Matthew 27:60
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This wasn't just any tomb; it was new, meaning completely undefiled. This detail wasn't just for honor, but a providential safeguard, ensuring no one could later claim Jesus' resurrection was due to touching the bones of another, or that His body was somehow switched.
Just as the disciples are reeling from Jesus' crucifixion, a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower, steps forward. He claims Jesus' body, preparing it with spices alongside Nicodemus, and buries it in his own newly carved tomb before the Sabbath begins. This deliberate placement in an unused tomb and sealing it with a massive stone are crucial details that will become vital in the events that follow.
Jesus lived without a permanent home and died without a burial plot. Yet, His final resting place wasn't just any cave – it was a carefully prepared, personal space.
Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple in secret, steps forward to give Jesus his own tomb. This wasn't an inherited family plot, but a new tomb he had personally commissioned and carved out of solid rock. This act speaks volumes:
The stone rolled to Jesus' tomb wasn't just for show; it was a critical security measure. But who was it truly meant to keep out... or in?
The immense stone rolled to block the tomb's entrance was more than just a physical barrier. It served several vital purposes:
Understand the original words
mnēmeion · Greek Noun
A place of burial; symbolically in Scripture, it often represents the finality of death, yet in the context of Jesus, it becomes the site of His victory over death through resurrection.
The detail of Joseph of Arimathea using his own, newly-hewn tomb highlights divine providence, ensuring Jesus' burial was honorable, distinct, and clearly identifiable, setting the stage for the resurrection's undeniable proof.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death
Jesus is crucified on the day of Passover preparation, dying near sunset. Jewish law required bodies to be buried before the Sabbath, which began at sunset.
c. 30 AD
Joseph of Arimathea's Request
Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple, asks Pilate for Jesus' body. This request allows for a proper Jewish burial despite Jesus' execution as a criminal.
c. 30 AD
Entombment in Joseph's Tomb
Joseph takes Jesus' body, wraps it in clean linen with spices (assisted by Nicodemus), and places it in his own newly-cut tomb in a nearby garden.
c. 30 AD
Securing the Tomb
A large stone is rolled to seal the tomb's entrance. This action, along with the tomb's recent cutting and undefiled state, emphasizes the finality of the burial.
This prophetic passage directly foretells that the Suffering Servant would be 'assigned a tomb with the wicked—but with the rich at his death,' highlighting the divine providence in Joseph, a rich man, burying Jesus in his own new tomb.
John 19:41-42John's Gospel adds that the tomb was in a garden and had not been used before, reinforcing Matthew's detail about the 'new tomb' and underscoring the significance of this particular burial site for Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4Paul’s summary of the Gospel message includes that Christ 'died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,' emphasizing the burial as a crucial part of the atoning work, as described in Matthew.
Luke 23:53Luke's account also mentions the entombment, adding that 'no one had ever yet been laid in it,' which echoes Matthew's description of a 'new tomb' and emphasizes its suitability for Jesus, ensuring no confusion about identity upon resurrection.
gillMatthew 27:60: "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."
And laid it in his own new tomb,.... Christ was laid not in his own, but in another's tomb; for as in his lifetime he had not where to lay his head; so when he was dead, he had no sepulchre of his own to put his body in: and moreover, this shows that as he was born for others, and suffered and died not for himself, but them; so he was burie…
meyerMatthew 27:60: "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."
Matthew 27:60 Ὃ ἐλατόμησεν ] Aorist, as in Matthew 27:55 . The other evangelists say nothing about the grave having belonged to Joseph ; John 19:42 rather gives us to understand that, owing to the necessary despatch, it was made choice of from its being close at hand. We thus see that Matthew’s account is unsupported by the earlier testimon…
This wasn't just any tomb; it was new, meaning completely undefiled. This detail wasn't just for honor, but a providential safeguard, ensuring no one could later claim Jesus' resurrection was due to touching the bones of another, or that His body was somehow switched.
Just as the disciples are reeling from Jesus' crucifixion, a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower, steps forward. He claims Jesus' body, preparing it with spices alongside Nicodemus, and buries it in his own newly carved tomb before the Sabbath begins. This deliberate placement in an unused tomb and sealing it with a massive stone are crucial details that will become vital in the events that follow.
Just as the disciples are reeling from Jesus' crucifixion, a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea, a secret follower, steps forward. He claims Jesus' body, preparing it with spices alongside Nicodemus, and buries it in his own newly carved tomb before the Sabbath begins. This deliberate placement in an unused tomb and sealing it with a massive stone are crucial details that will become vital in the events that follow.
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c. 30 AD
The Sabbath Begins
As sunset marks the start of the Sabbath, all activity ceases. The women who had prepared spices and ointments rest as commanded by the Law.
"and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away." — This wasn't just any tomb; it was new, meaning completely undefiled. This detail wasn't just for honor, but a providential safeguard, ensuring no one could later claim Jesus' resurrection was due t…
