The Burial of Jesus, #2 (Mat. 27:62-66)

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on the preparatory actions (purchasing linen, removing the body with Nicodemus's help, winding with spices), the central action (laying Jesus in Joseph's new…

The account of Lazarus emerging from the tomb is used to illustrate the Jewish custom of winding individual limbs, allowing movement, unlike mummification.

After receiving an official grant of the body from Pilate, he most likely as a wealthy man sent out one of his servants to purchase this new, this fine cloth, cloth that probably had its origins in India. The very nature of the word would indicate the same. And he desired to have this cloth so that according to Jewish custom, the body of the Lord Jesus might be wound after the Jewish custom which was to wind each of the limbs, the torso, the individual legs, so that when you have the account of Lazarus emerging from the tomb, he was able to walk even though he was still in his grave cloths, in...

10:04 - 11:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on the preparatory actions (purchasing linen, removing the body with Nicodemus's help, winding with spices), the central action (laying Jesus in Joseph's new…

Martin uses a hastily made object lesson (a model of a rocky shelf with a door) to help the congregation visualize the structure of a first-century tomb, explaining its narrow opening and internal layout.

Now such tombs have been found dating back to the first century AD. And I don't know that I've ever done this in all my years of preaching but I was so frustrated in trying to think how I'd describe it that I hastily made a little object lesson to help you understand it. If you can picture this sort of the rocky shelf such as you would see in an abandoned quarry. Where in a very massive rocky area the rock has been sheared off and picture this as a door approximately three by three or two by three not quite a square meter.

17:55 - 18:38 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on the preparatory actions (purchasing linen, removing the body with Nicodemus's help, winding with spices), the central action (laying Jesus in Joseph's new…

The pastor's personal struggle with a persistent raccoon breaking into his trussed-up garbage cans illustrates the difficulty of keeping predators out, drawing a parallel to the purpose of sealing Jesus' tomb.

In the details we looked at the preparatory activities. Secondly the central action placing his body in this new garden tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. But then the subsequent action is described in these words and he, Joseph, rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Now I must confess that prior to my preparation in the past couple of weeks I always envisioned Joseph as being a rather strong man and having some strong servants and finding a boulder big enough to be shoved into that hole. But the problem is archaeology reveals that the openings were relatively rectangular in shape. ...

20:06 - 21:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds on the preparatory actions (purchasing linen, removing the body with Nicodemus's help, winding with spices), the central action (laying Jesus in Joseph's new…

Martin uses a two-and-a-half-pound weight and a trough model to explain how a large, disc-shaped stone (like a millstone) would be rolled across a tomb opening, sealed by gravity, and then blocked, making it difficult to move without aid.

If you were to go to the back of our house you would laugh because you'd see each of our garbage cans trussed up with rope and with a stretch piece of rubber and a hook to hold down all the tops. And in spite of all of that that raccoon manages to make his way in and break through the plastic bags and have a feast and make a mess at our expense. Well the purpose you see of placing a stone at the entrance of the tomb was to seal it off from predators and if there were any marauders who thought they might find valuable goods on the person of the dead body men were as crassly indifferent to the s...

21:22 - 22:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Meditate on Christ's burial to make your own grave familiar, taking off its dread and quickening you to get ready for death.

Matthew Henry's commentary is quoted to contrast Moses' unknown sepulcher (respects to die with him) with Christ's known sepulcher (he was to rise again), highlighting the significance of Christ's burial for the church's future resurrection.

they beheld where he they see and as I envision my entombment or interment in the earth I see my savior who's gone before me and led the way child of God take comfort from this fact you who are not Christians tremble at this fact for if Christ is not yours and you are not his face the king of terrors with no comfort listen to Matthew Henry who caught this very marvelous truth and expressed it as only Matthew Henry could when Moses the mediator and lawgiver of the Jewish economy was buried care was taken that no man should know of his sepulcher Deuteronomy 34 6 because the respects of the peopl...

47:29 - 48:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Do what you can to show love and devotion to Jesus within the bounds of providence and presentability, not waiting for great acts of heroism.

Martin shares a personal anecdote about two families in the congregation who, through their consistent love, loyalty, attendance, and words of reassurance, have been like 'ballast' in his emotional life, illustrating how simple, consistent devotion is valued by God and others.

as being the cause of his death that wasn't in their mind subsequent notoriety they were simply doing what devotion to Christ compelled them to do within the bounds of providence and presentability that's it and that's what you're called upon to do the works and the practices and principles of the Word of God and your station and calling in life and that we sing again and again beautiful space if only God can be glorified the other day when I was praying for several of our families I found myself more faithful and in the case of these two families I don't know that they've ever done anything t...

56:16 - 57:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Have biblical principles to guide your judgment in your relationship to the remains of your loved ones.

This vivid analogy is used to illustrate the physical, substantial nature of resurrection bodies, contrasting it with a 'ghost-like appearance' and emphasizing that glorified bodies will interact with the physical world.

If I punch a cantaloupe in heaven, it'll split it open. My hand won't go through it.

65:43 - 65:50 Read in full sermon