The Pilgrim Path---Mark's Gospel 15: 40-47 

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

---Women---watching---mourning---serving...The first soul that ever mentioned the saving nature of the gospel to me, was a neighbor of my grandmother's: Mrs. Roberta Elliot. She was retired from the Department of Recreation and Parks. I'd say I was maybe six---she actually said, "Boys like you don't always do what is pleasing to God---and sometimes, they do the direct opposite of what's pleasing to God---that's sin---that's why God sent Jesus to Live a perfect life for Us --and then --die in our place---then He came back from the dead---to prove He was who He said He was---God's Son!" Well---at that juncture in our family---we were not church-going folk, and I needed to hear that. Guess what? At first, I was bothered by it---natural reaction of the "flesh" to the truth of God---but the Lord started working on me...In God's providence, my mom bought one of these "special store" offers for buying so many "groceries" every week at Winn Dixie ( a grocery store chain)---it was a Children's Bible Story Book---and she started reading to me from that Bible Story Book-- before school every morning...Well, the Bible "is" the Sword of the Spirit---and He uses it "in" people's lives... ALL that, to say this---some women have had a pivotal role to play in my life concerning the "things" of God...I know that just over half of the missions force "world-wide"---is made up of women---we'd be in trouble without their sacrifice! From Bishop Ryle: In the New Testament, we generally see women mentioned as a help and assistance to the cause of true religion. Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Dorcas, Lydia, and the women named by St. Paul to the Romans, are all cases in point. The contrast is striking, and we need not doubt intentional. It is one of the many proofs, that grace is more abundant under the Gospel than under the law. It seems meant to teach us that women have an important place in the Church of Christ, one that ought to be assigned to them, and one that they ought to fill...

---Waiting for the Kingdom: Joseph of Arimathea. Well, when the man needed to "show up"---he did. Take a look at some texts: Matt. 27: 57; Luke 23: 50,51; Isaiah 53: 9.--When the "so-called" conventional disciples of Jesus were very hard to find---this member of the Sanhedrin "owned" the Lord Jesus Christ, and asked for His remains. Wow---note that wording in verse 43 again, "took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus..." ---Wow again...his love for the Savior "topped" everything else...And---he fulfilled prophesy in doing so---Wow...Do you suppose he wrestled with himself and finally said, "I don't care what anyone thinks---that's the Christ!"

---When Pilate "knew" Jesus was dead---he released the body...never forget that. The Lord Jesus Christ did not appear to die. He actually died. Pilate could not allow some hoax to be perpetrated by the followers of this man from Nazareth...Pilate released Jesus' body because he knew he was finished. Little did he know...

---"What honor our Lord Jesus Christ has placed on the grave, by allowing Himself to be laid in it." Bishop J. C. Ryle---the grave, the tomb--- the place where the Christ of God once lay---and He came forth! So shall all His own...

---What a passage: First Corinthians 15: 42-44, "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body."

---From St. Athanasius the Great: Death was necessary, and had to be suffered for us all, so that the universal debt might be paid. That's why, as I said, the Word took to Himself a body capable of dying. He Himself was immortal incapable of death; but having become flesh, He offered His human body in the place of all, and through His union with that body, He suffered for us all. Thereby He "destroyed him who had the death's power, that is, the devil, delivering those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2: 14-15).

"Remember that Christ's death is a death-conquering death. He hath taken away the sting of death, that it cannot hurt you; and his death is a death-sanctifying death and a death-sweetening death. He hath by his death sanctified and sweetened death to us..." Thomas Brooks, 1651

Finished all the types and shadows of the ceremonial law;

Finished all that God had promised; death and hell no more shall awe;

"It is finished! It is finished! It is finished!"

Saints, from hence your comfort draw; saints from hence your comfort draw.

Jonathan Evans (1784)

Grace & Peace in Jesus Our LORD, Pastor Jason