John 19:42Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since little time remained to them, they laid Him in the nearest tomb. The death of Christ had taken place at the ninth hour. Naturally, while they went to Pilate and removed the body from the cross, evening had already come, when work could no longer be done.

It was arranged that Christ should be laid in a new tomb, in which no one had been laid before. Thus the Resurrection could not be attributed to someone else lying with Him. Because the place was near, the disciples could easily come and be eyewitnesses of what had happened. Not only they, but also the enemies, became witnesses of the burial.

Time compelled them to hurry. For Jesus' death took place at the ninth hour. Then, while they went to Pilate and removed the body, evening naturally had already come, when it was not possible to arrange a tomb. Therefore they lay Him in the nearest tomb.

For "in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb." It is arranged that the tomb is nearby. Therefore the disciples can come and be eyewitnesses and witnesses of what happened. Soldiers can be stationed to guard it, and talk of theft will be out of place. None of this could have happened if Jesus had been buried far away.

He does not speak merely of the fact that He was buried, or that the garden "was near" the cross and that in it there was "a new tomb." He also indicates that He "was laid" there, leaving not even the smallest detail unreported.

This is because the confession and knowledge of Christ's death are truly most necessary for the acknowledgment and confirmation of the mystery of the Christian faith. Therefore the most wise Paul, defining for us the rule of faith, speaks thus: "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith which we preach. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

"And there, because of the preparation of the Jews, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus." He wished to say that they hastened with the burial in order to be finished before evening twilight. For because of the preparation, parasceven, which Jews among us more often call in Latin the pure supper, coenam puram, it was no longer permitted to do anything of this kind.

Before the Sabbath they killed Him, while there was still time for killing. Before the Sabbath they buried Him, since until then it was still possible to weep. For the Sabbath is the end of labors, and with its arrival every sorrow ceases. During the Sabbath it is not permitted either to labor or to grieve over the dead.

The stone is providentially rolled against the tomb, lest it be robbed. Let the one who lovingly buries Christ within himself watch carefully over himself, lest unbelief enter and he suffer loss. Note that Peter and John were the first deemed worthy to enter the tomb, but John did not enter it before he believed.

It is also fitting that the tomb was hewn in rock, that is, in the firmness of faith. From this rock true Israelites were nourished with the sweetness of honey and spiritual oil (cf. Deut 32:13; Rev 10:9; Prov 16:24). Christ was buried by a righteous man and by one who had seen God. Only those who believe that He is God can bury Christ.

This too has been discussed in the interpretation of the twenty-seventh chapter of Matthew (Mt 27). Joseph and Nicodemus wished to place the body of Jesus Christ in another, better tomb farther from the city. But because of the Jewish Friday, that is, the feast observed by the Jews from evening, they could neither go far nor do anything else. Especially because Pascha was already beginning, they placed His body in the nearest tomb. Divine Providence had so arranged it, so that the women could see where the body was laid, and the disciples, because of the nearness, could come and see the miracles accomplished there.

Let us also look at the burial of His most holy and life-giving Flesh. After many painful labors and sufferings endured for our salvation, it rested three days and three nights in the tomb. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40).

Christ was buried, and He buried our sins. He submerged our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea, so that they might not appear before the face of God, if we truly and heartily believe in Him who died and was buried for us. His holy Prophet foretold this: "He will turn again and have compassion on us; He will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Mic 7:19).

To this cave Joseph and Nicodemus carried the body of Jesus, which they themselves had taken down from the cross (Mk 15:46; Lk 23:53). They gave it burial, as it was customary to bury rich people. After washing the body with clean water, they anointed it with the fragrant mixture, wrapped it in the shroud, bound the head with a cloth, tied both with cords, placed it in the tomb, and, having completed the burial, rolled a large stone to the entrance of the cave and departed.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were present at the burial. When the burial had ended, and after the huge stone had been rolled to the entrance of the tomb, they sat by the tomb in sorrowful thought. Then they went home to prepare ointments and spices for the body of their beloved Teacher and Lord. There they were met by other disciples, both men and women. Having recovered from the terror of the past day, they gradually gathered together in brotherly unity and communion. Thus they spent the approaching great feast, which for them was a feast of deep sorrow, hopeless grief, and inconsolable tears.

Because of Friday, and so forth: on this Friday evening the paschal lamb had to be eaten; cf. the note on Jn 14:31 and parallels. On the Sabbath it was necessary to remain at rest according to the law. Therefore they had to hasten the burial. Since the tomb belonging to Joseph was near the place of crucifixion, they laid the Lord in it.

The nearness of Joseph's burial cave to Golgotha was pleasing to the friends of Jesus also because the approaching Sabbath rest required pious children of Israel to bury quickly. The cave was 108 steps from the place of the Savior's crucifixion.

Joseph had prepared the cave in his garden for himself, filled with the thought that death might overtake him either in Arimathea or in Jerusalem, where he often lived because of his office. As a wealthy Israelite, he made it in the finest manner. The cave was hewn in the rock. It was not dug in soft earth or built of stones. It resembled a living room. It was rather spacious and so high that a man standing could scarcely reach its vault with his hand.