The Burial of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Mat. 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42).

The Lord’s burial are narrated completely in accord by all four Evangelists, at the same time each conveying his own details. The burial took place with the advent of evening, although before the arrival of Saturday i.e. it has to be supposed that it must have been one or two hours before sundown, when Saturday began. This is clearly indicated by all four Evangelists: Mat. 27:57, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54 and John 19:42. This is especially emphasized by Saints Mark and Luke. At that time, as Saint Mark testifies, Joseph of Arimathea arrived from a Jewish town near Jerusalem. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, a pious, clandestine follower of Christ, and according to Saint John, was not involved in Christ’s condemnation (Luke 23:51). Approaching Pilate, he asked for Christ’s body so that He could be buried. According to Roman custom, crucified bodies were left on the crosses as prey for the birds. However, it was possible to obtain permission from the authorities for the body to be buried. Pilate expressed surprise that Jesus had already died, as the crucified sometimes hung there for several days. Having checked with the centurion, who confirmed Christ’s death, ordered that the Body be released to Joseph. According to Saint John, Nicodemus arrived — who previously came to Jesus at night (see John chp 3) -—bringing with him about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloe mixture. Joseph bought a long and expensive shroud. They took the Body down and according to custom, anointed it with aromatic oils, wound the shroud around it and placed it in a new burial cave in Joseph’s garden, situated close to Golgotha. As the sun was setting in the west, while everything was performed hastily, it was done diligently. Having rolled a stone across the entrance, they left. All this time, the women that were present at Golgotha, watched the activity.

Saint Chrysostom and also Blessed Theophylactus consider that “Mary the mother of James and Joses” mentioned by the Evangelists, was the Most Holy Mother of God, “ inasmuch James and Joses were sons of Joseph from his first wife. As the Mother of God was called the wife of Joseph, then She was rightfully called mother i.e. Stepmother to his sons.” Others were of the opinion that it was Mary, wife of Clopas, cousin to the mother of God. As narrated by Saint Matthew (27:61), they were all sitting across from the opening to the cave. Then according to Saint Luke, they later returned and prepared aromatic herbs and paste, so that at the end of Saturday’s quiet and in accordance with Jewish custom, they would anoint the body of Christ (Luke 23:56). According to Saint Mark, these women, named “myrrhbearing,” didn’t purchase the aromatic herbs on the day the Lord was interred, but after Saturday had passed i.e. Saturday night. There are no contradictions here. Evidently, there was very little time left on Friday evening before the sun set. They prepared it partly on Friday, and what they didn’t finish, they did so on Saturday evening.

Evangelist Matthew narrates about another important situation, which occurred on the day after the burial — “On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation,” i.e. Saturday, the high priests and Pharisees gathered at Pilate’s residence (not thinking about violating the rest on the Sabbath) and asked that he place a guard over the tomb for three days. They declared their motive as: “We remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.’” “The first deception” they regard here is the Lord Jesus Christ teaching about Himself as the Son of God, Messiah, while the “last deception” — sermon on Him as the resurrected Conqueror of hell and death. They feared this sermon more, and in this they were quite right, as the future history showed in the spread of Christianity. Pilate dryly answered their request: “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” In view of the huge influx of people from all the countries in the world into Jerusalem, a Roman guard was assigned under the authority of the Sanhedrin to maintain law and order during this festive period. Pilate offers that they utilize this guard as they see fit, so that later they would not be able to blame anyone for anything. “So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard” — i.e. placing a cord and seal on the stone in the presence of the soldiers, who remained at the tomb to guard it. Thus, without realizing it, the evil enemies of the Lord prepared undisputable proof of His glorious resurrection from the dead.