August 28
Mark 15:42-47
Joseph was a really popular name back in bible times. So who was this Joseph? He was a “prominent member of the Council”. That council is the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish authority of that time. It was the same council that had previously been looking for ways to arrest Jesus. Up until this point in scripture we didn’t know that Joseph of Arimathea was a believer in Jesus. Ironically, he was a member of the very council wishing Jesus dead. He might have lost his job, experienced great persecution, or worse if his peers had known his heart. I’m not making excuses for him; I’m just saying it’s easy to see why he kept quiet. But after Jesus’ death, Joseph was silent no more. He “went boldly to Pilate” to ask for Jesus’ body. That took a lot of courage. Sometimes doing the right thing is uncomfortable. Standing up for Jesus can be hard and scary, but God gives us the boldness and the courage that we need to get the job done!
Principle: Love for Christ gives courage and boldness to do what is right in difficult situations.
Application:
1. Do I do as God directs me even when it seems dangerous?
2. What opportunity is Jesus giving me this week to spend time and money for His body, the church? Will I use that opportunity or let it pass?
3. How will I demonstrate my love for Jesus today, even though the situation seems dead or hopeless?
Sometimes you see things you've never noticed before in a passage. "It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath)." Sabbath started at sundown and during the daylight before sundown they made preparations for "keeping it holy." For me it raised the question: how much effort do I put forth preparing for my sabbath day? The sabbath was a big deal to God's people, so much so that they had a day called "Preparation Day" to be sure they did it right. I need to look at my sabbath day practices including how I prepare for them.
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