"A New Tomb"

 

Matthew 27:57-61:Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

Matthew again takes pains to show the fulfillment of Scripture--Isaiah 53:9, which says that Christ would be buried with the rich. Joseph of Arimathea (a city about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem) was a rich man who had hewn out of the rock a tomb that was in a garden. Joseph was one of the few of those who had riches who waited for the kingdom (Matthew 19:23-24; Mark 15:43). Joseph had been a secret disciple, but he proved loyal and brave when the test came.

By Pilate's commanding the body to be delivered to Joseph, there was the preservation of the body of Jesus from further indignity. He would be buried with the rich in His death, which once and for all time eliminated the possibility that people went to the wrong tomb.

Gordon's Calvary, discovered by General Charles (Chinese) Gordon, is the site outside the wall of Jerusalem that best fits with the requirements of Scripture for the crucifixion. Years after Gordon saw this small hill that had the shape of a skull (and still does today), excavation was done and a first century tomb of a rich person was discovered about 200 yards from the hill. A giant cistern indicating that a garden had been at that location was later found. Although only found in the late 19th century, this Garden Tomb is the only citing that fits all the requirements found in both the Old and New Testament for the grave of Christ. The rival site which was located by Constantine's mother is now below a Catholic Church. That site would have not needed a large stone, and it was not outside the city wall. The Garden Tomb would have necessitated a large stone over the enclosure, and it was outside the city wall. (Remember, Christ is also the scapegoat, who had to be taken outside the city to bear the sins of the people.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses (Mark 15:47) were the two who would take note of everything that was done related to the tomb. They would wait until after the Sabbath to place spices on the body of the One they had loved and on whom all their hopes were set, but who now was cold in death. nothing was left to chance, the two Mary's provided eyes that would watch every moment.