The Burial of Jesus (Luke 23:50–56)
Introduction
Luke 23:50–56 recounts the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea, highlighting acts of courage and reverence in the face of loss. This quiet moment of love and faith prepares the way for the resurrection.
The hammer has gone quiet. The jeering has stopped. The curtain is torn, the sky has cleared, and the crowds have scattered.
Jesus is dead.
And now, in the calm after the storm, Luke introduces us to a quiet figure we haven’t met before—a man who shows up not with swords or sermons, but with linen and reverence.
Luke’s account of Jesus’ burial is brief, but it’s anything but filler. These verses offer no flashy miracles or parables. No multitudes. Just the raw aftermath.
A borrowed tomb.
A group of women watching from a distance. And one man, Joseph of Arimathea, doing what he can with what he has. It’s a moment full of risk and tenderness.
This passage ends Luke 23 and leads us into the long silence of Holy Saturday. But before we get to resurrection, we stop here—at the tomb, where love does its last act and faith keeps vigil through the night.
Christ with Joseph of Arimathea, c. 1525. Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo (Italian, c. 1480–after.1548). Oil on wood. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hanna Fund 1952.512
Verse by Verse Breakdown of The Burial of Jesus (Luke 23:50–56) and Commentary
Luke 23:51
“…had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.”
Luke draws a line between Joseph and the rest of the council. Well, it’s worth noting that Nicodemus was also on the council. There were people on the council who were swayed/influenced by Christ.
While others plotted, Joseph hoped. While others schemed for power, he waited on the kingdom.
That phrase—“waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God”—has been used elsewhere in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 2:25, Luke 2:38). It ties Joseph to Simeon and Anna, those early witnesses in the temple who recognized God’s Messiah when he was just a baby.
Like Simeon, Joseph will also hold the body of Jesus. It’s as if Joseph has been carrying the same anticipation in his heart all along—and now that the Messiah is dead, his waiting turns into action.
There’s a quiet urgency here. Joseph isn’t just sad that Jesus died; he’s faithful to him even after death. He’s not expecting a resurrection yet—there’s no indication of that—but he knows this man deserves dignity.
Even in grief, he holds onto hope.
Luke 23:52
“This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.”
This is bold. Pilate had just overseen Jesus’ crucifixion. Associating with someone executed for treason is dangerous, let alone asking to take responsibility for the body. Joseph risks his reputation, possibly his seat on the council, and maybe even his safety to care for Jesus in death.
According to Roman custom, crucified criminals were often left unburied, their bodies thrown into mass graves or left for scavengers. It was part of the punishment—death plus shame.
Joseph’s request is a protest of that shame.
It’s his way of saying Jesus didn’t deserve this. It’s also an act of love, performed not in the spotlight but in the shadows.
Luke 23:53
“Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid.”
There’s something deeply tender about this verse. The hands that remove Jesus from the cross are not a soldier’s, a relative’s, or a disciple’s. They’re the hands of a quiet council member from a small town. Joseph treats Jesus’ body with the care and reverence normally reserved for a loved one.
The linen cloth signals honor. The unused tomb adds to the dignity. In Jewish thought, contact with a dead body made someone unclean—but Joseph touches Jesus anyway. He chooses mercy over ritual purity. And unknowingly, he sets the stage for resurrection. The rock-hewn tomb isn’t just a burial site.
It’s a waiting room.
Luke 23:54
“It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.”
The clock is ticking. According to Jewish law, the sabbath begins at sundown, and no work can be done once it starts—including burial. Everything in this verse pulses with urgency. Joseph doesn’t have time for a full burial—there won’t be anointing, prayers, or visitors. He does what he can with the minutes he has left.
Luke emphasizes that it was “the day of Preparation,” reminding readers that what happens next occurs under the shadow of sabbath law. Jesus’ rest in the tomb mirrors God’s rest on the seventh day in Genesis (Genesis 2:2).
It’s a sacred pause before the new creation begins.
Luke 23:55
“The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.”
Even in silence, the women remain. They had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministered to him during his life (Luke 8:1–3), and now they follow him in death. They don’t interfere with Joseph’s work; they observe. They see the tomb. They see the position of the body. This isn’t a vague memory—they’re making plans. This will matter in the resurrection story. When they return later, they’ll know exactly where to go.
These women are the first witnesses of the empty tomb, but they begin here—as quiet companions in grief. They show us that faith sometimes looks like not leaving.
Luke 23:56
“Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”
This is a verse of tension. The women prepare spices, but they don’t use them yet. They’re ready to honor Jesus, but not at the cost of breaking God’s law. So they rest. Their grief is active—still filled with intention—but it’s placed on pause for the sabbath.
It’s a quiet end to a brutal chapter.
The tomb is sealed. The body is still. The women wait. And the next move belongs to God.
Luke 23:50–56 – Meaning for Today
This passage is a quiet hinge between cross and resurrection. There’s no thunder or angels—just courage, faithfulness, and love expressed in small, costly acts. Joseph of Arimathea reminds us that righteousness sometimes looks like stepping up when everyone else steps away. The women from Galilee show that faith doesn’t always have to be loud to be strong. Sometimes, it just means staying close.
In our own lives, we rarely get to be the ones at center stage. Most of our faith is lived in ordinary moments—in how we show up for people, how we honor what’s right, how we keep watch through the dark. This passage tells us that matters. It tells us God sees.
It also reminds us that silence is not the end of the story. The long pause of Holy Saturday wasn’t just emptiness. It was the prelude to resurrection. If you’re in a season of waiting, where it feels like God is still in the tomb and nothing’s moving, hold on. Stay close. Sunday’s coming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Joseph of Arimathea in the Bible?
Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Jewish council who did not consent to Jesus’ condemnation. He is described as “good and righteous” and took responsibility for Jesus’ burial, placing his body in a new tomb.
Why is Jesus’ burial important?
Jesus’ burial fulfills prophecy (Isaiah 53:9), confirms his death, and sets the stage for the resurrection. It also shows the devotion of his followers, even in his death.
What does Luke 23:56 teach about Sabbath faithfulness?
Luke 23:56 shows that the women, though grieving and eager to honor Jesus, rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment—modeling reverence, obedience, and trust in God’s timing.
