JESUS BURIED.

we must remember that all He has
done and suffered will do us no

AUT

to Him in faith. The Son of man
was “lifted up, that whosoever be-

good, if we do not believe on Him | lieveth in Him should not perish,

in our hearts. He died for all, but

He will save only those who come | 14, 15.

 

but have eternal life” John iii.

 

CCCXX VIL

pEsus PURIED.

T was Friday when our
Lord was crucified. The
)\| next day was the Sabbath;
for the Jews kept holy
the seventh day of the
week, because on that day God
rested from His work of creation.
And the Sabbath after the cruci-
fixion, happened to be a very great
day among the Jews; because the
feast of the Passover was at that
time. So some of them went to
Pilate, and asked them to let the
bodies be taken down from the
cross, that the Sabbath might not
be dishonored, and that the law of
Moses might not be broken. Then
Pilate sent the soldiers to see if
those who were crucified were yet
dead, and to kill them if they were
not. The two thieves were still
living; and the soldiers broke their
legs, and thus put them to death.
But when the soldiers came to Jesus,
and saw that he was dead already,
they did not break His legs. But
one of them with a spear pierced
His side, and there came out blood
and water. These things, too, had
been foretold by the prophets.
There was a rich man named
Joseph, of the city of Arimathea.

He had been some time a disciple
81

 
  

of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of
the Jews; for his faith was at first
very weak and small. But Joseph
had prayed that his faith might be
increased, and God had heard his
prayer. And now, when Jesus and
His disciples had so many enemies,
Joseph, instead of being afraid, felt
strong and full of courage. So he
went boldly to Pilate, and asked
leave to take away the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave him leave. Then
Joseph went to the cross, and took
down the body. There was another
good man with Joseph. This man
was Nicodemus, the fearful disciple
who, at first, came to Jesus by
night; but Nicodemus had now
learnt, like Joseph, not to be afraid
of confessing himself a disciple of
Christ.

When the body was taken down
from the cross, Joseph and Nico-
demus wrapped it very carefully in
linen, with spices, and carried it to
a garden near the place of cruci-
fixion, and laid it in a tomb which
belonged to Joseph. The tomb was
quite new; no dead body had ever
been laid there before; and it was
cut out of a rock. Another pro-
phecy was fulfilled when Jesus was
laid in the tomb of Joseph; that