Scriptural Stations of the Cross: Station 14

Jesus Is Buried

Jesus’ burial did not look at all like a state funeral.  He was hurriedly taken down from the cross after a Roman soldier stuck a spear in his side to make certain that he was dead.  Jewish custom called for the body to be anointed, but there wasn’t time for that.  Sunset was approaching, and the holiday was at hand.  So, they wrapped him in cloth, put him in a borrowed tomb, and rolled a rock in front of it.

There wasn’t anything elegant about the tomb either.  First century tombs in Israel were little more than a cave hollowed out of the rock.

Just to make sure that the disciples didn’t cause trouble, a small group of Roman soldiers was stationed by the tomb. Well disciplined and efficient, they were a visible reminder of Rome’s supremacy even over the dead.

When the women prepared to return, to perform the tasks that custom allowed, they were concerned about how they would roll the rock back.  They may also have been anxious about the soldiers.

God’s presence was there in the tomb however.  The Lord of Heaven and Earth would not be confined by a stone, however massive.  The Prince of Peace could not be restrained by military might.  And the God who chose Jerusalem as his city will not be bound by our fears or our violence.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.