The Secret Disciple

Hello everyone.

Today, I am sharing the story of Joseph of Arimathea.  It is told a little bit in each of the Gospels.  Matthew 27:57 tells us that Joseph was wealthy.  Mark 15:43 tells us that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, was waiting for the kingdom of God and that he went boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.  Luke 23:50-51 tells us that while he was a member of the Jewish ruling council, he had not consented to their actions.  It is what John says, however, that gives us the full picture.  John 19:38-42 also tells about the wealthy member of the Jewish ruling council who boldly approached Pilate in order to bury the body of Jesus.  John adds that Joseph was "a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews."  Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but to this point he had kept it a secret.  His secret was motivated by fear.  Today, Joseph would certainly be considered on the fringe of the fellowship at best, yet Joseph steps up big time in an hour of need and God uses him to accomplish his will.  He, along with Nicodemus, buried Jesus in Joseph's own tomb.

It's funny to me, that at a time when Jesus' closest associates (the apostles) were in hiding, and it appears that Jesus had lost his battle with the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, that this is the moment when Joseph steps forward and makes his association with Jesus public.  He had not had the faith to overcome his fear during Jesus' public ministry.  He had summoned some courage during Jesus' trial and had not consented to what the Council was doing, but after Jesus was dead, when all seemed lost, he boldly goes to Pilate for the body of Jesus.  His discipleship is no secret now. But now, with Jesus dead, it would seem that he had nothing to gain by stepping forward. It is difficult to say what motivated Joseph to come forward at this point.  Perhaps seeing Jesus on trial had bolstered his faith or created such a deep love for Jesus that fear didn't matter anymore.  Perhaps God had set Joseph aside for this special purpose, knowing that he had the financial means and the influence to get it done.  The best I can do is speculate as to the turning point and the motivation for Joseph stepping out like he did at a time when all seemed lost. 

OK, so what does this mean?  To me, it means that we just never know who God has set aside for a specific purpose or plan, or who has the heart to step in at the right moment.  Even those that are seemingly the weakest among us may be the one that God has chosen to do something amazing.

Tom