John 19:38-42 Joseph of Arimathea Vs Nicodemus

  Joseph was a disciple of Jesus but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. Whereas, the gospel do not specifically mention Nicodemus as a disciple of Christ. Joseph appeared to the scene as a man who stretches out his faith by asking the body of Jesus to Pilate. Verse 38 provides both the strength and weakness of Joseph. Without any fear he appeared to the scene but the narrator seems to recall his past as “now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.” Contrasting to Joseph, the narrator also introduces Nicodemus by recalling his past as “the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.” Both Joseph and Nicodemus have similar social status as leaders and wealthy. The narrator put Joseph as the one who initiate to ask for the body of Jesus from the Pilate whereas Nicodemus was introduced as someone who accompanied Joseph in the process. First, the narrator seems to highlight the development of Joseph’s faith from a secret disciple (past) to confessing faith to the Chief of the state or to the whole community. Joseph’ faith increase from secret confession to public confession. He used to be a secret disciple of Jesus and now he is following Jesus publicly by his action. In the context of John, Joseph believed in Jesus prior to the burial incident and he is not new to Jesus. On the other hand, Nicodemus (19:39) is another member of the Sanhedrin (7:50, 3:1-10), and he joins Joseph. John’s portrait of Nicodemus sound critical, but Nicodemus redeem his images together with Joseph in this final deed they make a public gesture that holds risk. The Sanhedrin understood that the bodies had to be buried before sundown 19:31 and they must be wondering to know who will bury the body of Jesus. Nicodemus was portrait as someone who taking action but still not as much as Joseph. The position of Joseph and Nicodemus suggest that Joseph is the key character who took the initiative effort to take the body of Jesus. However, Nicodemus bring a considerable number of burial spices in order for them to burry Jesus in accordance with the Jewish custom. Nicodemus is indeed the teacher of Israel who prepared well to burry Jesus with honor. Therefore, the attitude and focus of Nicodemus was more towards Jesus himself rather than to the public or to the leaders. The narrator also recalls the incident in John 3 where Nicodemus come to see Jesus at night when it’s dark. It sounds that the narrator acknowledges the progression of the act of Nicodemus’s condition as well. Therefore, both Joseph and Nicodemus demonstrated the progress of their faith and their attitudes towards Christ as a worthy and honorable man. The passage seems to be challenging and also teaching the value of public confession and public visibility of faith among true disciples. The narrator has no problem for those who believe in Jesus secretly. This could be a good reminder for the church and God’s people who always demands for instant results and visible changes over night in presenting the gospel to the world. It is not necessary to force people to made instant public confession of their faith since some people need more times to make such brave confession. It also teaches us that our faith in Jesus must be increase and our faith must be visible to the outsiders who are still in the darkness. Just as Joseph and Nicodemus’s confession of faith honor Jesus, true disciple’s confession of faith is to honor Jesus.