As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Devotion based on Matthew 27:57-60

Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the day he died, a Friday. He had done everything required for our salvation. That was Day One. He rose from the dead on Sunday to prove that everything he had said and done for us was true. That was Day Three.

What happened on Day Two? Day Two was a Saturday, a Sabbath day. On that day, the body of Jesus rested in the tomb. Joseph of Arimathea had taken it, wrapped it in a burial cloth, and placed it in a brand-new tomb sealed with a big stone. It was the ultimate Sabbath rest.

It is often calming to see someone sleeping, but to see Jesus sleeping with eyes of faith brings the ultimate calm. He has done everything for us, and now we rest in the peace of his forgiveness.

Even when we see someone in the sleep of death, we are confident that God is in control and that the resurrection of the dead will take place as surely as Jesus rose from the dead. For now, we wait, confident that Jesus rested to give us rest.

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 817)