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.
There they laid Jesus because of the Jews' preparation day, for the tomb was nearby.

(Isaiah 53, 9; John 19, 42)

When the Lord Jesus had yielded His life on the cross, God did not allow men to deal with His body, as they thought fit. He had permitted His Son to be given the central place between two criminals on the cross, but now the work was accomplished, and God saw to it that people did not go farther than was in His mind.

Aren't we struck by the immense difference given in today's verses as reasons for the choice of the Lord's grave? They have a deeper meaning: the prophetic word declared God's intention through the Spirit some 700 years previously, the background to the event, so to speak. The evangelist, on the other hand, describes the visible procedure.

God's greatness is demonstrated here. Haste on account of the approaching sabbath and the favourable situation of the tomb were all that was needed for God to guide man's actions and realize His own plans. How sovereign, how sublime are His ways to ensure with simple means that His beloved Son was granted due recognition for all His kind and gracious ways!

And what a comfort it is for our own lives, which often seem so moderate and insignificant, that in the hands of our God and Father simple everyday things can be so important for Him!

Good Seed Calendar, December 6, 2006