The Tomb

Matthew 27:55-66 (ESV) There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, [56] among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. [57] When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. [58] He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. [59] And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud [60] and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. [61] Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. [62] Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate [63] and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' [64] Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." [65] Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." [66] So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. The tomb, everyone knew where the tomb was. I find it troubling when people think he might have been thrown in a paupers grave so the officials didn’t know where the body was or which one was his when rumors started circling of a resurrection. Even if they had given him a Pauper’s burial they would have marked it. They knew the claims Jesus made, they’d want to know where to go. The Pharisees might just wanted to know where to go spit. But it is incontestable that many people loved Jesus, they weren’t going to let him get a pauper’s burial, not when they douse him with perfume the expense of which was an average man’s yearly wage. Not a chance.