Waiting for the Kingdom

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

WAITING FOR THE KINGDOM

Mark 15:42-47

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

NIV

Of course Pilate was surprised for death by crucifixion took days for the person to final suffocate from hanging on a cross, it was a gruesome long drawn out way to die, but Jesus had given up his spirit, he has chosen the hour of his death, for he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But the truth we should see here is not about the death of Christ, but about Joseph of Arimathea. From all the accounts we know he was from the tribe of Benjamin although he lived in Jerusalem, he was a counselor on the great counsel of the Sanhedrin, and he was a secret follower of Jesus because he feared the Jews who were looking for ways to kill Jesus. Nevertheless he, not one of the twelve, went boldly to Pilate seeking the body of Jesus. We would have thought surely Peter after his humiliating experience in the garden would have been seeking the body of Christ. Or perhaps we would have expected John after Jesus had told him to take care of his mother Mary that he would have wanted to care for the body of Christ. Or James the brother of Jesus would have been there wanting to remove his brothers body from the cross. But no, not a one of the twelve were there, but this man who was a secret follower now boldly pronounces his concern for Christ. We do not know exactly how he was waiting for the kingdom of God. We do not know if he actually thought Jesus was going to set himself up as king of Israel and overthrow the Roman rule over Israel. We do not know if Joseph thought Jesus was talking about a real kingdom here on earth, or a heavenly kingdom. But we do know which ever the case was he was waiting for the kingdom of God. He was living his life in expectation of the coming kingdom. Yes he was a prominent person, a wealthy man, a member of the counsel of Sanhedrin, being a part of the social fabric of his society, but he was also waiting for the kingdom of God. He life was not build around all his wealth and prominence, it was built around the kingdom of God. The proof of this is in the action he took. He sacrificed all his position in society by taking this action, by announcing to everyone that he was going to care for the body of Christ that he was going to see to it that Jesus was buried properly, before the Sabbath. He did not want Jesus to be left on that cross. One act which defined who Joseph of Arimathea truly was, a disciple of Christ, a believer, one who was waiting for the kingdom.