19.38 Après
cela, Joseph d’Arimathée, qui était disciple de Jésus, mais en secret par
crainte des Juifs, demanda à Pilate la permission de prendre le corps de Jésus.
(NEG 1979)
19.38 Na
deze gebeurtenissen vroeg Jozef van Arimathea aan Pilatus of hij Jezusʼ lichaam
mocht wegnemen. Pilatus vond het goed. Deze Jozef was een leerling van Jezus.
Maar hij had er niet voor durven uitkomen, omdat hij bang was voor de Joden. (Het Boek)
Secret no more.
On this Good Friday we will ‘survey
the wondrous cross’ with Joseph of Arimathea, 'who was a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly for fear of the Jews' (John 19.38). How many of us are secret
disciples? In Joseph's case, I do not think this is a heavy condemnatory note,
it merely states the fact about the reality of Joseph situation up to this
point. However, Joseph did not stay a ‘secret disciple’ much longer, as he
asked the Roman governor for the body of Jesus. Joseph’s secret was no more and
the description 'secret disciple' becomes ironic. Joseph's courage and giving honour
to Jesus would become known quickly and would be narrated in the best-sold book
in world history. Joseph provided a virginal tomb for the One conceived in the
virginal womb. Joseph did a beautiful thing for the Lord by putting him there.
The Living God did an even more beautiful thing by not leaving him there…., but
for that you have to come back to this place ‘on the third day’.
For all secret disciples, as we
’survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died', let us reflect
on the secret disciple who was no more. Let us give of ourselves as he did: Were
the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so
amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
Paul Vrolijk
PS: Alongside this meditation you
might want to listen to the hymn ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ (on-line)
or sing it in church this afternoon.
A good recording can
be found at
"Joseph of Arimathea watches as Roman soldiers roll a stone in front of Christ's tomb" by https://wellcomeimages.org/
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