Stop 7 - Burial

Bible Reading
Matthew 27: 57-60
That evening a rich man named Joseph came to Jerusalem. He was a follower of Jesus from the town of Arimathea. Joseph went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus’ body. Pilate gave orders for the soldiers to give it to Joseph. Then Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. He put Jesus’ body in a new tomb that he had cut in a wall of rock. He rolled a very large stone to block the entrance of the tomb. Then Joseph went away.

​Reflection
Jesus’ friends wanted to make sure that his body was placed in a tomb and treated with respect.

The next day there was a big religious festival and so they needed to act quickly because the Jewish religious rules meant that they would not be able to bury or tend to Jesus’ body the next day. So they did their best, Joseph, who was an important man and knew the authorities well, went and asked for Jesus’ body and offered the tomb that he had bought for himself. The entrance was sealed with a stone and Jesus was completely separated from his friends. They must have been very sad and full of despair. Life around them continues.

The next day is the Sabbath and all the Jews who have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the special festival of the Passover, would be involved in their celebrations. I wonder what the disciples did? Did they join in? Were they too upset to do so?  

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Discussion Questions 

• Have you experienced the death of someone you loved?
• What did you do to give thanks for their life and to mourn their loss?
• How do you keep your memories of them alive now?
• Take a moment to name them and give thanks to God for their lives.