Jesus hung on the cross for six hours. Though weak and weary, Jesus cried out with a loud voice. Then he breathed his last. Mark 15:39 says, “And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.’” The centurion’s confession is Mark’s theological high point. Mark 1:1 says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” A centurion’s declaration of Christ’s deity is the climax of the story. It is not the end of the story. The crucified Savior rose again. The burial of Jesus is the bridge between the crucifixion and the resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” The are three historical at the heart of the gospel:

• Jesus died for our sins. 
• Jesus was buried. 
• Jesus was raised on the third day. 

The Apostles’ Creed says: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” Question 41 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks: “Why was he buried?” Answer: “To show thereby that he was really dead.” That’s the point of Mark 15:40-47: Jesus was dead and buried before he rose again. The burial of Jesus is essential to Christian truth, life, and hope. Romans 6:4 says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Mark 15:40-47 reports four proofs that Jesus was dead and buried before he rose again. 

The Unlikely Witnesses

 Verses 40-41 identify the women at the crucifixion. These women also witnessed the burial and resurrection of Jesus. Verses 40-41 tell us two facts about these unlikely witnesses.

They saw Jesus die. Verse 40 says, “There were also women looking on from a distance.” Mark does not mention these women until now. They become crucial to the story here. These women were present for the crucifixion. It may not have been safe or permissible to get too close. Mark says they were “looking on from a distance.” Mark 14:62 says Peter followed “at a distance” after Jesus was arrested. Now Peter was AWOL. But these women got as close to Golgotha as they could to see what would happen to Jesus. 

We do not know how many women were present. Mark identifies three of these women: Mary Magdalene is mentioned first. Luke 8:2 says she had been delivered from seven demons. We do not know anything about Mary the mother of James the young and of Joses. Her sons may have been well-known among Mark’s readers. Salome was the mother of James and John. John 19:25 suggests she was the sister of Jesus’ mother, Mary. Why does Mark identify these women? Deuteronomy 19:15 says two or three witnesses were required for legal proof. Women were not allowed to testify in court. But these women become unlikely witnesses of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. 

They saw Jesus live. Verse 40 introduces the unlikely witnesses. Verse 41 establishes their credibility: “When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.” These women were a part of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Mark describes their relationship to Jesus in two ways. 

 Discipleship. Verse 41 says, “They followed him.” This is the language of discipleship. Mark 1:18 says Peter and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus. Mark 6:1 says the disciples followed Jesus to Nazareth. Mark 8:34 calls hearers to take up their cross and follow Jesus. Mark 10:21 instructs the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and follow Jesus. Mark 10:28 says the disciples had left all to followJesus. Mark does not call these women “disciples.” But he makes it clear these were not random newcomers who happened to be at Golgotha. The women were devoted followers of Jesus who were severely affected by his crucifixion.  

 Ministry. Verse 41 also says these women “ministered to him.” The word translated “ministered” is used in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 1:13 says angels ministered to Jesus after he was tempted in the wilderness. Now Mark tells us that women ministered to him in Galilee. The NIV says they “cared for his needs.” They provided food, clothing, and shelter for Jesus and his disciples. It was not just the women named in verse 40. Verse 41 says: “There were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.” Thank God for the devoted women who continue to minister to Jesus! 

The Strategic Intervention

 The remains of crucified men often became food for scavengers. Or they were tossed in a common or unmarked grave. This could have happened to Jesus. But Joseph of Arimathea prevented Jesus from becoming a forgotten footnote of ancient history. Joseph’s strategic intervention is seen in two details. 

The Time of Death. Mark’s account of the day Jesus died follows a careful timeline: 

• Verse 1 says Jesus stood trial before Pilate in the morning. 
• Verse 25 says it was the third hour when Jesus was crucified. 
• Verse 33 says the sky went dark between noon and three. 

Verse 42 says, “And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath.” 

John 19:31-37 fills in the blanks: “Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbah (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness – his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth – that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

The Requested Body. Mark tells us three facts about Joseph of Arimathea. 

 He was well-known. Joseph was “a respected member of the council.” He was a part of the Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus for blasphemy. Luke 23:51 says Joseph “had not consented to their decision and action.” Joseph was “respected.” He was an honorable, prominent, and influential man. This strategic intervention was not by someone unknown or notorious. Joseph was a well-known man with a good reputation.

 He was devout. 

• To say Joseph was a respected member of the council is to say he was prominent.
• To say Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God is to say he was pious. 

Joseph was a devout Jew with messianic hopes that pointed him to Jesus. John 19:38 calls Joseph “a disciple of Jesus.” The council turned Judas into a traitor. Jesus turned a council member into a disciple. Philippians 4:22 says there were saints in Caesar’s household. Christ is still able to save, grow, and useChristians in a hostile world. 

He was courageous. John 19:38 says Joseph was “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly out of fear of the Jews.” This secret disciple came out of the closet. He “took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” It was a bold act. Pilate condemned Jesus to death for sedition. The Sanhedrin would excommunicate him if they found out. He would become unclean by touching a dead body. What would he gain from this? Blessed are those who do serve Jesus with no thought of gain. 

The Official Confirmation 

The Swoon Theory claims that Jesus passed out on the cross and regained consciousness in the tomb. It is a ridiculous conjecture that defies logic and contradicts scripture. Jesus physically died on the cross. Verses 44-45 report the official confirmation of his death. 

Jesus’ Body Examined. Pilate condemned Jesus to die by crucifixion. He now unwittingly certifies Jesus’ death. 

Pilate’s Surprise. Verse 44 says, “Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.”Crucifixion was a slow and painful way to die. Victims typically hung on the cross for days before they expired. If they hung on to life too long, soldiers broke their legs to hasten death. Jesus hung on the cross for six hours before he died. It was such an unusually short period that Pilate was skeptical about the news of his death. It surprised him that Jesus died so quickly. 

• Verse 5 says Pilate was amazed that Jesus did not respond to the charges against him. 
• Verse 44 says Pilate was amazed that Jesus died so soon after being crucified. 

Pilate’s Summons. Pilate did not take Joseph’s word that Jesus was dead. Verse 44 says, “And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead.” The centurion commanded the soldiers who crucified Jesus. Verse 39 says he stood at the cross, saw Jesus breathe his last, and declared, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” The centurion could be trusted to honor his oath, do his duty, and tell the truth. So Pilate asked him to examine the body and confirm that Jesus was dead. 

Jesus’ Corpse Released. Verse 45 says, “And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.” The centurion gave Pilate a death certificate and autopsy report that answered all questions and satisfied all concerns. Then Pilate “granted the corpse to Joseph.” “Granted” indicates a gift or favor. Pilate released the body of Jesus to Joseph without a fee or bribe. It was a statement of what Pilate thought about Jesus. If Pilate believed the charges the religious leaders made against Jesus, he would not have granted the corpse to Joseph.

• Verse 43 says Joseph asked for the body of Jesus. 
• Verse 45 says Pilate granted the corpse to Joseph. 

Jesus became a corpse! 1 Peter 3:18 says Jesus was “put to death in the flesh.” Remains were released to family members or close friends. Jesus’ mother went home with John. None of his siblings were in Jerusalem for Passover. The disciples fled for safety. Mark 6:29 reports what happened after John the Baptist was beheaded: “When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.” No disciples of Jesus came to bury him. Joseph strategically intervened to bury Jesus. D. Edmond Hiebertwrote: “The action of Joseph is a remarkable instance of God’s ability to raise up the needed help from an unexpected source.”

The Temporary Burial 

Verses 42-45 record the funeral arrangements. The text concludes with the funeral itself. What does Mark tell us about Jesus’ burial?  

The Borrowed Tomb. Verse 46 says, “And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock.” On his way from Pilate to Calvary, Joseph purchased a “linen shroud” to bury Jesus in. Joseph took Jesus down from the cross. After washing the blood-soaked body of Jesus, Joseph wrapped the corpse in the linen shroud. John 19:38-40 reports that Nicodemus helped Joseph bury Jesus. Mark focuses on what Joseph did. Douglas Sean O’Donnell wrote: “Joseph of Arimathea was not only an eyewitness to Jesus’s death but a hand-witness. He touched Jesus’ dead body.” After these burial rites, Joseph “laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock.”

• Matthew 27:57 says that Joseph was a rich man.
• Matthew 27:60 says it was Joseph’s own tomb. 
• Luke 23:53 says no one was buried in this tomb. 

Jesus’ burial was a fulfillment of scripture. Isaiah 53:9 says, “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death.” Verse 46 ends, “And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.” This stone protected the tomb from grave robbers. Joseph made the tomb as secure as possible because he did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead. My Sunday school teachers called it “a borrowed tomb.” Jesus gave it back on Easter Sunday!

The Silent Observers. The text ends the way it began, with a reference to the women. They did not participate in the burial. But verse 47 says, “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.” We cannot imagine the grief of these women. But there is no mention of weeping and wailing. Verse 47 says they “saw where he was laid.” Mark 15 ends with these women watching Joseph and Nicodemus bury Jesus. Mark 16 begins with these women returning to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. But it was too late!

 A woman poured a flask of ointment on Jesus. Her lavish act was criticized as a waste. Mark 14:8says, “She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.” When the women showed up came Sunday morning, the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen! Jesus was dead and buried before he rose again. Acts 2:23-24 says, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” Run to the cross! 

• The bad news of this chapter is that it ends on Friday. 
• The good news of this chapter is that Sunday was coming!