“Joseph of Arimethea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” (Mark 15:43 NIV)
Joseph of Arimethea has held my fascination for a few months now. Yesterday I happened upon a YouVersion bible study by his name and I was intrigued.
What do we know about Joseph?
His name meant “God will add.”
He was a member of Jewish culture.
He disagreed with the Sanhedrin’s actions against Jesus.
He was from Arimathea.
He is mentioned in all four gospels.
He was filled with hope for God’s Kingdom.
His hope gave him great boldness.
Joseph had a lot to lose but he believed he had even more to gain in Christ. His life was marked by his hope for heaven.
Let that settle in to your spirit today, in the midst of all the panic and fear swirling about us.
His life was marked by his hope for heaven.
What marks my life? What marks yours?
Is it an unholy smear of hurry? A knotted ball of anxiety?
Or are we marked by our hope of heaven?
For Joseph, it was THE motivator in his decisions and actions. His hope in heaven gave him boldness in a time when others shrunk back in fear.
This is a good word for right now. May our hope of heaven be stronger than our fear on earth. May that hope make us bold. May it shape our thinking and our doing. May we have the God-confidence to step forward when others shrink back.
“He lived in alert expectation of the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 23:52 NIV)
Lord, give us courage in the face of fearful situations today. May we live like Joseph; full to the brim with the hope of heaven. Let this hope reframe our conversations, our priorities, our agenda, our calendar. Stoke our hope by Your Spirit today and may we step forward when others shrink back. Amen.