Stepping Past Our Fears

Sometimes, our hesitation to serve God stems more from fear than an unwillingness to be of service. We may be inclined to trust God, but our concerns about what others might think and the risks involved keep us from stepping forward to serve. If you can relate to this, don't feel bad. A notable figure in the Bible faced the same struggle—his name was Joseph of Arimathea.

John 19:38-41 says, "Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial customs, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before."

What changed in Joseph's life to help him go from a secret disciple, as John called him, to someone who took the body of Jesus off the cross with His bare hands? Joseph, no doubt, was a distant eyewitness to Christ's suffering and crucifixion. But after hearing and seeing the Lord's anguish, Joseph no longer cared about his financial prosperity or position. The cross changed his cowardice concerns to courageous contributions.

Joseph is an integral part of the burial of Jesus, for he took Jesus off the cross with his bare hands! His name appears in all four gospels and is part of a significant prophecy in the book of Isaiah.

Seven hundred years before Jesus' birth and death, God mentions Joseph of Arimathea and his tomb in connection with his burial. Isaiah 53:9 says, "And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth."

This prophecy is amazingly accurate. Church history and Matthew 27:57 reveal that Joseph was one of the wealthiest men in Israel. He was also a member of the Council (Luke 23:50) that beckoned for Jesus' crucifixion. However, Luke 23:51 tells us that Joseph opposed the Council's decision.

The cross changed Joseph's focus and helped him overcome his fear of serving. Joseph did all this for a dead Jesus; how much more are you willing to serve the risen Jesus?