What is the meaning of Mark 15:46? So Joseph bought a linen cloth • Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43), steps forward in courage and love. The purchase of expensive linen shows personal cost and devotion, paralleling Mary’s costly perfume earlier (Mark 14:3–9). • Matthew notes Joseph was “a rich man” (Matthew 27:57), fulfilling Isaiah 53:9—Messiah would be “with a rich man in His death.” • Unlike soldiers who cast lots for Jesus’ garments (John 19:23-24), Joseph’s linen is offered in honor, treating Jesus’ body with dignity (cf. Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Took down the body of Jesus • Pilate confirmed Jesus’ death through the centurion (Mark 15:44-45); the body was lifeless, silencing theories of a mere swoon (John 19:33-34). • Joseph’s action required strength and steadiness—using ladders, tools, perhaps help from servants—as nails were removed. The apostle Paul later speaks of Christ as truly “buried” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), rooting the gospel in this factual event. • Jewish leaders demanded quick removal of bodies before the Sabbath (John 19:31), yet God’s providence placed Jesus in faithful hands. Wrapped it in the cloth • Burial customs called for spices and linen strips; John records Nicodemus bringing about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes, and the two men wrapping Jesus “in linen cloths with the spices” (John 19:39-40). • Luke adds that the women who followed “saw the tomb and how His body was placed” (Luke 23:55), confirming eyewitness knowledge of the exact grave. • The careful wrapping underscores the reality of death—there is no confusion later when the cloths lie empty (John 20:6-8). And placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock • Joseph laid Jesus “in his own new tomb” (Matthew 27:60); no previous corpse had defiled it, removing any doubt about whose body would rise. • Tombs hewn from rock were secure, expensive, and usually reserved for the wealthy, again tying to Isaiah 53:9. • The location was near the crucifixion site (John 19:41-42), allowing burial before sundown. This proximity explains why the disciples and the women could visit easily on resurrection morning. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb • Large round stones, weighing several hundred pounds, fit in a sloping groove; once rolled, they were difficult to move back uphill. • The sealed entrance (Matthew 27:66) and posted guard magnify the miracle that follows, for on the first day of the week “the stone had been rolled away” (Mark 16:4). • The women’s concern—“Who will roll away the stone for us?” (Mark 16:3)—highlights human inability, setting the stage for God’s power to be displayed. summary Mark 15:46 records a reverent, literal burial orchestrated by Joseph of Arimathea. Every detail—the costly linen, the confirmed death, the careful wrapping, the virgin rock tomb, the heavy stone—confirms prophecy, authenticates Christ’s death, and prepares for the undeniable evidence of His resurrection. |
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