Matthew 27:59Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Joseph, who was already well-known, gained even greater recognition when he courageously honored the body of Christ, not only taking it down but also ensuring it was buried with great reverence. They laid the body to rest, anointing it with myrrh and aloes to preserve its fragrance and prevent decay, bestowing this honor upon Jesus as a man. Likewise, as we receive the Body of the Lord during Communion, we, too, should adorn it with the sweet fragrance of virtues manifested in our actions and our thoughts.

This imagery helps us understand that the Church is buried with Christ under the guise of a shroud, as indicated in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12. Just as a cloth gathers a multitude of living beings, both clean and unclean, the confession of the Church encompasses all people. Thus, through the teachings of the apostles, the body of the Lord is laid to rest in an empty tomb, newly carved from rock. Their teachings penetrated the hardened hearts of the Gentiles, which were untouched by the fear of God. And since only Christ can reach into our hearts, a stone was placed at the entrance of the tomb: as none before Him was revealed as the source of Divine wisdom, so none will be after Him.

- Nicodemus provided a staggering amount, weighing up to a hundred pounds of fragrant spices. This blend consisted of myrrh and aloes. Myrrh is the valuable resin from a fragrant tree native to Arabia, while aloewood, hailing from India, is even more costly and aromatic. Both myrrh and aloes served as fragrant substances and also as safeguards against the rapid decomposition of the body during burial. - These scents were applied both in dry form and as a fragrant oil. For the Savior's body, they were used in the latter manner, as indicated by the term ‘mixture’: ‘The world-builder, says the son of Sirach, builds the mixture with these’ (Sirach 38:8). Long before His crucifixion, the Savior foretold this preparation for His sacred body, mentioning Mary who anointed His feet with pure nard, saying, ‘Leave her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial’ (John 12:3, 7). Thus, while Nicodemus provided precious fragrances, Joseph acquired a new, pristine shroud (Mark 15:46), a fine linen known as sadin or sindon, which was very costly. - The washed body of the Savior was anointed with these fragrances, wrapped in sindon, bound with strips of cloth, and the head and face were covered with a narrow towel known as sudar. ‘It is clear,’ comments St. Chrysostom, ‘that their regard for Jesus was minimal, yet they expressed profound love for Him.’ Notice, dear listeners, how the symbols of deep respect for the beloved departed transformed into faithful witnesses of Christ's resurrection. Typically, it would not be possible for the strips that wrapped the body, adhering tightly due to the spices, to separate from the lifeless figure; yet, on the morning of the Resurrection, John observed the wrappings lying undisturbed in the tomb, leading him to believe as he saw before Peter (John 20:4, 5, 8).

The shroud, firmly clinging to the body, could not have been easily removed from the lifeless form, and on that morning of the resurrection, those cloths lay neatly folded on the empty resting place of the risen Christ. Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, observes that “the brevity of time did not permit all the other funeral rites to be observed. The absence of these rites was hoped to be rectified after the Sabbath,” when the constraints of the Old Testament could no longer impede the fervor for the Lawgiver of the New Covenant.

“The dead man's eyes and mouth were first closed,” as noted by Maimonides, “then he was washed, anointed with aromatic substances, and wrapped in pieces of white linen” (Tract. Ebel. c. 4. § 1). These succinct guidelines from the Hebrew scholar find partial support and explanation in Scripture. The practice of closing the eyes of the deceased is recorded in ancient times (Gen. 46:4). It is possible that the deceased was kissed at this moment (Gen. 50:1). The washing of the body was also customary (Acts 9:37). Following this, it was wrapped in a clean σινδών (Mk. 15:46), a cotton cloth of white. The head was covered with a separate piece of this cloth known as σουδάριον (Jn. 20:7; 11:44). To be buried without clothing was considered a disgrace for the entire community, prompting the purchase of burial shrouds for the impoverished at public expense. The body was treated with aromatic substances, the volume and quality of which reflected the status of the deceased. For instance, during Herod's burial, 500 bearers were required for the incense (Antiqu. XVII, 8, 3, Bell. Jud. I, 33, 9); at times, incense was used to anoint the body as well (2 Chron. 16:14; Jn. 19:40, compare 12:7; Mk. 16:1; Lk. 24:1). However, this practice should not be confused with the long Egyptian embalming process, which according to Herodotus (II, 86) lasted for 70 days, seen, for example, in the cases of Jacob and Joseph in Egypt. In Palestine, embalming ceased with the patriarchs. Once the body was prepared, it was laid on an open bier or stretcher (מטה) rather than placed in a coffin like those we know today (2 Kings 3:31; 2 Chron. 16:14; Lk. 7:14). Royal funeral biers were often ornately decorated (Antiqu. XVII, 8, 3) and were accompanied by a considerable procession, lamenting the death (Gen. 56:10; 2 Sam. 3:31-34; Jer. 22:18, compare 34:5). In later times, this mourning was frequently the duty of female mourners (Jer. 9:17), whose wails began in the deceased’s home, with the lamentations echoing through a chorus of voices, often structured in poetic form, as seen in the songs David composed for Saul, Jonathan, and Abner (2 Sam. 1:19-27; 3:33-34; see also 2 Chron. 35:25). This mournful music, sometimes accompanied by instruments such as special mourning flutes (Mt. 9:23; 11:17), followed the bier to the burial site. Joseph gathered a long piece of clean cloth (σινδών καθαρά) as he hurried from Pilate to Golgotha. In the meantime, Golgotha had transformed; the guards who had obediently fulfilled Pilate's orders were no longer present, and the once-crowded assembly had dispersed. The extraordinary events surrounding the death of the God-Man caused people to reflect profoundly, returning home while “beating their breasts” (Lk. 23:48). The triumphant voices of the crowd were silenced, leaving them to rejoice quietly in their victory. As silence enveloped Golgotha, a few mournful eyes lingered on the Dead One, and hearts quickened with anticipation for Joseph's return. Present were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joseph, along with perhaps other Galilean women who remained devoted to the Savior (Mt. 27:55-56, 61; Mk. 15:40-41, 47). It is likely that both the beloved disciple and the holy Mother, entrusted by her Son to this disciple, stood by as well. Here, too, was another one of the Lord's secret disciples, Nicodemus, who had once come to Him under the cover of darkness. Upon receiving the good news of Joseph's arrival, they hurried to render their last earthly service to the Dead One. It was not the harsh hands of executioners but the compassionate hands of Joseph that took the body from the cross. The new tomb hewn from rock was set within a tranquil garden near Golgotha, as the Evangelist John explicitly notes regarding Jesus Christ's crucifixion (Jn. 19:41). The convenience of this location allowed for swift burial preparations, as opposed to the open crest of Golgotha. After cleansing the bloodied wounds, they wrapped Him in a clean σινδών, covering His royal head with a special shawl (σουδάριον) and generously applying 100 liters of myrrh and aloes brought by Nicodemus (Ibid. vv. 39-40). After this solemn duty was fulfilled, Joseph and Nicodemus, filled with sorrow, gently placed the sacred body in the sepulcher, carefully resting it on the hewn bench, not in a loculus. This is evident from Mary’s experience on the third day when she approached the tomb and saw “two angels in white sitting, one at the head and another at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been” (Jn. 20:11-12), a scenario impossible with a loculus. Having thus rendered their final respects, they together rolled a large stone (golal) to seal the entrance to the tomb, a customary practice to protect the burial place from wild animals. As any accidental contact with the tomb rendered a Jew unclean, these stones, often white or red plastered, were meant to be visible from a distance. During the month of Adar, following the rainy season, the plaster was renewed, giving rise to the comparison of the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs (Mt. 23:27). The quickly approaching twilight, marking the onset of the feast day, pressed them to conduct the burial expediently. Nonetheless, the women, recognizing the rite was incomplete, returned to prepare more “ointments and spices” (Lk. 23:56) intended to anoint the body after the Sabbath had concluded. Alas, their preparations were in vain, as their incense would never touch the pure body of our Lord Jesus Christ. This moment marks the concluding chapter in the history of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mere hours later, those chosen by Providence would begin joyfully and fearfully sharing the news of His resurrection with one another. However, upon reaching this pivotal moment in the narrative of the Savior's sufferings, our examination is far from complete. Where, in modern Jerusalem, lies the path that the Lord Jesus Christ traversed among the throngs from Pilate's court to the crucifixion site? Where is Golgotha, that place of agony and shame to the ancient Jews yet now hallowed by all Christians? Finally, where is the tomb of the Savior of the world, that hallowed site which draws countless pilgrims to Jerusalem from across the globe? These inquiries are of profound significance and require dedicated exploration.