Mark 15:40-47
Read Mark 15:40-47
Helpful Background Information:
As we continue our three-week focus on Easter, we move from Jesus’ death to His burial. Last week, we saw the suffering and sacrifice of the cross. This week, we sit in something very different, the quiet, heavy silence that follows. Mark 15:40–47 describes what happened after Jesus died. A man named Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, courageously asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. He wraps Jesus in linen and lays Him in a tomb cut out of rock, sealing it with a stone. A few women who had followed Jesus watch where He is laid. It is a simple, somber scene. The one they believed to be the Messiah had been executed like a criminal and placed in a grave. Saturday was a silent day of waiting, confusion, and unanswered questions.
Reflection Questions:
Joseph of Arimathea showed courage by asking for Jesus’ body (Mark 15:43). What fears might he have had to overcome, and what does his example teach you about stepping out in faith?
This day would have felt like total defeat to Jesus’ followers. Have you ever experienced a moment where it felt like God’s plan had failed? What was that like?
Saturday is often called a day of silence. Why do you think seasons of silence or waiting are so difficult for us spiritually? How can you trust God when His work is not visible?
As you reflect on the silence of Saturday, how does it prepare your heart to better understand and appreciate the joy of the resurrection?