Luke 23:50-56 speaks of the burial of the Man-Savior. Verses 50 through 52 say, “And behold, a man named Joseph, being a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (This man had not agreed with their counsel and action), from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was expecting the kingdom of God; this man came to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus.” After the Lord accomplished His all-inclusive death, His situation of suffering immediately changed into an honorable one. He was buried by Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man of high rank (Matt. 27:57). Joseph took down the body of Jesus and “wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed Him in a tomb hewn in the rock, where no one had ever yet been laid” (Luke 23:53). This was for the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. In human honor of a high standard the Lord rested on the Sabbath day, waiting for the time to resurrect from among the dead.
The Man-Savior was buried in linen with a mixture of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39-40). He was despised on the cross, but He was honored in His burial. The Lord Jesus was buried in a very dignified way.
When the Lord Jesus was buried, He was buried as the all-inclusive One. If we know the truth in the Scriptures, we shall realize that we were buried with Him. With the Lord Jesus we were crucified and then we were also buried with Him.
As those who have been crucified and buried with the Lord Jesus, we have been terminated; we have been brought to a full end. When a person is buried, that is the end of him. Burial is a final termination. As fallen ones, those in the flesh and of the old creation, we have been crucified and buried. We have been buried with the Lord and we have been terminated in His burial. In His tomb all problems are gone because sin, sins, the flesh, the old man, Satan, the world, the old creation, and the ordinances have been dealt with. After dying such an all-inclusive death, the Lord was buried in a peaceful and honorable way.
We need to realize that we have been crucified with Christ. However, regarding this we still may have a struggle. But once we see that we have also been buried with Christ, there is no longer any struggle. Burial brings about a peaceful situation. Those who are buried do not struggle any longer. Since we have been buried with Christ, we should simply remain at rest.
Luke 23:54-56 says, “And it was a day of preparation, and the Sabbath was dawning. And the women who had come together with Him out of Galilee followed after, and beheld the tomb and how His body was placed. And they returned and prepared spices and ointment. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” This was a real rest to all God’s chosen people and even to the entire universe; the Savior had fully accomplished redemption for them all.