We’re taught to wait in line as children, but we never seem to get good at it.
We get the basics of standing there and staying in line but struggle with patience. When was the last time you stood in line? DMV? Restroom? Restaurant? How did you feel in that line?
Perhaps you played “Follow the Leader” when you were a child. You were correct when you did what the leader of the line did, but wrong if you stopped following.
Now let me ask you this: was the person at the front of the line (the first follower) more important than the person at the back of the line? Probably not. The point of the game was following and staying in line and not about who was closest to the front.
We continue our study in John’s Gospel today in John 19:38-42
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. 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. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:38-42
New International Version
Over the past few years, I have become fascinated by Joseph of Arimathea. First, his participation in the burial of Jesus is mentioned in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). That alone is significant because not many events are recorded in all four.
Second, he’s never mentioned again.
What do we know about him? Not a whole lot.
We know Joseph of Arimathea was wealthy. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. He disagreed with the Sanhedrin’s decision to prosecute Jesus (Luke 23:51). He feared the Jewish leaders (probably the Pharisees). He had enough access to the Roman officials to request Jesus’ body for burial. Until this point, Joseph’s dedication to Jesus was secret. And we know he is called a disciple of Jesus before he went public.
And that’s the part that fascinates me. We talk of being “sold out for Jesus” or going “all in.” Certainly, that’s Biblical. We encourage people to live out their faith and not be ashamed. Certainly, that’s Biblical. We want people to get in front of the “I am following Jesus” line.
But Joseph of Arimathea wasn’t at the front of that line, was he? He was somewhere in the back. He wasn’t even known to be a disciple of Jesus except to a very small number of people. But he was still in the “I am following Jesus” line. And when the moment came, Joseph of Arimathea solidified his place in history and prophetic fulfillment.
Joseph changed my mind on how I encourage people to follow Jesus. I don’t want to encourage being a “closet Christian,” but I must have room in the “I am following Jesus” line for Peter, James, John, AND Joseph of Arimathea.
Have you considered that? Wherever we are in that line, our goal as disciples of Jesus is to take the next step toward Jesus.
Maybe you’re a “Peter” reaching the world for Jesus. But perhaps you’re a “Joseph of Arimathea,” and most don’t even know you’re a Jesus-follower. But wherever you are in the “I am following Jesus” line, there’s room for you, and there’s room to take your next step.
Joseph of Arimathea was already a disciple of Jesus, and he was ready for his moment. When that moment came, he went public with his faith so dramatically that it was recorded for all time. His love, generosity, and use of his position for the Lord were so profound that his actions still speak.
Wherever you are in that line of “I am following Jesus,” keep following. The Lord will make you ready for your moment too.
Life Meets Theology 