First Presbyterian Church Of Baton Rouge

Joseph just wanted to honor his slain master. He just wanted the cruel shame to end. So he was willing to sacrifice politically, socially, personally to give Jesus a proper burial. And what a difference it has made! If Jesus had been dumped in a mass grave, there would have been no empty tomb to point out on Easter. If he had been discarded in an unfindable place, the resurrection would have seemed like a mere fabrication. But the world saw Joseph take Jesus to his home address. They saw the Lord laid in a tomb with a stone rolled over it. They beheld the Roman soldiers guarding it. So Joseph’s gift became an essential, everlasting witness to the resurrection of Jesus. He was buried in Joseph’s tomb. On Sunday, the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. Jesus really died. A lost cause. He also really rose. The triumph of love.