Matthew 27:57-66 - Dead & Buried: For You!
The eternal Son of God is dead. The Good Friday hymn “O Darkest Woe” puts it very starkly and appropriately: O grosse Not! Gott selbst ist tot! God Himself is dead! And buried. In the body of the God-Man Jesus. It’s all according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15). Joseph spent three years as good as dead in jail. Samson was locked up in Gaza. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and nights. And now the Lord Jesus rests in the belly of the earth – three days and three nights.
For your sake He died on the Cross. For your benefit the Lord uses a secret disciple to audaciously ask Pilate for permission to bury Christ’s corpse. Yes, all this is for your good. Even Christ’s burial counts for you!
All your sins are buried and sealed in Christ’s grave. Jesus has buried them all in the black hole of His tomb. They cannot accuse you or condemn you any longer in God’s presence.
In addition, Christ’s burial in a borrowed grave hallows or holies or adorns your grave! In His burial Jesus comes and touches your grave with His Holy Body which even in the midst of His death remains the Temple of the living God!
This means that your grave is no longer just a box for your body but a sleeping room for the living! After all, Christ’s body that lies in the grave turns your grave into a resting place. You, who believe in Jesus, will not remain in the cemetery. You, just like the risen Jesus, will be given new life on the Day of Resurrection. For Jesus is the Firstfruits of them that sleep.
Until then you are given to live in your Baptism every day. God’s way of rehearsing you for your rest in the grave and you’re your resurrection on the Last Day. Every day your old Adam must die and be interred with Christ. Every day the new man of faith emerges and arises to live before God in the righteousness and purity of Christ Himself. Death to sin. New life through faith in Christ. Death – Resurrection. Daily. That’s the life of the Christian described by the apostle Paul in Romans 6: “All of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death.” And: “We know that our old man was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be done away with.” In order for the new man to arise with Christ and live by faith in Him, the old Adam must die daily with all sin and evil desires through contrition and repentance.
Now, when the day of your death and burial comes, your grave and the cemetery are just resting places. For Jesus, in His burial, has sanctified your grave with the touch of His Holy Body. And in Holy Baptism Jesus has wrapped you in His burial clothes and His grave so that by the power of His death, burial and resurrection you will be raised bodily and given eternal life.
Christ’s enemies wanted to keep Him in the grave forever. Sealed it and secured it with guards. But all their cunning and strength were no match for Him. Your enemies of sin, death, and Satan would keep you in the grave forever. But because of Jesus who was buried for you they cannot hold you there. Your grave is just a place of rest after all your work on this earth until the Day of Resurrection.
So, on the day we bury your graveyard dead body six feet under it will be like we’re putting one of our children to bed at night. Tucking them in until morning. For we know that in the morning it will be time to get up. So we’ll tuck you in your bed with a little dirt and wait for the resurrection morn to come. At the grave we will pray: “O Lord Jesus Christ, by Your three-day rest in the tomb You hallowed the graves of all who believe in You, promising resurrection to our mortal bodies. Bless this grave that the body of our brother may sleep here in peace until You awaken him to glory …” And then we will commit your body to the ground in the sure and certain confidence of the hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus who will change your lowly body to be like Christ’s glorious body.
All this for you because Jesus died, WAS BURIED, and rose according to the Scriptures. He is your life even in death. Even in His burial.
In the Name of Jesus.
The Tomb of Jesus
