What does Luke 23:52 mean?
Joseph of Arimathea is a respected member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). His fellow councilmembers conspired with Judas to arrest Jesus. They questioned and beat Him. They judged that His claim that He is the Christ was blasphemous. And they delivered Him to Pilate and insisted the Romans crucify Him (Luke 22).They don't know that Joseph is a disciple of Jesus (John 19:38). It is possible Joseph avoided them after he realized their scheme. He is a sincere and godly man who has faith that the promises Jesus made about the coming kingdom of God are true (Luke 23:50–51). But now, Jesus is dead.
The next day is the Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is holy (Exodus 12:16), and it's unbecoming for Jesus and the thieves to remain on their crosses (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). The Jewish leaders had asked Pilate to have the soldiers break the victims' legs, leaving them to suffocate more quickly. The soldiers judge that Jesus is already dead, so one of them pierces His side with a spear. When water and blood come flowing out, His death is confirmed (John 19:31–34).
Mark says that Joseph "took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus" (Mark 15:43). To publicly identify himself with Jesus was bold. Clearly the Sanhedrin despised Jesus, and He had been officially condemned by Rome, despite Pilate's knowledge of His innocence. Requesting to care for the corpse of a man who had been condemned to a humiliating death certainly required courage.
Pilate is surprised that Jesus is already dead (Mark 15:44). crucifixion was designed to be agonizingly slow; victims could survive for days. Jesus has only been on the cross for six hours. However, Jesus was also subject to intense flogging and abuse before He was crucified. And, of course, Jesus "[laid] down [His] life of [His] own accord" (John 10:18). He had the strength to "[call] out with a loud voice" (Luke 23:46) just prior to His death. He was not merely a victim of brutality; He willingly and intentionally gave His life at exactly the right moment (Luke 23:44–46; John 19:28–30). Pilate sends the centurion to make sure Jesus is dead. The centurion affirms it, and Pilate gives Joseph the body (Mark 15:45; Luke 23:53).
