In His Footsteps Week 25: The Burial and the Promise of Hope

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Can the act of burial offer us glimpses of divine sovereignty and hope? In our latest episode, we explore the profound story of Jesus' burial as recounted in John 19:38-42. We begin with a heartfelt prayer, guiding you towards a deeper connection with God. Then, we delve into the courageous decisions of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, whose actions not only fulfilled prophecy but also underscored the unwavering reliability of Scripture. These acts of discipleship and respect, performed in a moment of great sorrow, beautifully set the stage for the triumphant resurrection, reminding us that even in our darkest hours, hope is always on the horizon.

As we transition, our focus shifts to finding solace and hope amid grief through faith in Jesus Christ. Reflecting on the silence of the tomb and the victory over the grave, we offer comfort and assurance that grief is not an end, but a passage to greater hope. By embracing the living words of God, we aim to inspire courage, foster understanding, and nurture deeper connections with those around us. Closing with prayers for steadfast discipleship and trust in God’s sovereign plan, this episode aims to guide you through life's trials, anchoring you in the enduring love and promises of Jesus. Join us for an uplifting journey from sorrow to hope.

Get a copy of the In His Footsteps devotional here.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, I'm Charles Vance and this is Living
Words Podcast.
Today we're in week 25, theBurial of Jesus.
This is the In His Footstepsdevotional 52 weeks in the
Gospel of John.
You can find a link to get acopy in the show notes or you
can go on Amazon and just searchfor Charles Vance In His

(00:21):
Footsteps 52 weeks in the Gospelof John.
Charles Vance In His Footsteps52 Weeks in the Gospel of John
and week 25,.
And let's open with prayer,because the whole purpose of
this devotional is to leadpeople to find the
transformative power of theSpirit of God in their life,
that they can have a closerrelationship and communion with
Him, to be transformed, to bemore obedient to the voice of

(00:46):
Jesus and to have a betterrelationship with God and with
others.
Lord Jesus, we come before younow in praise of your name.
We thank you for this day.
We pray that you would open ourheart, our ears, our eyes, make
your word come alive, revealnew meaning to us from your

(01:06):
ancient words.
We praise you and ask for yourmercy and compassion upon us, in
Yeshua's name, amen.
The text for the week is John 19, 38 through 42.
It narrates the burial ofChrist, a passage that concludes
the account of his crucifixionand precedes the story of his
resurrection.
The pausing place in betweenleads into the very important

(01:33):
three days and three nights thathe spends in the tomb.
It is profound.
It reflects themes of courage,devotion, fulfillment to
prophecy and even in the quietmoments of his death and burial,
joseph of Arimathea andNicodemus, two secret followers,
step forward in the aftermathto care for the body, and that

(01:56):
demonstrates the significant actof discipleship and respect.
After his crucifixion, josephof Arimathea, described as a
secret disciple of Jesus,requests Pilate's permission to
take his body for burial.
Nicodemus, who first came tohim by night with questions
about being born again, joinsJoseph bringing a mixture of

(02:20):
myrrh and aloes, about 75 poundsTogether.
Together they take his body,wrap it in linen clothes with
the spices, according to theircustoms.
They laid it in a new tomb in agarden near the place of the
crucifixion, which fulfillsIsaiah's prophecy about his
burial, from Isaiah 53.9.

(02:40):
Some key themes are courage anddevotion.
Nicodemus and Joseph theiractions demonstrated a
significant shift from secretdiscipleship to public devotion.
Their willingness to care forhis body reflects a deep respect
and a love for him.
It illustrates the couragerequired to be a follower of
Christ, even in the face ofpotential persecution.

(03:03):
Fulfillment of prophecy even inthe face of potential
persecution.
Fulfillment of prophecy thedetails of his burial, including
the use of spices in a new tomb, not only adhere to the customs
of the Jewish faith, but alsofulfilled the prophecy about the
Messiah's burial among the rich.
That underscores the consistentfulfillment of Old Testament

(03:24):
prophecy.
It affirms his messianicauthority.
Preparation for resurrectionWhile the focus of the passages
is burial, it sets the stage forthe resurrection.
The care given to his body, thesealing of the tomb, the
location in the garden they allforeshadow victory over death,
serving as pivotal moments inthe Christian faith.

(03:46):
The lessons that can be learnedare the courage to step forward
in faith.
Joseph of Arimathea andNicodemus exhibited profound
shift from secret discipleshipto a public act of devotion,
encouraged by caring for hisbody.
It teaches us about the braveryrequired to follow him openly,
knowing that we might bepersecuted for it.

(04:08):
John 19.38,.
Later, joseph of Arimatheaasked Pilate for the body of
Jesus, and now Joseph was adisciple of Jesus, but secretly,
because he feared the Jewishleaders.
With Pilate's permission, hecame and took the body.
We have also the fulfillment ofScripture and assurance of his
plan.
The careful and respectfulburial of Jesus, involving the

(04:31):
use of spices and placement in anew tomb, not only fulfilled
Jewish customs, but also theprophecy in Isaiah about the
Messiah's burial.
His attention to detail and thefulfillment of the prophecy
underscores the reliability ofScripture and God's sovereign
control over history, providingbelievers with assurance that
His redemptive plan is unfailingand trustworthy.

(04:52):
John 19, 40,.
Taking Jesus' body, the two ofthem wrapped it with spices and
strips of linen.
This was in accordance withJewish burial custom.
Hope and anticipation in themidst of grief.
The burial of Jesus marks amoment of profound sorrow and
loss, yet it also sets the stagefor the hope of resurrection.

(05:12):
The act of laying him in thetomb is not the end of the story
, but a precursor to victoryover death.
The real story.
This teaches us that our hopepersists even in grief and loss.
It's anchored in the promise ofhis resurrection and eternal
life.

(05:33):
Questions for reflection anddiscussion Consider the cultural
and religious importance ofburial practices shown in this
passage.
What does this respect for thebody of Jesus teach us about the
dignity and care for others?
I think that the way that theyburied him, the fact that they
had to get the spices, and theyhad to follow a specific

(05:53):
tradition and rule.
It just spoke of the context ofthe immense responsibility and
obligation that the people ofthat age felt toward the care of
the dead, and we still have tothis day.
I think someone has said youcan tell a lot about a people by

(06:20):
the way they treat the dead.
Here's a prayer for courage anddiscipleship.
Lord God, in a world wherefollowing you may invite
scrutiny or opposition, grant methe courage of Joseph, of
Arimathea and Nicodemus to stepforward in faith, not hidden in
the shadows.
Empower me to live out mydiscipleship boldly, to care for
your body with devotion and tostand firm in my faith,
regardless of the cost.

(06:40):
And may my actions reflect aheart committed to you, bearing
witness to your love and truth.
Amen.
A prayer for trust in Hissovereign plan.
Heavenly Father, in thefulfillment of your scriptures,
I see the tapestry of yoursovereign plan woven through the
ages.
Strengthen my faith in theassurance that your purposes are
being fulfilled, even when Icannot see the full picture.

(07:03):
Help me to trust in yourpromises, knowing that every
detail in your word points toyour love, your redemption and
your ultimate victory over sinand death.
Amen.
Prayer for Hope Amidst Grief.
Lord Jesus, in the quiet of thetomb, in the stillness after
your sacrifice, there lies theseed of hope for the
resurrection.
In my own moments of loss andsorrow, remind me that grief is

(07:24):
not the end but a passage to agreater hope.
Comfort me with the promise ofyour victory over the grave, the
assurance of reunion and thejoy of eternal life in your
presence.
May this hope sustain me, guideme and shine through me as a
testament to your enduring love.
Amen.
I just see that if you takethese words and the promise of

(07:48):
resurrection in him with youtoday and this week, let it
speak to your heart and open upnew meaning from the words of
God, the living words, thatit'll give you courage and
understanding to know him betterand to have better
relationships with those aroundyou.

(08:09):
I pray all these things in thename of Jesus for you.
Amen, and I'll see you nexttime.