John 19:40

John 19:40, in plain English

Together, Joseph and Nicodemus wrap Jesus' body in linen cloths with the spices, following Jewish burial tradition. They handle the body of God with reverent care.

Why it's here

Two men who were once too afraid to follow Jesus publicly now tenderly prepare His body for burial. The cross made them brave.

Who's speaking

John describes the burial preparation.

Where it sits in the story

In the quiet after the storm, two men gently wrap Jesus' broken body. Every fold of linen, every layer of spice is an act of love and devotion they couldn't show while He was alive.

The scholarly reading

Joseph and Nicodemus prepare Jesus' body according to Jewish burial customs, wrapping it in linen with the burial spices.

Language and setting

Jewish burial practice involved wrapping the body in linen strips (othoniois) with aromatic spices placed between the layers. This differs from Egyptian mummification and reflects the Jewish expectation of bodily resurrection.

Voice

The narrator describes the burial preparation.

Significance

Two formerly secret disciples perform the intimate act of preparing Jesus' body for burial. Their careful adherence to Jewish custom honors both the Law and the one who fulfilled it.

38Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus (but secretly for fear of the Jews), asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed His body.

39Nicodemus, who had previously come to Jesus at night, also brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

40So they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.

41Now there was a garden in the place where Jesus was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

42And because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus there.

Read all of John 19 — Every thread of the biblical story converges here. This is the moment everything has been building toward since Genesis 3.