I love this time of year. I love the sound of the timer going off, the smell of fresh cookies and those first bites of warm deliciousness. But sometimes the moments between the dough entering the oven and that first bite can seem like an eternity. It did as a kid. Mom would allow me to like the bowl while we waited. That would help pass the time.
But waiting for time to pass can be some of the most difficult moments of life. The emergency room waiting room has some of the slowest clocks on the planet. It is the same in the surgery suite area. Time moves incredibly slowly there. You can almost hear the tick, tick, tick, each second filling the space with more than its fair share.
Jesus has died and Joseph of Arimathea has gotten custody of the body. Joseph is a pre-resurrection believer. He actively seeks God’s presence in his life. And now he must bury Someone who seemed to exhibit such hope for the future. The ability to speak Truth to power was present in Jesus. And there was power that backed up His words, power that proved the Truth of what He said. While Joseph hadn’t witnessed all the miracles, he had heard about them. His position on the Council, the Jewish ruling body in Jerusalem, the capital city of Judaism in that day, would have brought him in contact with the best reports available.
Jesus is taken down from the cross. I am sure it wasn’t a very delicate operation. How do you pry spikes out of hands and feet delicately? I am sure the Roman’s had a spike puller, but at this point, the end of a long day and long duty day, I am sure those soldiers on duty weren’t especially helpful. The crowds had faded. The main event had passed. One of their charge had died, the other two lingered.
So down comes the body and now it is time for Joseph to do what he came to do. He receives Jesus’ body and hastily prepares it for burial. Time is running short. They have to complete the operation before the sun sets. Time is of the essence. Joseph has quickly purchased some cloth to wrap Jesus’ body. He has his own tomb as a loaner burial spot. They get His body placed. No other normal preparations can be completed. They will have to wait until Sunday morning.
To ensure no wild animals disturb the body, a large stone is place over the front of this cave carved in the hillside. This was a common tomb design. It could be opened in the future, but it took effort. Remember, tombs in that day often were used repeatedly over time, much like family mausoleums today. There was a main entrance, and then individual places for current and future burials. Jesus was the first occupant of this space. And as far as we can tell, Joseph didn’t know He was a temporary occupant.
And while Joseph is doing his job, the women watch and wait. When the stone is rolled in place the timer starts. They must wait until the sun rises on Sunday morning before they can do what traditionally would have taken place prior to burial. But the hasty nature of the burial meant that they would have to return. They would have to bring water and towels to wash His body. They would have to bring spices to mask the coming smells. They would have to honor His body with the gentle combing of His hair and beard, and washing of His wounds another day and another time. The beginning of the Sabbath demanded their exit from the tomb. This was after all Passover, the celebration of God’s acts saving Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
And so they must walk to their temporary lodgings and spend two nights, the clock ticking, moments moving excruciatingly slowly. They just want to honor the man they spent three years caring for, and for whom no act of kindness and no sacrifice was too great. And yet they must wait.
The Arnold Journey 