Saturday

SECRET DISCIPLE?


Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews.
Joseph of Arimathea was a careful student of Jesus!

There is no such thing as a secret follower of Jesus. The Teacher made this clear when He said students must be willing to openly confess their faith in Him. Otherwise, He said that He would also deny them before the Father in heaven.

But who can blame Joseph for being cautious? The fury of mob psychology surrounding the last hours of Jesus’ life was horrifying.

It may be said that Joseph was even following one of the Teacher’s earlier counsels – Be wise as serpents but harmless as doves.

Wise to avoid conflict with a city filled with people out for blood! Completely harmless to seek a decent burial for his Teacher!

With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.


As we know from other writers, the tomb was Joseph’s. Nicodemus supplied no insignificant contribution to the burial - a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

Notably missing are the students closest to Jesus. Where are they? They are afraid also.

But their fear immobilized them. They are mere spectators! While Joseph’s fear prompts cautious, although loving action on Jesus’ behalf!

Eventually, the missing students of Jesus will die for their faith.

But for now, it is only two relatively unknown men who gain a kind of immortality because they are not so secret disciples.

By Sunday the tomb was empty once again! Here is the real reason why there are no secret students today. No longer any fear of death…He arose!!!

1 comment:

  1. Joseph act, he acted with authority. He asked Pilot first - so if he was asked, he could say he was acting on orders from the governor.

    I'd like to know about people like Joseph, Nichodemus, and Gamaliel - if they later on followed openly... maybe we'll one eternal day bump into them!

    This is what confuses me - "He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)"

    So he (John) saw and believed - but believed what? That Jesus had risen yet didn't yet understand scriptures?

    Yet I wonder how often this applies to me... that I believe things, but don't fully understand them. I guess that's ok, as Faith is one of the most important things, whether we understand it or not.

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