WHEN DESCRIBING THE burial of Jesus, Matthew testified that Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in Joseph’s own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock (Mat. 27:59, 60).
John corroborates this testimony that it was a new sepulcher (John 19:41).
Both John and Luke were careful to report that it was a tomb “in which no one had yet been laid” (John 19:41; Luke 23:53).
These observations are VERY important in view of and Old Testament narrative in 2 Kings:
“Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year. So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied of band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet” (2 Kings 13:20-21 – emphasis, mb).
THOUGHT: Knowing this Old Testament story, how natural it would have been for the enemies of Jesus to have said that His resurrection was not because He is the Son of God at all, but was simply because His body had chanced to touch the bones of an Old Testament prophet who had been previously buried there. R.C. Oliver, “Joseph’s New Tomb,” GOSPEL ADVOCATE, July 1988, 43
INCARNATE: “This Jesus God has raised up…” (Acts 2:32a).
“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE
INCARNATE 