The Secret Member


“Now there was a man named Joseph a member of the Council, a good an upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. he came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.” Luke 23:50-53

This is interesting. Joseph, a member of the Council, who disagreed with them came and buried Jesus. Here it is that someone was a secret disciple. It doesn’t mention it here, but this is exactly what John, and Matthew refereed him as. Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus but was not open about it. He fought for Jesus, but not in the realm where it was obvious. He was not really like all the other disciples who followed him around and was very public about it. He was very private about it but when it came down to it. He came out and finished the job. Funny you would think all the other disciples would have come out and bury Jesus. They were all gone. The scattered. Here the only one who came out of hiding was the one who couldn’t contain the secret much longer. The one who fought for Jesus at levels we don’t know about, the one who probably standing up for him in closed door council meetings, and the one who was casted the lone dissenter vote. The secret disciple, Joseph.

Though very little is said about this guy, Joseph makes a big statement here. He makes a statement that he believed in Jesus. Despite the fact that everyone else fled in fear. The guy who was at first afraid to step out, he said YES, and finished the job. This to me is extremely inspirational. He came out when it counted and came through when it was most important. When everyone was left, Joseph came out and took care of it. What I learned from him is that, it’s not so important to come out when the times are good, but when times get rough, and people bail out, it is when you must stand by your conviction no matter what.

Lord thank you for the lesson from Joseph. Help me to hang tough when things don’t go well.

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