court's. I mean no one would want to be no humanly speaking, no one will be associated with that first of all, only a relative would ever come and ask permission of the body of an executed criminal and Joseph of Arimathea is not a relative. Secondly Jesus in effect has been tried openly and convicted as a trader. He's he's guilty of treason against Israel and hero leader of the Sanhedrin, literally. As the Supreme Court of Israel the Sanhedrin that chose to have Jesus arrested chose to have Jesus tried and found him guilty of treason that hadn't crucified a member of that Supreme Court now boldly comes forth to say I love this one on devoted to this one is a lot going on here. It was a clear and open confession of his personal faith and loyalty to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, a man hated so bad by the Jews in general and particularly the Sanhedrin of the Supreme Court that they would rather have Barabbas, a convicted true criminal release to them rather than have Jesus released verse 43 says something else about Joseph of Aramaic Arimathea since he was a man who was waiting for the kingdom of God will Joseph had been saved by now and this waiting is the root and the source of Joseph of Arimathea's righteousness. He's moved from the Jewish notion of law keeping as a way to obtain righteousness to now. His confidence is in Christ to be his righteousness. You see Joseph grasp that the promised Messiah would come, but Joseph understood something the rest of Israel was not getting Joseph understood first that this promised Messiah, the Savior would come and renovate men's hearts. First, then he would renovate Israel and then renovate the entire world and universe. Joseph gets it and he's one whose heart has been renovated by the power of Jesus Christ. He's been converted. He heard Jesus teach and preach.

He's been watching Jesus he's been drawn to him. And then when he sees Jesus died on the down the cross by the work of the spirit in his heart he grasped by faith. This was the Savior, no more than that.

This is my Savior.

So Joseph of Arimathea goes public with his faith. He makes a profession of faith by there to take down the body. Jesus, you see all the Jews accepted that the Messiah would come. All the Jews look forward to this Messiah coming in establishing a holy and righteous kingdom in the earth, but all the Jews missed something that Joseph of Arimathea now see and that is to have a holy and righteous physical kingdom and the earth.

First, there must be holy and righteous ones to make up the citizenry of that righteous kingdom. Joseph trusted in Jesus first to forgive himself to liberate himself from sin and then later to liberate the nation and the world from sin and by the way that's coming in the second coming of Jesus were waiting for that but it's going to happen just as sure as the first coming very interesting in John's Gospel account in John chapter 19. John tells us that Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea and taking down the body of Jesus in John 1939. Joseph also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pound's quite expensive. So now we don't just have Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, we have Nicodemus, another prominent wealthy member of the Supreme Court of the Sanhedrin, both coming boldly publicly to identify with Jesus Christ. You remember, Nicodemus don't you Nicodemus is the man in John chapter 3 what did you do, he sneaked at night to speak with Jesus.

He knew there was something real about Jesus. So he comes in the night he cannot. Joseph of Arimathea he's becoming a secret learner or disciple discipled minutes of the converted. It just means he's beginning to learn and follow and want to receive more he comes and remember Jesus just totally blew his mind. We might decide Jesus blew past his mind, because Nicodemus is what's all this teaching and Jesus and Nicodemus. If you want to see the kingdom of God. If you want to enter the kingdom of God. You must be born from above.

You must be born again.

There's gotta be a new birth river Nicodemus just couldn't grasp that, but something's changed from the time Nicodemus was blown away by Jesus saying there's gotta be a new birth regeneration of your heart and what Nicodemus is doing now without any concern for his own safety rejection. He's going to say by his his companions on the just Supreme Court of the basin. In general goes all the way with Joseph a bear Arimathea Nicodemus comes and says I want to take care of this precious body happened in Nicodemus been born again. He's been born again face changed Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea both have become true born-again disciples of Jesus Christ is one additional insight on Joseph it I bet it was true for Nicodemus, also. That's Luke 2350 and 51, and a man named Joseph who is a member of the Council a good and righteous man. He had not consented to their plan and action. A man from Arimathea city of the Jews. He was waiting for the kingdom of God to somewhere along the way. Joseph of Arimathea, told the rest of the Council. I don't go along with this.

Maybe that time he did know exactly what to think. But he knew by the work of the spirit in his heart he should not stand against Jesus was called the Christ.

So Joseph and Nicodemus already being effectually called when they saw Jesus crucified unconvinced are effectually converted and by coming and asking for the body of Jesus taking him down off the cross, anointing him, wrapping him with the linens.

The Bible says, anointing him with those hundred pounds of spices showing honor and dignity to Christ by delaying Jesus in a new tomb.

They were making publicly we profess our faith in Jesus Christ. You know every truly say born-again believer is required to make a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ mean anything less is absolutely unthinkable in this episode in the burial narrative of Jesus is a foreshadowing because the church has not yet formally been established in the ordinance of baptism hasn't yet been formally established Bible says in Matthew 2018, Jesus is risen from the grave piece meeting with his followers before he ascends back up in the glory he said okay, here's what you do go everywhere and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and Holy Spirit brothers and sisters. Baptism is the profession of faith.

That's a first step of obedience for everyone. He's come to faith in Christ by challenge you this morning. Have you been saved had you been effectually called are you drawn to Jesus what's holding you back from making the profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Through baptism Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus through their entire everything on the line to come public. Their loyalty and faith in Jesus and God ordained this side of the cross and this side of the establishment of the church in the world that now were to come forward and be bad ties to show forth.

We have been changed in our hearts to.

We love this Christ he's our Savior and we want to serve him in this church as our Lord bounces annex 241 as Peter begins to preach in the church age begins to unfold.

So then, those who had received his word that means receded and believed in the saved were baptized in their added that day about 3000 souls think about the parallels between Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus and their profession of faith and the New Testament ordinance. We now have as our profession of faith. The baptism number one. Both are to be public. No question about Joseph and Nicodemus. They come in front of everybody don't care what anybody says, you just can't eat you just can't fathom what it meant.

In the Jewish culture of that day for men of this prominence to take his dead corpse off an execution pole. I mean they were doing something radical and it was public when you stand before church you're going public by being baptized and making a statement of identification. Jesus, secondly both of those are testimony of a changed heart since clear Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea have been changed by the gospel by this man, Jesus Christ, and you are not to be baptized in the church and let you become a disciple as you been changed because you been regenerating you come to repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. Both of them. Joseph and Nicodemus and New Testament baptism are a testimony of a changed heart.

Thirdly, both of them are, and identifying with Jesus Christ you're identifying when you're in the baptismal water to sing identify with he and I believe he died for me. He's buried and he rose again you go down the baptismal waters are saying I want to know. I died with my old viewpoints. My old priorities for all purposes. I buried the old and I'm rising to learn pathologies will that's what Nicodemus and Joseph are saying were done now. Don't know history records. We don't know exactly what happened but these men in their hearts had to be at least say the matter about the Sanhedrin doesn't matter about our prominence in Israel than matter what our fellow men think and very likely they were put in their very lives on the line we are identifying with Jesus and then the fourth thing. Not only is it public, not only is it a testimony of a changed heart. Not only is it identifying with Jesus, but both Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus and New Testament baptism is a joining with Christ in his church and a leaving of your old associations.

Everyone who comes forward saying I'm making a new family that I enjoy wanting.

I now want to be dignified with the church with mean you have to leave your the fan are even that your old organizations. That means in your heart my new priority.

The centerpiece of who I am is God's church and God's purposes. These two men certainly through to the wind all their old Association.

Now this side of Calvary. This side of the finished gospel work of Jesus Christ. It is unthinkable. I think it's impossible to in a prolonged fashion be a secret disciple, you must go public and you must go public.

God's way. That's baptism in the local church something for sure happened to Joseph into Nicodemus after Calvary and if you can look on the Savior on the cross and refused to identify with him through New Testament baptism then you need to go back and look again because you missed something know you missed everything the Bible tells us in Matthew 1032 and 33.

Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my father who is in heaven. Isn't it amazing the things people will identifying with we were So we were shirts and they say this is who we identify with not saying all that bad. Our ball team are politician whatever it is we put stickers on our car saying what we identify with some have hunting stickers out from the lack of better than others. Some have other things but to be honest, a lot of it is just silly worldly stuck and to be really honest, a lot of it stupid and some of its outright sinful and real brothers and sisters, whoever you are.

If you come to Christ. Why not identify through God's baptism with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. These men are powerful foreshadowing that a new age is starting a new thing is begun.

God's church and its centers and those who are saved coming forward to join it to a public profession of faith and believe respect.

A second thing in this new work. This new thing God's doing that we see here is a foreshadowing of Christian perseverance and faith is a foreshadowing of Christian perseverance that is that everyone is pretty side perseveres to the end with Christ, we see that in these women again in verse 40, there were some women looking on, and that verse 40 verse 40 there were some women looking on verse 41, these women were also with him in Galilee. In verse 47, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother Joseph were looking on to see where he was laid. The Bible says they've actually been honoring Jesus and serving Jesus for a long time. The boxes in Galilee, verse 41. During his earthly ministry and teaching they would minister to him literally means to white only their sister group of ladies. He said it didn't matter what's needed will serve them food will bring them water. The Bible says they gave of their material possessions to support the work that point was, whatever our Lord and whatever the disciples need to carry on this work. We are here to support brothers and sisters. These were the first night shift workers in the church.

You may be out there and say what's a night shift worker you need to go online to get the sermon. Listen to and not because it's my firm, but because the truth of the sermon they were those who had testimony of faithfulness.

Now it's quite clear the way this is described that there were numbers of other women who have fallen off numbers about the women who are no longer faithful. These are the women that the New Testament of the King James version's calls quote silly women" they loved Jesus when he was feeding them. Miraculously they love Jesus when he was informing the miracles of Jesus when he would raise the debt when Jesus would refute and embarrass the Pharisees in his preaching and teaching. He was arrested he was shamed. People were turning against him. He was trod he was crucified in those silly women who follow their emotions fell off, but these women in Mark chapter 15 persevere there not silly women there. What are called godly principled women there held by their faith are not swayed by silly fickle emotions. One things I think I see our culture today is a lot of effeminate men who met like silly women follow their just drama queens.

I followed this thing and that thing in this if you don't stand a chance. Not these ladies. These are godly, faithful, principled women, men fight Mark 14 1550 simply states they all left him to fled all left in deflated means. The men who disciples we do know from the gospel narratives that John was there for a while, but likely didn't stay long but the lady stayed all the way through.

These ladies were faithful through it all.

The Bible text tells us they were with him, serving him in Galilee there with him when he came to Jerusalem, they were beside the cross, when he was crucified on the cross there with him now as he's being buried and they'll be there right after his resurrection. This is a picture of Christian perseverance. It's a picture of the doctrine of the perseverance of the site through the ages as I've told my church. Many times we kinda diluted this Dr. now we cannot cut it in half and we use the phrase once saved always saved, which I believe I will use the phrase the eternal security of the believer, which I believe that's only one half the other half is not only is God going to keep all that he saves those he saves will remain in persevere all the way through. We stumble we fall, you might fall in a mud puddle, but do not expect to delay unit all week. That's the difference you get up and you repent, you persevere home with the Lord. These ladies are such a glorious picture of that. Matthew 1022 says you will be hated by all because of my name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be say. Matthew 2412 and 13 because lawlessness and in is increased. Most people's love will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end shall beside this text is not teaching your endurance to the end saves you it's saying that those who are really God's persevere and overall faithfulness to the we do know the disciples fell out, but they came back. But these ladies are better example. They were faithful persevering all the way through. These ladies are indeed a testimony, a foreshadow of the church. New Testament doctrine of the perseverance of the site.

I thought many times this week studying this about the ladies in my church and your pastor out there you're not a member.

Grace life or church leader.

Have you not but you might think I'm just saying this and here's why I'm saying you might think I'm just saying this because pastors notoriously have problems with the women in the church and I mean typically with women who are out for power and control women who esteem themselves spiritual giants and they chased this author than they chase this seminar teacher and they chased this philosophy and are just all over the place and just drive the pastors crazy trunking flock together because I think someone so her mama so and so her sister so-and-so's always following some emotional tension that's just common in churches but I'm going to tell you just the truth. Grace Locke, church is not like that God has given me an army of women just like things they serve but honor they support.

They work, they don't care if they're saying they bit and I'm out.

Just think some of these ladies have been with me for tea years and are still faith.

What a picture of the perseverance of the site number three Jesus doing anything. From the moment he died, and said it's finished, he begins to unfold. This new thing this new church age. One of things that's foreshadowed in this burial is the exalted glory of Jesus Christ. A foreshadowing of the exalted glory of Jesus Christ limit quickly just say a word about the fact that Jesus died first force you to have to die to be buried well.

It's best if you do it that way.

I actually saw think I saw it on some his history it Instagram thing where the ring a bell thing was a literal thing they had so many people who died centuries ago who were alive. They literally put a string in there with the bailiff of if so, if these in their knees allowing ring the bell to kick me out. Well that's what history records. But Jesus literally died on the cross and this is a key doctrine of the Christian faith that's been attacked through the ages. I can't take the number of ways so-called Christian scholars are just worldly liberal scholars of what they are tried to take the narrative and massage didn't explain it away because they do not believe in the authority of the inerrancy in the sufficient just rearranging say what he really didn't died he really didn't rise from the grave and and that really didn't happen the way the Bible says and on and on we could go and the reason why they attack us because Satan hates Jesus must die to redeem the children and free us from the power of death. First Corinthians 13 are 15 are the three and four says fraud delivered to you as a first importance would also receive that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Hebrews 922 and according to the law, one may almost say all things are cleaned with blood without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.

Now the point is, and less. Jesus dies were steel in our sin and were still under the power of sin and there were still subject to the staying of death, which is sin. The Bible shows us that Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus could attest to his death. The text here says that Pilate asked the century and easy dad because I wanted taking down and Pilate was surprised because crucifixion is a slow horrid death.

We had been on the cross all that long.

Compared to most executions and so Pilate heard the word back from the Centura in the text tells us he's dead. The century and testified he did so that's ahead of the state in the military official. These women who are here can testify, he was dead. The course the tomb itself testifies he was dead. Jewish law required that a corpse of the GU could not be left out on the Sabbath night's Friday and when it gets dark, it becomes the Sabbath. The Sabbath began at sunset on Friday so Joseph of Arimathea not joined by Nicodemus is an quad hurry to get him down and get them buried before the sun goes down Jewish law required it, but let's remind ourselves there's more than the honoring of Jewish law at hand is more than just the devotion of Joseph and Nicodemus involved no God himself is conducting preparations in the burial of his son. He's doing it through me and he changed but God is doing. Think about the fact that when Jesus died, the foundation for the new work was laid in his burial. The building starts coming up and you can see it by fax when when when our contractors are men who build houses lab foundation is not must look at.

Most people don't notice it all the some gravel, some concrete blocks and before that there were strings and stakes to lay it out but it pays much attention, but all let the wall start coming the windows and the doors are put in the roost put on via, it starts to get our attention will see in his burial. We start to see things come together.

Something has changed. We pass from one phase to another.

The old phase was his shame was him being cursed was him being spit upon was him being punched and ridiculed, arrested, suffering, bleeding and dying, but note that there's no more something is changed, it was common when the Romans executed a criminal that every died. They took his corpse, often chunked it in a ditch. Notice not Jesus's body is not thrown in a ditch. He's laid in a new tune.

Not just any new tune the tomb of one of the most wealthy and powerful man in Israel. It's a statement that the beginning of my exalting and glorifying my son has started, I could run through that wall back there know the burial attendance. Nicodemus and Joseph are honorable men, powerful men, wealthy men is likely they never touched a corpse before their servants would've done that but here please honor dignified man of the body of Jesus with preciousness with care and with love hundred pounds of special spices spend a lot of money on it.

They lay amid new tomb up closely to that end, but in Israel can afford to have their own custom hued with the swivel was a special place.

There was a dignity and an honor. It was the tomb of a wealthy man and an esteemed citizen note. It was also a new tune Bible tells us in Colossians 118. He's the firstborn from the bed dead in first Corinthians 1520. He's the first fruits among them that rise, while Isaiah reminds us in his prophecy in Isaiah 53, nine that his grave was assigned with wicked men. Yet he was with the rich man in his death last about this. It is incidental documentation. God is saying something here please say something here about my son for his work to redeem and purchase his church began the time when he will start the exultation and glory because the church today does not worship humbled, spit upon battered crucified Savior the church today serves an exalted glorified Savior and we see the foreshadowing of this in the way and the people involved in his burial nor punching him. No more spinning upon him no killing of him. No more suffering no more shame and humiliation. No more scorn now begins his exalted glory in the burial of the father can't hold back but want you to see him so deeply did him in the way he was handled and who handled him and where he was buried. This is the foreshadowing of the exalted glory of Jesus Christ welding just roughly 36 hours from right now when they put them in the tomb of force of heavenly power will hit that tomb by force that is not been felt in the earth since God breathed life into Adam in the original garden of Eden, and he will arise from this Hon. tomb with exalting dignity and glory far beyond Earth's dignities and Earth's glorious brothers and sisters. This isn't just a narrative is important that you see the purposes of God in this see God did such a work in the hearts of noble, esteemed and wealthy men. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that they would face loss of everything to give this Jesus the most honored and dignified burial.

They could think about it. It's one thing if they honor Jesus while he is living, but to take the course of one the world viewed as a treasonous criminal and cherish that corpse on earth that is radical. Here's my point was God himself working for Nicodemus and Joseph. It was God himself making a statement in this burial. God is saying the old phase has ended.

He did it perfectly when he died he said it is finished.

Now he begins his exaltation and his quarry charts when he saw the risen Savior. He's in the world today. I know that is what men may say I hear his voice reversing.

I hear his voice of cheer every time I need them is always near you nowise always near proceeds exalted in glory throughout the fall that the church worships back and cherish the cross, but is not there, he's risen and glorified here even in this burial. The father says pages turned now it's time to begin his exalted glory. One last brief word. See also the foreshadow of Christian hope.

There is no hope, like Christian hope. I been the US fortress minister, suffering, careless we win we get a new body. We get to be glorified with him in heaven would become perfect and holy and infinite wondrous pleasures of being in his presence forever.

There's no hope. Like Christian hope, no matter the circumstances, hope remains for the Christian, do you remember that during the coronavirus. No matter the circumstance are hope remains herein. These events surrounding his burial. We see that hope, crawls up out of the lower level and hope comes up on the top platform hope gets appearances hey, centerpiece of this new work. This is what were all about. Can you imagine the hopelessness of being under a works of law and law keeping.

That's over. Jesus was the lock keeper and he kept it perfectly, and he took our place as the perfect law keeper and that's all been done.

It's finished. Now we live in the hope of the glory, the confidence of what he's accomplished well it's something of significant encouragement of all we've said about Joseph of Arimathea and all we've said about Nicodemus because God had to do that on top of it all.

The Bible takes Old Testament and New Testament points out specifically, they were at least Joseph was rich, not just the narrative. It means something.

Think about it is not. The Bible teaches this. Matthew 1923 and 24 and Jesus said this disciples truly I say to you, it is hard for rich man into the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it's easier for a camel to go through that I have a needle than for rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Some debate about what going to the nucleus, but whatever it is it's hard to get a camel through one point is something about wealth were a man typically feels he's somewhat inoculated from whatever might happen to him, both in time and in eternity in this burial situation, God chose to the most powerful and wealthy man alive to devote themselves to this means God can save anybody. God can change it by. I don't care who your burden about your house when your wife that child, that grandchild that relative that person at work, you think it's been so long and I don't so far, not just our partner Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus see rich people are basically hard rich people are either enslaved to Christ and use their wealth to honor Christ and his church or there enslaved to their wealth into idolatrous servitude to their riches to the doom of their own soul so humanly speaking it's it's glorious beyond compare that these two man powerful, wealthy man become devoted, loyal followers of Jesus Christ, even to the extent of taking his corpse off the executioners pole handle it with the utmost dignity and care all the way through to the time but just in sisters there's always always always hope for the child of God. Let me share this with you as I close and I'm on holy ground here, but I have the permission to share this. Forgive me. I don't remember the day exactly, but this last week, Tina Borden, her husband, Doss Borden, who teaches in our senior adult small groups.

Her father had literally been at the point of death, or close to death for several days he was in the intensive care unit. I called them toward the end of the week and talk with Tina and prayed with Tina and somewhere in the conversation.

She said brother Jeff.

You know the protocol for the coronavirus. I can't go be with my father. She was heartbroken, just heartbroken. He had no but she's only child. Nobody was there so she should brothers that I've prayed I've prayed that God would put somebody with him in my place that would show him comfort and love because I could I finish praying with Tina. I thought I heard a beeping. It was intensive care unit and Tina answers the phone and the lady on the phone said Ms. Borden, your father's close today. She said well I heard the phone beep but I couldn't call you right away. I was talking to my pastor brother Jeff and the nurse.

It just so brother Jeff and Tina said yes brother Jeff Grace lectures the shows he's my pastor and the nurse in the intensive care unit said he's my pastor, pastor Taylor Wallace on Nick Wallace, his wife and she should hear a little put my phone to your daddy's ear and you can speak with him because he's close and Dawson Tina were able to share with Tina's dad, their love for him and that it was fine for him to go on and go home to be with the Lord. I don't know what else happened but I do know moment later, my phone rings and I'm telling you Dawson Tina Borden were having revised. They were so full of joy, tears of joy and tears of happiness that God answered their prayer and gave him someone to comfort Tina's dad in that moment someone that I felt I could care like they could care someone out of their own church family explained that and I'm just praising God for answering prayer and let them actually talk to Tina's dad right before he passed away, because after the talk to her dad on the phone.

He breathed his last is going to glory look it matters not the circumstance. It matters not. The difficulty it matters not. The improbability of a situation.

Listen, if you're God's. He has your back cares for you. He's going take care of you. He's come to come through for you and in this text. Narrative of our Lord's burial.

We see the Reese sounding foreshadowing of Christians that in this new age are going to be people who live in a defined hope no matter what no matter what