John 19:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

NIV: At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.

NASB: Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

CSB: There was a garden in the place where he was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it.

NLT: The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before.

KJV: Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

NKJV: Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

Joseph of Arimathea is a rich member of the Jewish religious council, and a secret follower of Jesus (John 19:38). He and Nicodemus, another important man (John 3:1–2) have worked to quickly bury Jesus before the onset of a Sabbath (John 19:31).

Scholars cannot positively identify where Jesus was crucified and buried. All we know about the location referred to as Golgotha (John 19:17) is that it was just outside the city and near a major roadway (John 19:20). Most likely, this is a deliberate omission. Humanity has a tragic habit of turning souvenirs into objects of worship (2 Kings 18:4). Sites traditionally associated with Jesus' life are already revered, despite there being no hard evidence or Scriptural support. The fact that Jesus' burial site is technically unknown might be an intentional step on God's part.

Jesus was notably poor during His active ministry (Matthew 8:20). A garden tomb cut out of rock (Luke 23:53), with a secure door (Luke 24:2) was an extravagant luxury. The crypt is borrowed from Joseph (Matthew 27:60). That Jesus is penniless in life, but buried with the rich, fulfills another prophecy from the Old Testament (Isaiah 53:9). That the tomb is easy to guard (Matthew 27:62–66) will add to the miraculous nature of Jesus' eventual resurrection (John 20:1).

John 19:38–42 describes Jesus' hasty burial. A member of the Jewish leadership and secret follower of Jesus, Joseph, gets permission to bury Jesus. He works with Nicodemus, who has also been secretive about his faith. They quickly wrap Jesus in grave cloths and place Him in a borrowed tomb. Parallel passages are Matthew 27:57–61, Mark 15:42–47, and Luke 23:50–56.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.