John 19.38-42
38After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body.39Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds.40They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews.41Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid.42And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Thoughts: It was Nicodemus who first came to Jesus by night; but now it appears that the night is giving way to a new dawn, as Nicodemus is able to show himself as a disciple of Jesus. This will be a dangerous time to be the church; but those who dwelt in deep darkness, on them light has shined. What I love about the story of Nicodemus is that he is not an instant convert, one of the heart and subjective emotionalism; no he is a convert of the mind that has come to see this Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of God. For both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, fear is over come which leads to demonstrative faith.
Questions: Have you ever kept your Christian faith in the shadows or hidden from others? If so why?
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