Deuteronomy 21:22-23
Read Deuteronomy 21:22-23
Helpful Background Information:
In our sermon passage, Jesus Christ is crucified and dies on Friday. And on that same Friday evening, Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus in a tomb cut out of rock, and rolled the stone against the entrance. While this story is very familiar to us, it’s helpful to ask the question: Why did Joseph bury Jesus’ body so quickly? In Deuteronomy 21:22-23, we find an answer.
Our passage for today comes from Moses’ Law and is the final piece of legislation in a running list of laws on war and the death penalty for various crimes. After an execution, the body of the guilty one was permitted to hang on a tree for the rest of the day as a public display of the consequences for disobedience. However, the body was not to remain on the tree overnight, as dead bodies were considered ceremonially unclean for the Israelites. By Jesus’ day, crucifixion was deemed to be the equivalent of hanging on a tree, and so this legislation applied.
Hence, Jesus was buried for three days and rose from the dead on the third day. Because Joseph of Arimathea faithfully followed the law, God used his actions to fulfill several Old Testament prophecies when He raised Jesus from the dead, confirming that Jesus is the Messiah and Lord of all. Additionally, because Jesus was buried in the ground for three days and rose, this vindicated his own predictions of his death, burial, and resurrection (See John 2:19-21).
This Deuteronomy text also helps us to understand why the Jews found Jesus’ crucifixion foolish and a scandal (See 1 Corinthians 1:18). They thought God cursed a “criminal” Jesus based on this text. Yet, as Paul says in Galatians 3:13, the innocent Jesus willingly became a curse on the tree for our sake - that we may be saved and enjoy fellowship with God! A lot is going on in these 2 little verses!
Reflection Questions:
What does this passage teach you about God’s ability to use ordinary obedience (like Joseph’s burial of Jesus) to accomplish His greater purposes?
How do these texts help you understand and appreciate the burial of Christ?
How does knowing that Jesus willingly became a curse for us deepen your understanding of the gospel?