Devotion:
Read Matthew 27:57-66.
When someone dies, there are details that have to be attended to. The human body is a creation of God and we believe it should be treated with respect, even when the last breath is gone. It was no different when Jesus died. Friends and disciples came to take care of those details. Joseph of Arimathea is a rich man who obviously has connections, even on the level of having Pilate grant his request for the body of Jesus. He wraps the body of Jesus and places it in his own new tomb, a most generous gesture on his part.
On another front, the religious leaders who had become convinced that Jesus and his movement had to be squelched are determined to keep it that way. They are obviously concerned that his disciples might try to keep the movement going by deceiving the people into thinking that Jesus had risen from the dead. They would simply take his body away and bury it somewhere else and tell everyone that he was alive. They let Pilate know of this possibility and he agrees to their request to seal the tomb and place his guards by it. Nobody is getting in there now!
The forces of evil are always at work in this world, trying to squelch any signs of life and hope. So if you listen only to the voices of this world, it is sometimes easy to believe that life has lost any meaning for you and there is no hope. On this day before Easter, be reminded that when those times and voices close in on you, they will never have the last word. God is at work to give you new life and because of that, there is always hope!
Personal Worship Option:
Offer a prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for this assurance of hope and life, even in those times when it seems all hope is lost. Who do you know who needs to be reminded of this message today?
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