PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Abba, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Abba, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
John 19:38–42 (NIV)
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.
CONSIDER THIS
So many horrible things had happened to Jesus and in a very short period of time. His disciples were likely shocked that such a person—a gentle and gifted teacher, a caring miracle worker and friend, and one who loved the Holy One of Israel so deeply and in an exemplary way—would meet such a tragic and abrupt end. And yet it was so. All his disciples were gone by now, even the beloved disciple who earlier had been with Mary, his mother, at the cross. A couple of days later, by the first day of the week, the disciples were hiding together behind closed doors “for fear of the Jewish leaders” (John 20:19). Who would be next? they probably wondered.
When those convicted of crimes against Rome—such as sedition, insurrection, or treason—were crucified, their bodies were normally left to rot on the pole, to be swarmed by flies and other insects, and to be picked apart by ravenous birds of prey. By this practice, Rome intended to magnify both the degradation and the shame for the ones so condemned. After this, the body would be removed and dumped in a common grave for criminals. But that would not be the case here. Enough! By the grace of God, Joseph of Arimathea, who was able to overcome his fear of the Jewish leaders, and in a way that the disciples of Jesus, themselves, obviously had not, stepped forward and asked Pilate if he could take the body away for a proper burial. Probably not thinking very much of the contrived charges leveled against Jesus by the Jerusalem leadership, Pilate agreed.
Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man (Matt. 27:57), a member of the Council, the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:50), as well as a secret disciple of Jesus. But can one really be a secret disciple of Jesus? How does that work? At any rate, although all four Gospels take note of him, he was nevertheless a mysterious figure who is suddenly introduced in our text to play his specific role, and then he just as quickly vanishes from the scene. In his work, however, of caring for the body of Christ, he was joined by a far less mysterious figure who surfaced three times in the Gospel of John, but not at all in the Synoptic Gospels. Who was this man? It was none other than Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who had come to Jesus much earlier at night and who had exclaimed: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2). Nicodemus and Jesus had gone back and forth in terms of the important question, especially for a religious leader like Nicodemus: Just what does it mean to be born again?
A person of means, Nicodemus brought with him a considerable amount of spices, lavish in some respects, so that he and Joseph could wrap the body, interlacing strips of linen with the myrrh and aloes. This was a Jewish custom in preparation for burial. In contrast, the Egyptians disemboweled the body and placed the organs in separate canisters before they mummified the corpse. Joseph and Nicodemus didn’t have these additional tasks in preparing the body, but they nevertheless had to work quickly because the Sabbath was approaching when no work could be done at all.
The courage of both Joseph and Nicodemus, as they performed the Jewish burial customs, was remarkable, but their actions also came at an additional cost as well: that is, by coming into contact with a dead body, this would render them both unclean, ritually unfit, to celebrate the upcoming Passover meal. Jewish law was very clear and strict on this point. However, basic human decency, making sure that a good person such as Jesus would have a proper burial, overcame any considerations of fear or concerns about ritual purity. If Joseph and Nicodemus had been secret disciples of Jesus in the past out of fear, then they were clearly secret disciples no longer, but this time out of love. The cross had a couple of its earliest converts, beyond the thief on the cross. Together Joseph and Nicodemus made it known publicly that Jesus, the crucified, would not be subject to the usual after-death arrangements of Rome’s crucified. The body of Jesus would be treated with respect.
If we examine a map of Jerusalem during the first century, we can see not only the place where Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, just outside the city walls of Jerusalem, and west of the temple, but we can also see the supposed garden of Joseph of Arimathea just slightly northwest of the crucifixion site. In that garden was a fresh tomb, owned by Joseph himself (Matt. 27:60), in which no one had ever been laid. Joseph and Nicodemus, therefore, hurried and placed the body of Jesus in that tomb, one that was actually fit for a king, for the day of Preparation was almost over.
In the many details of the burial of Jesus—such as avoiding the Roman dump for criminals, having the body prepared in accordance with Jewish burial customs with an extravagant amount of spices used, and by being placed in the fresh tomb of a wealthy man—all of these elements together pointed in the direction that the slander, the mocking, the insults, the character assassination, and the hateful designs directed at Jesus would finally be over. At last! If we thought this, however, we would be wrong, dead wrong. Indeed, the kind of strong aversion and animus harbored by the religious leaders against Jesus throughout his ministry didn’t just go away after his death. It lingered. To be sure, even after Jesus was dead and buried, some of the religious leaders, the chief priests, and Pharisees, in particular, just couldn’t stop the slander or the badmouthing—and all of this bad behavior was driven not only by fear, the usual culprit, but also by an enormous concern for their own situation and prerogatives. The Gospel of Matthew provides us with the sorry details:
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. (27:62–66, emphasis added)
After all that Jesus had suffered at the hand of the religious leadership, and after what he had uttered on the cross in a generous and gracious spirit, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), what did the religious leaders themselves do? They turned around and called Jesus a “deceiver,” even after he was dead, as the one who probably along with his disciples had helped to plan the “last deception.” Attributing such intentions to Jesus (and others) actually says something about the chief priests and the Pharisees, those who had concocted such things out of their own imagination and fears, but it tells us nothing—absolutely nothing—about Jesus. Christ was no deceiver. The ministry of the Lord had been open, public, and full of light. To fail to recognize that simple truth would entail measures of spiritual darkness, a darkness that could be felt.
THE PRAYER
Father, may we be counted among those who faithfully glorify the name of your Son among the earth. Save us from the deception of the enemy and align us to the truth of your gospel. Fill us with your Spirit that we might be your ambassadors in all places.
THE QUESTIONS
What does it mean to be a secret disciple of Jesus? Is this the form that belief in Jesus takes in the face of severe persecution, or does being a disciple in secret suggest something else?
For the Awakening,
Kenneth Collins
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17 Responses
Thank you Catherine for your leading us in these devotions during Lent. Your reading of Kenneth’s work was truly comforting and inspiring. I thank you for your love of the Word and your willingness to spend these weeks with us. God bless you in your ministry at Seedbed.
JOSEPH, NICODEMUS, AND THE DEATH OF FEAR: A FINAL LENTEN TRIBUTE TO QUIET COURAGE
(A Reflection for Seedbed’s Wake-Up Call – The Final Entry in This Lenten Journey)
To Kenneth Collins and Katharine Guerrero—With Deepest Gratitude and Great Joy
What a journey we’ve walked together. Day after day, through the wilderness of Lent, your words and witness have drawn us closer to the heart of Jesus.
Kenneth, your reflections have not merely explained the events of Holy Week—they’ve invited us to enter them. With clarity and reverence, you’ve helped us see the suffering Christ not as a victim, but as the victorious Lamb, drawing all things to Himself through the mystery of the cross.
And Katharine—what a blessing you’ve been. Your voice carried these truths with warmth and grace, as if reading to a dear friend beside a flickering candle. You didn’t just narrate the Word—you helped us feel it. Thank you for bringing presence, peace, and devotion to each reading.
To All the Faithful Readers of The Wake-Up Call
Here we are, at the edge of resurrection morning, and we are met with an image of courage that doesn’t shout—but whispers obedience: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Two men who once stayed hidden now step forward. Not to speak. Not to protest. But to honor.
What a lesson for us.
They gave up fear.
They gave up status.
They gave up their place at the table of power—because love compelled them to care for the crucified Christ when it looked like all was lost.
In doing so, they became the first witnesses to the beginning of what seemed to be the end.
Can we be secret disciples?
For a while, yes.
But eventually, love will ask more of us.
Eventually, Jesus will call us out of the shadows.
This Lent has reminded us: there is no resurrection without the cross. And there is no real discipleship without risk.
So today, let us join Joseph and Nicodemus. Let us roll up our sleeves, set aside our fears, and honor the Savior—even when the crowds have walked away.
Because love remains.
And Easter is coming.
With grateful praise to Kenneth and Katharine for this unforgettable Lenten journey. Thank you for showing us Jesus, day by day.
With reverence, hope, and hearts stirred by resurrection light,
For His Kingdom,
Jeff in Christ
Founder, Jesus24365 Ministry
Jesus24365.org
Hi Jeff
I just learned my cousins did a lot of research and traveling to the holy land, they learned that on my dad’s side of the family, his mother is a descendant of ….Joseph of Arimathea. I feel so honored by learning this. My heart is feeler with so much love✝️
When Jesus Was Dead
When Jesus was dead, He was put into a new tomb that had been carved out of a rock. Then it was closed by a large stone and sealed. However, Jesus wasn’t “gone but not forgotten.” On the third day the stone was miraculously rolled away and Jesus walked out of the tomb alive and radiant with power and glory to live forevermore.
Jesus isn’t dead today so we shouldn’t try to confine Him to a tomb of religion or history or theology or myth or a holiday or irrelevance or nationalism or any other burial ground. At this very moment Jesus is alive, present, and active in human hearts. Is He in complete charge and total control of your heart? Have you brought “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?” Is “Christ in you the hope of glory?
Persistently ask God to miraculously roll away your inner stoniness and hardness of heart. Let the risen Jesus be the constant and absolute Lord, Director, and Master of your every thought, feeling, and desire!
I’m not a deep reader, or thinker for that matter but this Lenten series….. Wow!
Financially I have very little to give to this ministry, and spiritually you have given so much. So I guess like Joseph and Nicodemus you might consider me a secret reader.
I am overwhelmed by all this you have given me and all I can do is share your wisdom and truth of His word with my family, friends and church family. Thank you and God bless this ministry.
This has been so enriching. Catherine has done an excellent job. It would nice to have her back or another woman reading for a period of time. Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Question one: It means that one is conscious of the deceptiveness and intent on evil to destroy any remnant of Good/God. It means that there is no Body of Believers who are able or willing to stand against evil with the Believer. I’ve experienced this. Ask J. D. Lots of talk around me but no walk; unless it benefited materially and immediately those who were equipped to stand with me. And I learned the deceptiveness of evil in the name of Jesus and the incompetence of perhaps the well-meaning who struggle with their secret chemical issues. The Holy Spirit was not recognized by the Court which facilitated evil’s intent to destroy and redefine many lifetimes of witness that was to be shared in perpetuity.
Question two: Context determines the possible answers to this query. It could be as stated in answering one. It could also mean that the individual or those around that individual are pseudo-christians. It could also mean that the Holy Spirit is directing the Believer to keep a low profile and wait for the proper time. I suggest one read The Insanity of God to understand more fully what I’ve stated.
Well Done Madam! And the Song: He Lives!!! We serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today!
With gratitude and thanksgiving, thank you Katharine Guerrero and Kenneth Collins for this edifying and deeply powerful journey.
Tetelestai!
Thank you, Kenneth, for writing “Jesus the Stranger”! It’s an amazing book. Thank you, Katharine, for spending your time with us.
Thank you so much Catherine was so enjoyable
Thank you for sharing these messages. May God continue to bless you. I looked forward to hearing you every day!
I listen to “Wake Up Call” every morning before I begin my day. This series by Kenneth Collins has been particularly meaningful to me. Thank you so much to Mr. Collins and to Katharine Guerrero for making this Lenten season the most spiritual of my life.
Thank you Kenneth for Jesus the Stranger and Katherine for your beautiful reading and comments. Thank you Seedbed friends who have shared comments! I have eagerly anticipated starting my day with you. All of you have made this Lenten season a deeply transformational time for me. I have enjoyed being on this blessed journey with you and will miss you greatly.
Thank you Katherine for how you presented Kenneth Collins thoughts and words in such a personal and delightful way. Jesus is less of a stranger to me through these thought-provoking encounters. Blessings all as we continue to sow for the Kingdom.
THANK YOU Kenneth Collins and Katharine Guerrero. Amazing incites from Kenneth mixed with Katharine’s voice created deep truths and emotions. I have looked forward to everyday, learning more about Jesus! (I am an old Jesus disciple but still learning! Happy Easter, Resurrection Sunday!
THANK YOU Kenneth Collins and Katharine Guerrero for this Lenten time together. Happy Easter!
Katharine and Kenneth Collins thank you so very much for this Lenten series It was truly amazing getting to know Jesus even better enjoy Gods blessings and have a wonderful Easter ✝️