Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1789
“Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marveled if He were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher.” Mark 15:43-46.
IT was a very dark day with the Church of God and with the cause of Christ, for the Lord Jesus was dead, and so the sun of their souls had set. “All the disciples forsook Him, and fled.” “You shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone,” were the sad words of Jesus—and they had come true. He was dead upon the Cross and His enemies hoped that that was the end of Him—while even His friends feared that it was so. A few women who had remained about the Cross, true to the very last, were found faithful unto death, but what could they do to obtain His sacred body and give it honorable burial? That priceless flesh seemed to be in danger of the fate which usually awaited the bodies of malefactors—at any rate, the fear was that it might be hurled into the first grave that could be found to shelter it.
Let us learn from this that God will always have His witnesses. It matters not though the ministry should forsake the Truth of God, though they that should be leaders should become unfaithful, the Truth of God will not fail for lack of friends! It may be with the Church as when a standard-bearer faints and the host is ready to melt with dismay—but there shall be found other standard-bearers and the banner of the Lord shall wave over all! As the Lord lives, so shall His Truth live! As God reigns, so shall the Gospel reign, even though it is from the Cross! “Tell it out among the heathen that the Lord reigns from the tree.” Such is a singular version of a verse in the Psalms and it contains a glorious Truth of God! Even while Jesus hangs on the Cross in death, He is still keeping possession of the Throne—and He shall reign forever and ever!
Let this be remembered for your encouragement in the cloudy and dark day. If you live in any place where the faithful fail from among men, do not wring your hands in grief and sit down in despair, as though it were all over with the cause you love! The Lord lives and He will yet keep a faithful seed alive in the earth. Another Joseph of Arimathaea will come forward at the desperate moment—just when we cannot do without him, the man will be found! There was a Joseph for Israel in Egypt and there was a Joseph for Jesus on the Cross. A Joseph acted to Him a father’s part at His birth, and another Joseph arranged for His burial. The Lord shall not be left without friends!
There was a dark day in the Old Testament history when the eyes of Eli, the servant of God, had failed him, and worse still, he was almost as blind mentally as physically, for his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. It seemed as if God must forsake His Israel! But who is this little boy who is brought in by his mother? Who is this tiny child who is to be left in the sanctuary to serve his God as long as he lives? Who is this pretty little man who wears the little coat which his mother’s hands have lovingly made for him? Look, you that have eyes of faith, for the Prophet Samuel is before you! He is the servant of the Lord, by whose holy example Israel shall be led to better things and delivered from the oppression which chastised the iniquities of Eli’s sons!
God has, today, somewhere, I know not where, in yon obscure cottage of an English village, or in a log hut far away in the backwoods of America, or in the slums of our back streets, or in our palaces, a man who in mature life shall deliver Israel, fighting the battles of the Lord! The Lord has His servant making ready and when the time shall come, when the hour shall need the man, the man shall be found for the hour! The Lord’s will shall be done, let infidels and doubters think what they please! I see in this advent of Joseph of Arimathaea exactly at the needed time, a well of consolation for all who have the cause of God laid upon their hearts. We need not worry our heads about who is to succeed the pastors and evangelists of today—the Apostolic succession we may safely leave with our God.
Concerning this Joseph of Arimathaea, the honorable counselor, I want to speak this morning, praying that I may speak to your souls all along. As I have already said, we hear no more of Joseph than what is recorded here. He shines out when he is needed and then he disappears—his record is on high. We need not mention the traditions about him, for I think that even the quotation of legends has an evil tendency and may turn us aside from the pure, unadulterated Word of God. What have you and I to do with tradition? Is not the Scripture enough? There is probably no truth in the silly tales about Joseph and Glastonbury—and if there were, it could be of no consequence to us! If any fact had been worthy of the pen of Inspiration, it would have been written. And because it is not written, we need not desire to know. Let us be satisfied to pause where the Holy Spirit stays His pen.