Church Fathers Commentary Mark 15:42-47

"And when even was now come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a councillor of honorable estate, who also himself was looking for the kingdom of God; and he boldly went in unto Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when he learned it of the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And he bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of a rock; and he rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the [mother] of Joses beheld where he was laid." — Mark 15:42-47 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: After Christ's Passion and Death, the Evangelist relates His burial, saying, And now when evening had come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea came.

The Venerable Bede: What is called "parasceue" in Greek is "praeparatio" in Latin. The Jews who lived among Greeks used this name for the sixth day of the week, because on that day they would prepare what was necessary for the sabbath day's rest. Since man was made on the sixth day and the Creator rested from all His work on the seventh, it was fitting that our Savior was crucified on the sixth day, thus fulfilling the mystery of humanity's restoration.

On the sabbath, resting in the tomb, He awaited the event of the Resurrection, which would come on the eighth day. In the same way, we must be crucified to the world in this present age. Then, on the seventh day—that is, when a person has died—our bodies must rest in the grave, while our souls, after good works, rest in hidden peace with God. This continues until the eighth period, when even our bodies, glorified in the resurrection, will receive incorruptibility together with our souls.

The man who buried the Lord's body, however, must necessarily have been worthy due to his righteous merits and able, because of his worldly power, to perform this service. Therefore it is said, An honorable counselor, who was also waiting for the kingdom of God. In Latin, he is called a "decurio" because he belonged to the order of the "curia" and served as a provincial magistrate. This officer was also called a "curialis" from his responsibility for civic duties. Arimathaea is the same as Ramathaim, the city of Elkanah and Samuel.

Pseudo-Jerome: The name "Arimathaea" is interpreted as "taking down," which describes Joseph, who came to take down the body of Christ from the cross.

The text continues: He came and went in boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He was bold with a praiseworthy boldness, for he did not think to himself, "I will lose my wealthy position and be expelled by the Jews if I ask for the body of Him who was condemned as a blasphemer."

The text continues: And Pilate was amazed that He was already dead. For Pilate thought that Jesus would remain alive on the cross for a long time, just as thieves usually lived long on the instrument of their execution.

It goes on: And calling the centurion to him, he asked him if He had been dead for some time—that is, if He had died before executed persons usually did.

The text continues: And when he learned from the centurion that He was dead, he gave the body to Joseph.

The Venerable Bede: It was not an obscure person, nor a man of low rank, who could go to the governor and obtain the body.

The text continues: And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen.

Theophylact of Ohrid: He buried the precious body with great reverence, for as a disciple of our Lord, he knew how greatly the Lord's body ought to be honored.

The Venerable Bede: According to a spiritual interpretation, however, we may understand from this that the Lord's body should not be wrapped in gold, gems, or silk, but in a clean linen cloth. Therefore, it became a custom in the Church that the sacrifice of the altar should not be celebrated on silk or dyed cloth, but on linen produced from the earth, just as the Lord's body was wrapped in clean linen. As we read in the Pontifical acts, this was ordered by the blessed Sylvesterⁱ.

This also has another meaning: he who receives Jesus with a pure mind wraps Him in clean linen. The text continues: And laid Him in a tomb which was cut out of a rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the tomb.

It is said that the Lord's tomb is a round cell, cut out of the surrounding rock, and so high that a man standing upright could barely touch the roof with his outstretched hand. It has an entrance on the east, to which the great stone was rolled and set in place. In the northern part of the cell is the tomb itself—that is, the place where our Lord's body lay. It is made of the same rock, is seven feet in length, and is raised three palms higher than the floor. It is not open from above but on the south side, which is entirely open and through which the body was brought in. The color of the tomb and its recess is said to be a mix of white and red.

Pseudo-Jerome: Through Christ's burial we rise again; through His descent into hell we ascend into heaven. Here the honey is found in the mouth of the dead lion.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Let us also imitate Joseph by taking the body of Christ to ourselves in unity. Let us place it in a tomb cut out of the rock—that is, in a soul that is mindful and never forgetful of God. For such a soul is cut from the rock, which is Christ, who is our rock and who holds our strength together. We ought also to wrap Him in linen, which means to receive Him in a pure body, for the linen represents the body that clothes the soul. We must not, however, leave Him exposed, but wrap Him up, for He is secret, enclosed, and hidden.

The text continues: And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where He was laid.

The Venerable Bede: We read in Luke that His acquaintances and the women who had followed Him stood at a distance. When those who knew Jesus returned home after His burial, the women alone, who were bound to Him by a closer love, followed the funeral and took care to see how He was laid, so that they might be able to offer Him the sacrifice of their devotion at an appropriate time.

On the day of "parasceue," or preparation, the holy women—representing humble souls—do the same. They burn with love for the Savior and diligently follow the steps of His Passion in this life, where their future rest is to be prepared. With pious care, they consider the precise order in which His Passion was accomplished, so that they might perhaps be able to imitate it.

Pseudo-Jerome: These things also apply to the Jewish people, who are finally believing and are ennobled by faith to become the children of Abraham. This people lays aside its despair, waits for the kingdom of God, and goes to the Christians to be baptized. This is implied by the name of Pilate, which is interpreted as "one who works with a hammer," meaning one who subdues the iron nations to rule them with a rod of iron. This people seeks the Sacrifice—that is, the Viaticum, which is given to penitents at the end of their lives—and wraps it in a heart that is clean and dead to sin. It secures it with the protection of faith and encloses it with the covering of hope, through works of charity (for the end of the commandment is charity, 1 Timothy 1:5), while the elect, who are the stars of the sea, look on from afar, for, if it were possible, even the elect would be led astray.