THE DEPOSITION – GOSPELS SYNOPSIS

The Gospels describe the deposition of Jesus and the burial in a new tomb digged in the rock where took place the Resurrection mystery. Let’s read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They give us a vision about what happened right after the death of Jesus.

 
Matthew 27, 57-61
 
57   When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus.
58   He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be handed over.
59   Taking the body, Joseph wrapped it (in) clean linen
60   and laid it in his new tomb that he had hewn in the rock. Then he rolled a huge stone across the entrance to the tomb and departed.
61   But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary remained sitting there, facing the tomb.
 
Mark 15, 42-47
 
42   When it was already evening, since it was the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath,
43   Joseph of Arimathea, a distinguished member of the council, who was himself awaiting the kingdom of God, came and courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
44   Pilate was amazed that he was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked him if Jesus had already died.
45   And when he learned of it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46   Having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47   Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched where he was laid.
 
Luke 23, 50-56 24,12
 
50   Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council,
51   had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God.
52   He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53   After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.
54   It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin.
55   The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it,
56   they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.
 
12   But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.
 
 John 19, 38-42 20, 1-10
 
38   After this, Joseph of Arimathea, secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. And Pilate permitted it. So he came and took his body.
39   Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds.
40   They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom.
41   Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
42   So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.
 
1   On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
2   So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
3   So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
4   They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first;
5   he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
6   When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
7   and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
8   Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.
9   For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
10   Then the disciples returned home.