Matthew 27:57 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.

NIV: As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.

NASB: Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

CSB: When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

NLT: As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus,

KJV: When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

NKJV: Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus has died (Matthew 27:50). John's account notes that the attending soldiers made sure Jesus was dead (John 19:34). Sundown is approaching. This will mark the beginning of a Sabbath day. Roman practice was to let crucified bodies rot, enhancing the shame and horror that came with defying Rome. However, Jewish religious law forbids leaving executed bodies out (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). Given the impending religious holiday, the Roman governor seems willing to both speed up the executions (John 19:31) and allow the bodies to be removed.

A wealthy man named Joseph, from the local town of Arimathea, steps forward to claim Jesus' corpse. We know from Luke's gospel that this Joseph was also a member of the Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin. This group condemned Jesus to death. Luke makes it clear, though, that Joseph had not consented to that (Luke 23:50–51). Much like modern legislatures, the Sanhedrin did not need all members to be present to vote, so those sympathetic to Jesus (John 7:50–52) had likely been left out of the midnight trial (Matthew 26:57–68).

In fact, according to John, Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus because he was afraid of the Jewish religious leaders (John 19:38). Joseph will be bold now, though, to help Jesus and His followers take care of the Lord's body. He will be assisted by Nicodemus, another religious leader whose loyalty to Jesus was less than public (John 3:1; 19:39).

Matthew 27:57–66 describes Jesus' burial and the watch placed over His tomb. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower of Jesus, asks for Jesus' body. Pilate agrees. Joseph wraps Jesus' body in a clean linen shroud and places it in his own, never-used tomb, which is cut out of the rock in a garden. Jesus' enemies ask Pilate to place Roman soldiers at the grave site. They seek to prevent anyone from stealing His body and claiming He has been resurrected. Pilate agrees. The tomb is sealed. A guard is posted. These events are also seen in Mark 15:42–47, Luke 23:50–56, and John 19:38–42.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.