Two disciples came to claim the body of Jesus for burial (John 19:38–42). Mark mentions one of them, Joseph of Arimathea. He was a secret disciple because he feared the Jews (V. 38). This kept him from making an open stand for Jesus, at least until Jesus’ trials. He was a minority objecting to the crucifixion of Jesus (Luke 23:51). Even though he could not persuade the religious leaders to release Jesus, he wanted to ensure that Jesus received a proper burial before the Sabbath instead of being left on the cross or disposed with other criminals to be scavenged by dogs. By stepping forward to claim the body of Jesus, Joseph was now exposing himself as a loyal follower of Jesus. This was a bold act indeed (Mark 15:43).

Another disciple who came with Joseph was Nicodemus (John 19:39). He was also a secret disciple of Jesus. This explains why he had earlier visited Jesus at night (vv. 39, 3:1–21). Nicodemus brought along approximately 35kg of expensive spices to prepare Jesus for burial (19:39). This unusually large amount of spices was typically used for members of royalty or highly respected individuals. In other words, Nicodemus believed that Jesus was King and deserved such extravagance in preparation for His burial!

When the situation called for them to make a stand, both Joseph and Nicodemus obeyed and no longer hid in the shadows as secret disciples. They were willing to risk being ostracised by their religious leaders and community. Sadly, the disciples of Jesus who had followed Him all these years were nowhere to be seen (Mark 14:50). What a contrast! May we be like Joseph and Nicodemus, willing to be faithful witnesses for Jesus.