Joseph of Arimathea: Bible Character Study

Introduction

Joseph came from Arimathea, a town of the Jews. He was rich, a respected member of the council, a good and righteous man who was looking for the kingdom of God. He had not consented to the council's decision against Jesus. John adds that he was a disciple, but secretly, for fear of the Jews.

On the evening Jesus died, with the Sabbath about to begin, Joseph took courage and went to Pilate to ask for the body. With Nicodemus he took it down, wrapped it in linen with spices, and laid it in his own new tomb cut in the rock, in a garden near the place of the crucifixion. Then he rolled a great stone against the entrance. All four Gospels tell this part of his story.

took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus
(ESV)

Name means: “He will add” (Hebrew)
Home: Arimathea, a town of Judea; Jerusalem
Role: Rich member of the council
Read in: ; ; ;

Joseph of Arimathea's story

Beginning
Looking for the kingdom
A good man on the council, waiting for God's kingdom.
Turning point
Secretly a disciple
He follows Jesus, but in hiding, out of fear.
Turning point
Did not consent
He does not agree with the council's decision.
High point
Took courage
He goes to Pilate and asks for the body.
Ending
His own new tomb
With Nicodemus he buries Jesus in his own tomb.

Starts as a secret disciple on the council. Ends as the man who gave Jesus his own grave.

Where Joseph of Arimathea lived and went

Only places Scripture records. Softer, dotted pins are traditional or uncertain sites. Tap a pin for the passage.

HomeMinistryKey momentTraditional or uncertainPinch or use + to zoom. Tap a cluster to spread it out.

How Joseph of Arimathea is wired

The Loyalist

Enneagram 6, Investigator wing

To be secure, and in the end, loyal.

Scripture doesn't give us much here, so treat this as a best guess.

At their best, toward 9 Under stress, toward 3

Why we think so

Afraid to be seen. He is a disciple secretly, for fear. ()
Quietly dissents. He does not consent to the council's decision. ()
Courage under pressure. He takes courage and goes to Pilate. ()

He works within the system, a council member and a careful man. ()

Other lenses

Big Five. Read from what he says and does in the Gospels and Acts.

ReservedOutgoing

SteadyReactive

ChallengingAccommodating

SpontaneousDisciplined

TraditionalCurious

DISC style: Careful, respected, brave when it counted.

Strengths & struggles

What's good in Joseph of Arimathea

Good and righteous (). Refused to go along with the council (). Brave and generous at the end (; ).

Where Joseph of Arimathea struggles

Kept his faith secret out of fear ().

What Joseph of Arimathea wanted most

The kingdom of God ().

What Joseph of Arimathea feared most

The Jewish leaders, John says ().

Joseph of Arimathea's people

Jesus

Nicodemus

Mary Magdalene

The Lord

JesusA disciple who buried him in his own tomb (Matt 27:57-60).

Friends

NicodemusHelped him bury Jesus (John 19:39-40).

Mary MagdaleneSaw where he laid the body (Mark 15:47).

Tension

PilateGranted him the body ().

The councilHe did not consent to their decision ().

Family of Faith

See where Joseph of Arimathea fits

AbrahamJesus

c. 30 BC – AD 40 (debated). Knew Jesus face to face.

Open the timeline

Where this points to Christ

Joseph gave Jesus a borrowed grave. Jesus gave it back empty.

Isaiah wrote that the servant would be with a rich man in his death (). Joseph's new tomb, where no one had yet been laid (), was the one the women found empty on the third day (). He was looking for the kingdom of God, and it rose from his own tomb.