Secret Followers Come Out of Hiding...

 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59 When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. 61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.—Matthew 27:57-61

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 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. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.—John 19:38-42

I am not sure why this is the first time I noticed that at the death of Jesus, His “secret” followers became “public” and His “public” followers became “secret”.  Piecing together information from other gospel accounts, we learn that Joseph, in Mark 15:43 and Luke 23:50-51 is identified as a member of the Sanhedrin. Luke also says in verse 51 that “he had not consented to their decision and deed.” John 3 tells us that Nicodemus was a Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night. These two men, upon the death of Jesus, risked “everything” by coming out to bury His body. Both had come to believe but had not yet openly testified to their faith.  Here at Jesus’ death, they come out publicly while the disciples who had followed Jesus openly before His death were in hiding. Read Isaiah 53:9 with me:

And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Christ was buried in Joseph’s own “new tomb”, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53:9.  Earlier in Matthew 26:31, Jesus says this:

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Prophecy fulfilled brings much comfort to my heart. God’s purposes stand. The plans of his heart to all generations. Beloved, God uses both our moments of faith and our moments of failure to fulfill His perfect will and purpose.  I can rest knowing that what He did for Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea and His disciples, He will do for imperfect me as well.  In Him, I am sufficient for whatever I will face.  He WILL complete the good work He began in me and by His grace I will walk in those works He has prepared beforehand for ME.  

8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

9 For He spoke, and it was done;

He commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

The plans of His heart to all generations.—Psalm 33:8-11