John 19:38

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted him permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as the burial custom of the Jews is. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. — John 19:38–42

When Jesus died, it was the worst day for His disciples—but the best day for two secret followers whose lives His love finally transformed.

The Worst Day, the Best Day

In my library I have a book called The Worst Days in History. Throughout the centuries it records something horrible that happened to someone in a given year. Reading it made me think about this passage. Jesus had been in ministry for three years. The disciples were excited—they expected Him to overthrow the Romans and establish His kingdom, and they imagined reigning with Him. For them, His death on the cross was the worst day. But for these two men we read about here, it was the best day.

Think about how someone's death affects you. Usually we reflect on a person's life—what they did, how they touched people—and then we say, "and then they died." But with Jesus it is not only His life that transforms people; it is His death. Through His death Jesus touched people and transformed lives, because He paid the ultimate price. On a human level, dying for a cause is the end. In Jesus' case, it was the beginning—for many people, and for you and me. Without His death on the cross we would still be lost, dead in our sins, walking straight to hell. His death gives us hope and shows His love.

By Dying, Jesus Shows His Love

The first thing we see in this passage is "after these things"—after Jesus' ministry, after He healed and fed people. Those things were good, part of why He came. But the heart of His coming was the cross.

In John 14 Jesus told His disciples He was laying down His life for them; they understood, but not completely. How are you and I when we grasp it? The Bible says that while we were still sinners, He died for us, because that was the only way for us to have eternal life. By hanging on the cross, Jesus allows us to see how much He loves us.

When someone does something for you, you feel indebted—you feel you have to do something in return. When we understand that Jesus died because He loves us, that He counts us precious, that is what brings transformation. Will you die for the person next to you? You may say yes, but most of us would not. Yet He died in a shameful way—as Paul wrote to the Philippians—to show how much He loves us. Understanding His love is what brings His life into our life.

Moved to Make Faith Public

The second point: Jesus' love moved these two men to make their faith public. Remember, they were secret followers. Joseph of Arimathea was an influential man, one of the religious leaders. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of being seen; Jesus explained the new birth to him, yet afterward he continued quietly in his tradition.

But when these two saw Jesus dead on the cross, they understood His love, and it moved them to say, "I don't care anymore. I want people to know whom I love and whom I follow." It is like a first relationship—you want everybody to know. Today people even ask, "Did you make it Facebook official?"

They had been afraid—afraid for their social status, their economic standing, their reputation. How about us? When I first got saved, someone gave me a small Bible. I tucked it under my arm and didn't want anyone to know, but someone saw it and asked, "What do you have there?" Once I understood He died for me, I wanted everyone to know that Somebody loved me, knew exactly who I was, and loved me still.

I often ask people in the Spanish ministry: if I went to your neighbor or your coworker and asked, "Is he a believer?"—what would they say? By watching God's love in action, these two men were moved to act publicly. They were no longer ashamed or afraid. When you begin to experience that, your life starts to change.

Connections Used for the Kingdom

The third point: Jesus' love caused them to use their connections for the kingdom. Not many people had access to Pilate. Not everyone can walk into the White House—especially now, with a wall being built. But Joseph was influential and had access, so he went to Pilate and said, "I want to take my Lord's body." The Roman custom was to leave bodies on the cross to decay and then throw them in a common pile. Joseph would not allow that. It is implied he took the body himself—imagine handling Jesus' bloodied, scarred body—because he had experienced Jesus' love.

You have access to people I don't, and people others don't. Sometimes we brag about the important people we know. That's fine—but how do you use those connections to expand the kingdom and touch lives? Surely Joseph's request stirred something in Pilate: "Why is this man doing this? He must love this Jesus." When we truly experience the love of Christ at the cross, we begin to use what is at our disposal to let others know about God's love.

Freed to Invest Resources and Abilities

The fourth point: Jesus' love frees us to invest our resources and abilities in the kingdom. Joseph used his influence to obtain the body. Nicodemus came with myrrh and aloes—a large and expensive amount. According to Mark and Luke, the tomb where they laid Jesus belonged to Joseph, and a family tomb was costly. These men were well off, and they placed their resources at Jesus' disposal, asking in effect, "How do You want me to use these?"

Some of us think, "I don't have many resources." That's why I included the abilities too. We always say, "If I just made one more dollar an hour I'd be fine"—and then it's never enough. Years ago I asked God for a job at a certain wage; He opened the door for exactly what I asked, and afterward I thought, "I should have asked for more!" It's never enough.

But consider what Joseph and Nicodemus did with their abilities. As rich, powerful men they could have ordered servants to buy the spices and prepare the body. Instead they did it themselves—work normally left to servants. You may say you have no talent, but you do. Some people talk too much—use it. Some don't know what to say—just say what God is doing in your life. Some only know how to wrap baskets—weeks ago there was a basket-wrapping outreach you could have joined.

When we understand what He has given because He loves us, we say, "Lord, whatever is Yours, just tell me what to do." I recently spoke with a man from Colombia who has worked at a church in Orange County for ten years and longs to return home—he even painted his house and garden like the Colombian flag. I asked why he doesn't go. He said, "Because God asked me not to. I just take orders; I don't make them." I wish we all had that surrender—knowing that whatever I have and whatever I am is at Jesus' disposal.

Love That Respects Others

The fifth point: Jesus' love helped them accept other people's traditions. As a pastor, people often ask me to pray because no one at work or school likes them—everyone walks away when they arrive. Sometimes after a few minutes with them I understand why. As believers we sometimes have a reputation for being obnoxious. But when we experience God's love, that love begins to pour out toward others.

Joseph and Nicodemus had everything ready—the body, the myrrh, the aloes, the tomb—and then they noticed the time. The Jewish day of preparation was beginning. They could have said, "Who cares about their traditions? We have Jesus now." But they understood that offending the whole community would close the door to share the gospel and God's love. Many times we offend people and don't care what they think, saying, "This is who I am because I love Jesus." Yet if you read the Gospels, even when Jesus told people hard truths, they wanted to be near Him because they knew He loved them.

We need to respect others' traditions and opinions until they see that we truly love them—then the door opens. I once was proud that I could make people upset. I even made a lady cry in an argument, until God convicted me: "Do you want to win the argument or win their soul? Do you want them to know you know more, or that you love them?"

We love to be right, to be the smartest in the room, to top everyone's story with something bigger. We all do it in different ways. But His love teaches us that a person may not yet be ready to hear the gospel or the hard truth—yet they may be ready to experience God's love. And when you love people, often you don't even have to say anything; God brings conviction. Joseph and Nicodemus could have ignored tradition and closed the door. How many doors have we closed by being rude or obnoxious?

When we begin to love people, they start asking, "Why do you want to talk to me when no one else does? Why do you accept me, listen to me?" And we can answer: because I have experienced God's love, and God wants to love you. That is the greatest argument we can offer.

A Time to Commit

The main thing I want you to take with you is this: love others, and see them the way God sees them. If you find you can't, start asking God why. Perhaps you haven't truly experienced His love at the cross. Perhaps you've been a secret follower and God is poking you to go public. Perhaps you haven't used your circle of influence, or put your resources and abilities into His service, and God wants to move you out of your comfort zone.

For the disciples it was the worst day; for these two men it was the best day, because it brought transformation. God wants to do that for you and me. This being the last Sunday of the year, it could be the beginning of something new: "God, I'm going to start loving people the way You love them. I'm going to put my resources and abilities before You, use every connection to share Your love, and let everyone know I have a relationship with You."

If you have never experienced God's love, this is the time to come before Him. Realize that you are a sinner who needs God's forgiveness. Be sure you have a relationship with Jesus—that you have confessed your sins, asked His forgiveness, and asked Him to be the Lord of your heart. When you do, He begins working in your life, and out of that He overflows His love through you to do everything else.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for this morning. I pray that each one of us will be able to use what we learned in our daily life. Lord, if there is someone here who has never accepted You, who has never asked You to come into their heart, right where they are let them raise their hands and say, "Lord, I am here. Forgive me, for I have sinned. I invite You to take over my life." You can do that in your own words right where you are.

And as the worship team leads us in worship for this last song, pray over the other points you have not yet committed to the Lord. Jesus, I pray that each one of us makes that commitment to be a public proclaimer of Your truth and Your love, to influence others with Your grace, and to put our resources and abilities at Your disposal. Lord, give us the love that You have for this world, that they may experience the life that only You give. In Jesus' name, amen.