Articles
Gather Up Courage
Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council which condemned Jesus to death. He was a good, honest man (Luke 23:50). In fact, he was a disciple of Jesus, albeit a secret one (John 19:38). He did not consent to the Council’s actions regarding Jesus (Luke 23:51).
When Jesus’ crucifixion was completed, Joseph “gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15:43).
You can understand why Joseph had to “gather up courage” to make that request. Pilate was plainly perturbed by the day’s events, having been pressured by Jewish officials to order the crucifixion of one he had pronounced innocent. He likely had seen enough of Council members this day and may well have wished to be left alone. More to the point, Joseph was a secret disciple for fear of the Jews (John 19:38). Securing Jesus’ body and burying it in his own tomb would surely expose Joseph to the same scorn that had been so intensely directed toward Jesus.
Joseph’s “gathered-up courage” was rewarded with Pilate’s permission to take Jesus’ body. Joseph was joined in the burial effort by Nicodemus, another Council member, one who had earlier come to Jesus by night (John 19:39-42; cf. 3:1ff). Perhaps Joseph’s courage was contagious!
There are times in our service to Jesus that we must “gather up courage.”
It takes courage to become Jesus’ disciple. First, we need the courage to admit we have been wrong. Then, we must have courage to confess our faith in Him (Romans 10:9-10). That can be especially difficult with family or friends who do not agree with our choice (Matthew 10:34-39). Discipleship may also require some courageous changes in our conduct.
It takes courage to live as Jesus’ disciple: courage to say no to the devil; courage to speak to others about becoming a disciple; courage to stand up to those who advocate error; courage to admonish other disciples who are out of line; courage to keep on going when times are tough or when we have failed; and so on.
In some cases it takes courage to die as Jesus’ disciple. The Lord cautioned, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:26).
Be a Joseph. “Gather up courage” and follow Jesus.
