The Courage of Joseph

                And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

(Mark 15:42-43 ESV)

Jesus has friends where we may least expect them. This man Joseph was a part of the council and a respected man at that. Yet he was looking for the kingdom of God. We don’t know much about Joseph, but we know that he was seeking and that he loved Jesus. He took courage and asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Not only did he take this step of faith to ask for the body but he prepared his body for burial and laid him in his own tomb.

Joseph was a part of the Jewish leadership that condemned Jesus to die. Yet he was courageous and asked for his body so that he could bury him in accordance with Jewish custom. We can take great comfort in the fact that Jesus has many followers that we know nothing about. We may be surprised to find out that people in certain circles belong to Christ or are at the very least seeking him.

We can also gain strength from Joseph’s example. It took a great amount of courage for Joseph to do what he did for Jesus. What is Jesus asking you to do for him? Will you be courageous like Joseph and step out in faith to serve the One who gave his life for you?