Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders.

— John 19:38

Sometimes it’s easier to hide what we believe than to share it openly. This can happen especially when it comes to talking about our faith. In some situations we can be afraid of being ridiculed or of losing status or even of being harmed for our beliefs.

Joseph of Arimathea seems to have been in a position like that. He was a disciple of Jesus, but not openly. He probably kept his allegiance a secret because he, like Nicodemus, was a member of the ruling council of religious leaders that had condemned Jesus (see Luke 23:59; John 3:1-8; 7:45-52). These two men probably acted in secret to avoid being attacked by the ruling council. We might wonder if there were others like them in the council who preferred to remain hidden, but we are told only about Joseph and Nicodemus.

All of the secrecy, however, seemed to change after Jesus’ death. Joseph boldly asked Pilate for Jesus’ body so that he could honor the Lord and prepare his body for burial according to custom.

Maybe Jesus’ death can change things for us too. Jesus wasn’t afraid to go to the cross for us. How can we be afraid to do anything for him? We can step out with boldness and let the world know that we believe in Jesus. We believe that he died for us and that we are now forgiven as children of God. In the Lord’s strength we can be bold in our faith!

Father, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, help us live out our faith with boldness, wherever we are. Amen.