The burial of Jesus

St Matthew Chapter XXVII : Verses 54-61

Contents

• Matt. xxvii. 54-61.  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text.

Matt. xxvii. 54-61

 Longinus: Indeed this was the Son of God. 

54 Now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed this was the Son of God.

Centurio autem, et qui cum eo erant, custodientes Jesum, viso terraemotu, et his quæ fiebant, timuerunt valde, dicentes : Vere Filius Dei erat iste.

55 And there were there many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Erant autem ibi mulieres multae a longe, quæ secutæ erant Jesum a Galilaea, ministrantes ei :

56 Among whom was Mary Magdalen, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

inter quas erat Maria Magdalene, et Maria Jacobi, et Joseph mater, et mater filiorum Zebedæi.

Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate

57 And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus.

Cum autem sero factum esset, venit quidam homo dives ab Arimathaea, nomine Joseph, qui et ipse discipulus erat Jesu :

58 He went to Pilate, and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered.

hic accessit ad Pilatum, et petiit corpus Jesu. Tunc Pilatus jussit reddi corpus.

59 And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth.

Et accepto corpore, Joseph involvit illud in sindone munda,

The two Marys sitting over against the sepulchre.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

60 And laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument, and went his way.

et posuit illud in monumento suo novo, quod exciderat in petra. Et advolvit saxum magnum ad ostium monumenti, et abiit.

61 And there was there Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulchre.

Erant autem ibi Maria Magdalene, et altera Maria, sedentes contra sepulchrum.

Notes

    54. Now the centurion. The Roman officer charged to carry out the decree of the Sanhedrin with regard to the Crucifixion of our Lord, one centurion being placed over the three bands. St Mark records that the centurion stood over against him.

    Tradition has given him the name of Longinus, and he, with the centurion at Capharnaum whose servant Christ healed, and Cornelius the centurion of the “ Italian band ” (Acts x. 1), “form a triumvirate of believing Gentile soldiers.”

    having seen the earthquake, etc. The loud cry, the preternatural gloom, Christ’s majesty in death, and the earthquake had convinced the centurion that a terrible injustice had been committed. He and those that were watching Jesus, i.e. the four guards, and all the multitude of them that were come together to that sight (St Luke), might well be sore afraid.

    Indeed this was the Son of God. St Luke says he glorified God saying, Indeed this was a just man (xxiii. 47). Now that Jesus is dead, the fruits of His victory are seen. Even on the cross the dying thief had been converted, and now the Roman soldiers are struck with fear, and the multitude returned, striking their breasts. Jesus has been lifted up, and therefore begins to draw all men to Him.

    We are not told what effect the miracles which accompanied the death of Christ had on the chief priests and the scribes. Possibly they did not remain on Calvary until the death of Christ, as 3 o’clock, or the ninth hour, was the hour of prayer ; but if they were in the Temple or its precincts they would have heard of the veil being rent in twain, and must have felt the shock of the earthquake. Some of those who mocked may have been officiating in the Holy Place when the veil was rent.

OCR not available, Text copied from source.

    56. Mary Magdalene.

    Mary the mother of James and Joseph, — i.e. Mary, wife of Cleophas (otherwise called Alphaeus), as we see from St John xix. 25 : Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

    the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Hence St John’s mother, Salome, was present. See Geneal. Table, below:

    Note. — We must place here between verses 56 and 57 the piercing of our Lord’s side by a soldier, and the breaking of the legs of the two thieves. (See St John lix. 31-37.)

    57. when it was evening, — i.e. the first evening just before sunset. The Sabbath began on Good Friday at sunset.

    there came a certain rich man, etc. St Luke records that he was a “counsellor,” i.e. a member of the Sanhedrin (not necessarily a member of the “ Council of Priests”). From the gospel narratives we learn that Joseph of Arimathea was —

    (а) A rich man (St Matt.),

    (b) A good and a just man (St Luke).

    (c) A secret disciple of Jesus (St Matt., St John).

    (d) He had not consented to their counsel and doings (St Luke),

    (e) One who looked for the kingdom of God (St Luke).

    of Arimathea. A city of Judea (St Luke xxiii. 51). Its site is unknown. Some identify it with “ Ramathaim Sophim,” the birthplace of Samuel, a town about eighteen miles north-west of Jerusalem ; others think it refers to Rama in Benjamin. The name resembles the first mentioned town, while “ Rama ” agrees better with St Luke’s description, and also with the earliest traditions. No less than eight different localities have been suggested as the site of “ Arimathea,” hence it is variously given in different maps.

    named Joseph. St Joseph, the lowly carpenter of Nazareth, held the infant Jesus in his arms and tended Him in infancy. Joseph of Arimathea took down His dead body from the cross and buried it.

    58. He went to Pilate. St Mark adds that he went in boldly. He needed boldness, since he would henceforth be suspected by the chief priests, though there was not much to fear as far as Pilate was concerned. Joseph was no longer a disciple in secret. The example of Christ’s sufferings, and the injustice done to Him, made the rich counsellor intrepid.

    By this act of piety Joseph rendered himself unclean for seven days, and unable to take any part in the Paschal festivities, for we read in Holy Scripture, He that toucheth the corpse of a man .... is unclean seven days (Numb. xix. 11).     Joseph also went in boldly because the matter was urgent ; for if he did not take down the body of Christ before sunset the Jews would do so, and then Jesus would have been interred in the graves provided by the Council for criminals.

    asked the body of Jesus. This was the second petition which had been presented to Pilate that afternoon concerning Jesus. The first deputation was from the members of the Sanhedrin, who requested that the bodies of the crucified might not remain on the crosses after sunset, therefore Pilate sent soldiers to break the legs of the condemned. This “ crurifragium ” was a punishment in itself, and was inflicted to hasten death. Then, as a further concession to the Jewish custom, a “ mercy stroke” was given, and this caused instant death, for the body was pierced by a lance.

    Note. — St Matthew omits to mention that Pilate wondered that he should be already dead. And sending for the centurion, he asked him if he were already dead. And when he had understood it by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph (Mark xv. 41, 45).

    Then Pilate commanded, etc. It is possible that Pilate allowed Joseph to bury the body of Christ honourably in order to vex the Jews.

    Sometimes the governors asked for a sum of money as the price of the favour, but the original word employed denotes that Pilate gave up the Sacred Body freely. A formal permission would be required.

    59. taking the body. The Romans left the bodies of criminals to decay on the cross, but the Jewish custom was to bury them before night, that the land might not be polluted (see Deut. xxi. 22, 23).

    a clean linen cloth. It was fine Sidonian or Indian muslin, and was torn into bands or “ swathes ” to envelop the limbs of the dead. Each limb was bound separately, and the “swathes” were sprinkled with powdered myrrh and aloes. Nicodemus, also a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret disciple, provided 100 lbs. weight of “ spices ” for embalming. A pound in Jewish measure equalled about of 1 lb. avoirdupois, therefore the 100 lbs. (Jewish measure) = about 64 lbs. [Ed. ½ cwt.]

    In the celebration of Holy Mass, the consecrated Host is placed on a “ corporal ’’ of fine linen, and none but linen cloths are allowed to be used for the service of the altar.

    60. laid it in his own new monument. Joseph’s monument was in his own garden, close to Calvary (St John xix. 41). Thus the Jews could not say that another had risen, and not our Lord, nor could they pretend that His Resurrection was caused by His body having come in contact with the bones of some prophet. All possible human assurances were given that Christ was really dead — every precaution was taken to prevent the disciples from taking away the body, since the stone which closed the entrance or door of the sepulchre was sealed.

    hewed out in a rock. The ordinary kind of tomb used in Judea.

    61. the other Mary, — i.e. Mary, the mother of James and Joseph. They could not tear themselves from the sepulchre ; and as they were the last who gazed on the dead body of Christ, they were the first of His disciples who saw Him on Easter morn. But though their love and devotedness were great, their faith was weak, for, from the preparations which they made to embalm the body of Christ, we see that they did not expect their beloved Lord to rise again, as He had so often predicted.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.