Read Mark 15:42-47
People Do Not Define Who I Am. The Lord Does!
It was Friday when Jesus had been crucified on a cross. By evening he was dead. Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy man, and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin Council. He was a righteous man who opposed the decision made by the Sanhedrin Council to have Jesus crucified. After Jesus’s death, Joseph boldly goes to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus so he can give Jesus a proper burial. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, saw the tomb where Jesus was laid. It was sealed with a large Rock in front of it.
I drew the conclusion that Joseph was a true follower of Christ and the evidence is:
1. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin Council who made the decision to have Jesus crucified. But Joseph opposed this decision. He did not conform to his peers. He was more concerned about what God thought of him versus how others thought of him. He was his own person. He did not let others define who he was to be, but he let God define his identity. May we all do the same.
2. It says that Joseph was waiting for the Kingdom of God. In other words, the things of God were very important to Joseph. The things of God were always in the forefront of his mind. May the things of Jesus always be on the forefront of our hearts so that our lives reflect the life of Jesus.
3. Joseph not only believed in Jesus but he had a love for him. After Jesus’s death, Joseph didn’t walk away and get on with his life. His love for Jesus drove him to boldly ask Pilate for the body of Jesus so he could give Jesus a proper burial. What is the depth of our love for Jesus? What are we willing to boldly do for Jesus in our everyday walk with him?
4. I can only speculate here but Mary, the mother Joseph, was aware of the place of Jesus’s burial. I can only assume that Mary was a righteous woman who was very influential in teaching her son Joseph about the things of the Lord. I believe she had a very strong impact on why Joseph had a love for God.
How are we doing influencing others for the Lord Jesus? How can we prepare the next generation to be godly men and women for Jesus? Help us Lord to invest into the lives of others so we can influence their lives for Jesus. Amen!
