I want to look at somebody who you rarely, if ever, hear a sermon about: Joseph of Arimathea. He was the man who buried Jesus, but we don’t even know very much about him.
Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in all four Gospels. He is described as a rich man who became “a disciple of Jesus” (Matthew 27:57), “a prominent council member” (Mark 15:43), “a good and just man” (Luke 23:50-51), and “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38).
“A prominent council member” means that Joseph was one of the 71 ruling elders in the Sanhedrin. Though he was one of that group, Luke’s account says that he didn’t consent to their decision and treatment of Jesus (see Luke 23:51), or the false charges they brought to Pontius Pilate. And he was waiting for the Kingdom of God, that is, the Messiah.
He feared the Jews because he was afraid of losing everything. The Sanhedrin would expel anybody from the synagogue who confessed Jesus Christ. If they found out, that was going to end his career. He would be ostracized. He’d lose all connection with Judaism.
So he kept it secret. Yet, while the disciples hid in an upper room for fear of the Jews, Joseph of Arimathea stepped forward. He was growing in his faith.
I think this is an important designation. Discipleship is not a light switch. When you follow Jesus Christ, you are not instantly mature, but instead you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). So whatever fears he once had, Mark 15:43 says he took courage and went to Pontius Pilate to ask for Jesus’ body. So this guy was making progress.
I read that the definition of a friend is somebody who comes in when the rest of the world has gone out. So he was willing to risk reputation and status, though he was a secret disciple. Here’s the thing about being a secret disciple. You really can’t stay a secret disciple for long.
William Barclay said, “Christianity is something which is meant to be seen. There can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy. A man’s Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men.”
Now, if you’re a secret disciple like Joseph—and some of you are that kind of a person—people at work really don’t know that you’re a follower of Christ. You have not been overt.
I pray that something would ignite in you the courage to be a little more overt and vocal, to be more public.
Today, when our culture is encouraging people to be proud of who they are, no matter who they are, no matter what their lifestyle is, I think there are “secret Christians” who need to be bold about their faith in Jesus Christ.
I have discovered that when people grow as followers of Jesus Christ, they become more genuine, more gentle, and more generous. They don’t cling to the things of this world.
I pray this for you.
