The day after Jesus was killed and placed into a tomb, his body having been prepared by two members of the Sanhedrin, Joseph, a wealthy man from Arimethea, about 25 miles NW of Jerusalem, and Nicodemus. Joseph and Nicodemus were members of the Sanhedrin, of which there were 71 members, made up of the main priests and elders, leading aristocrats, the scribes and Pharisees, but had not consented to the crucifixion of Jesus, and at great personal risk had undertaken to get Jesus' body off the cross, get Him buried before sundown (sundown of Sabbath when work had to cease) at a tomb just outside of the city walls.

Remember the spices the wise men had brought a baby in Bethlehem? Those had been gifts of what would have been used by Jospeh and Nicodemus. Myrrh as a preservative and the frankincense perfumes to minimize the stench of decomposition. This was an act of love for Joseph and Nicodemus and these two high-ranking religious officials were honoring their Lord at great peril from their own people.

We can imagine people scoffing at these two men of standing, mocking them about the fact they were caring for a dead man whose kingdom was a myth.
Yet, Scripture tells us their faith prevailed

What these men could not know, was that their faith, whispered no doubt to each other in secret in the halls of Jerusalem, was about to go public and forever transform humanity.

The physician Luke 23:56 recorded that, "And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." The "they" are the disciples. It had been quite a week for them no doubt. Their minds would have shifted to the Last Supper they had with Jesus where He told them what was about to happen, and now some of it had, but how could all the rest possibly be true?" Jesus returning? Jesus' kingdom reigning forever? Jesus sent from the Father? None of it would have made sense at this point as they knew Jesus had been killed.

The tax collector Matthew 27:62-66, recorded what happened on Saturday;
Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’
"Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”
And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

So the tomb is sealed up tight, guards positioned to prevent any mischief and everyone goes about their Passover festivities as planned.


Blessings,
Mark

Lol....I know what happens next.

We can imagine what a somber day this was for those who had trusted in Jesus with everything they had.
And watched all the violence, the hatred, the insults, the mocking with a thorn crown, the stripping of another person naked, the beating and laughing about the "King of the Jews!"

A perfectly innocent human was treated lower than dogs, subjected to horrible things by those who called themselves religious and civic leaders.

There is much for all of us, believer and non-believer alike, to realize about this time and about this place in Jerusalem in April of 33 AD.
Mostly that when human sin is opposed it despises that opposition.
Sometimes that despising goes beyond irritation, beyond anger, beyond hatred, and beyond all civility to killing someone.

A perfect Jesus must have made those self-righteous people so furious they'd have killed anybody, anyhow, anyway to shut him or her up.
Sin despises and loathes the Gospel truth of Jesus.
The proof was hung on a tree at Golgotha.

Someone remind me again of the unimpeachable fact of how far people have evolved?


Blessings,
Mark

This is a pretty good film, Risen very good actually I thought. Props clothing weaponry all seem believable to the period so brings things to life. Yes of course there is some hollywood license in there all the same worth a look I think:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/risen_2016

Thank you drasselt. Hadn't seen that one!

Blessings,
Mark

From my heart, thank you Mark, for what you bring to this humble forum.

I just saw an advertisement for that yesterday and I plan to watch it. Pure Flix.

It's on my radar for tonight's viewing also.