At the cross of Calvary, as we come to the end of Mark's gospel, chapter 15, it had been a very dark and dreadful day, humanly speaking, for the disciples of the Lord Jesus. Their master was dead. The one that they had spent all of that time with, both in public and in private, had been taken from them. And the disciples, they feared that this was the end, that there would be nothing more They had, as Jesus predicted, fled. They had forsook him in his hour of need. Even before the cross, they had forsook him in his hour of need. And it was only just a few women who remained at the cross as we come to these closing verses of Mark's Gospel, chapter 16. Those that were through and those that were faithful right to the very end. But what a predicament they faced. Because now the body of the Savior was on the cross. And they had no recourse to the legal powers that had executed him. They were just darkly women. They were full of grief. They were overwhelmed by the occasion and by the hour. And they wanted to give to the one whom they loved an honorable burial. And they feared lest that body would be hurled into the first grave. that it would be given to it by the Romans. But at the needed hour, God always has his man for the hour. And we read now in the closing passage of Mark 15, our text 42 to 47 of Joseph of Arimathea, and he just suddenly appears on the scene. There's not really mention of him previously to this, but God always has his man for the hour. Even though prior to the hour, little is known about him. If you take time to summarize the four gospels concerning the life of Joseph of Arimathea, you'll discover that he was a man of great influence. We know that not many mighty are called, but that doesn't mean not any mighty are called. There are some mighty men. Influential men in society and in the world who have been called by the grace of God to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a rich Jew. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, that council that ruled the city of Jerusalem, but he was more than that because it tells us he was a just man, he was a good man, and he waited patiently for the kingdom of God. If Joseph had have been retiring before the cross, when he came to the cross and saw the need of the hour, something stirred his soul. And he went boldly and publicly, and the Bible tells us he craved the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just asking, but there was a longing, there was a craving in his heart for this body of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he might bury it. Those women, they hadn't any power. And just when it seemed the powerless were defeated once again, this powerful, influential man, he stepped forward and he asked for the body of Jesus that it might be buried. As we look out across our land today, the cause of Christ faces similar dark days. There are many and they have fled and forsook the cause of the Lord Jesus. I'm sad to say, over these past few years during COVID, there have been those, yes, and they have forsaken the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. But not all have. We look out across our land and it is spiritually lifeless. and there is a dearth in our nation that has not been there in the last, I would venture to say the last generation. That's the day we live in. But do we despair? Because at the very close of the day, God's man stepped forward, Joseph of Arimathea. God never leaves himself without a witness. And at the darkest hour, he's able to raise up a man from the most unusual place, such as Joseph of Arimathea. And I would like to consider with you something about this wonderful man today, because to me, his devotion excels all others. When the disciples had fled and forsook the Savior, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were there in the hour of need. May the Lord give us that same devotion as we look at his life story today. As we look at it, first of all, I want to consider with you, why are there so many Christians like Joseph who are so shy and retiring for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ? Now to find out about this, we need to go to John's Gospel. John's Gospel chapter 19. and verse 38, John 19 and verse 38. And here we're given little insights into the life of Joseph of Arimathea. We read in verse 38 of John 19 about Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus. As a member of the Sanhedrin, the very body that condemned the Lord Jesus Christ today and handed him over to Pilate, It says he was a disciple of Jesus. To me, that's amazing. Jesus has his disciples in the most unusual of places. We know that there were disciples even in the very household of Caesar. Jesus has his disciples in the very highest corridors of power, and they're unknown to you, and they're unknown to me. But it says here, he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly. for fear of the Jews. That gives us a little insight into the man prior to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are many like him today. There are those who name his name but they are secret disciples because they're afraid of other people. They are, as it were, afraid of man more than they are of God. The fear of man has gripped their hearts and they're so in awe, they're so afraid of what others might have to say about them. They don't stand up publicly and be counted for the Lord Jesus Christ. And we just have to stop and consider, just for a little minute or two this morning, why Would you be a secret disciple of Jesus Christ but in public be afraid to name his name? There's something about Joseph of Arimathea, I think, that teaches us concerning this very phenomenon. Perhaps it's because of natural disposition. You know, we're all different. By nature, we're all different. Sometimes people think when you get converted, you get a new personality. You do not get a new personality when you get converted. You have the same personality. Some people, in their personality, by nature, they're bold, they're brash, they're right there in the front. We'll have them. We'll have them here in Antelope. God bless them. Others are shy and retiring. We'll have them. And God is blessing them. And it takes everybody. It takes everybody together. Salvation does not change our natural disposition. And I think we must guard and watch against the tendency, of other people to impose their personalities upon us. I say to everybody today, just be yourself, honest. Be your honest self. Not a good Ulster expression. What else would you want to be? But there's a multitude want to be something different. Just be your honest self. But enabled and empowered by the spirit of God, even the very weakest honest self. can take a stand for Jesus. I was thinking of those verses in the book of Proverbs. In Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 25, there's good counsel here. It says, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe, or set on high, the margin reading. The fear of man bringeth a snare, but if you trust in the Lord, well, you can't be set on high, you can't be out there, you can't be tall and strong for the Lord, but the fear of man will always bring you into a snare. Proverbs 1 and 7, that lovely verse reminds us, it's the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of all wisdom. Don't be afraid of what others think or say about you. And I want to say it to the young Christians in the gathering today. Don't be afraid of what somebody at school or college might say against you. And don't be overpowered or overawed by it. And don't allow the devil to cow you down and put you into a corner. What helped to intimidate Joseph also, I think, because all these little facts are told to us here, that he was a rich man. Jesus said it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom. That wonderful picture there of somebody riding the camel and going in through one of those arch gates in the city walls of Jerusalem. It's very, very hard to get a camel through such a narrow gate, but somebody even sitting on one, it would be now impossible. But look at the contrast. Jesus called poor, humble fishermen from Galilee. Now, they left their everything. They left their boats, they left their nets. And we ought not to diminish what they left behind, the sacrifice that they made, because they gave their all for Christ. They just didn't have as much as Joseph of Arimathea, because he was a powerful, rich man. But Joseph hesitated, perhaps, because of his riches, to publicly align himself with the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are many, and I have met them over the years, In order to avoid losing trade or custom, they have trimmed their public profession of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were afraid in business of closing on a Sunday and they kept open. They were afraid in business of doing what was right and doing what was up there before the Lord because they might lose something in the business transaction or in the business deal. and they've lost out with the Lord. And I just want to say it again to you today, just beware of the pride of life, because it will hinder you in your service for the Lord. Beware of the love of material things. It's not wrong to have material things. It's not money that is the problem. It's the love of money that is the problem. And the love of money is the root of all evil. It always was, and it always will be. And people love stuff, and we live in a society that loves stuff. And people accumulate stuff. And you know what, men and women? When you come today, the majority of the stuff that you've accumulated around you, somebody will come in behind you, and they'll put it in a skip or take it to the recycling center. Don't love the stuff because one day you will leave it. You'll leave it all behind you. And you thought it was wonderful. You thought it was treasure. And sometimes what we think is treasure, others will come behind us and they'll put it in the trash. I believe Joseph was also hindered by his office. He was a member of the powerful Jewish Sanhedrin. And we have to say it, we have seen it so many times. Sometimes people are ruined by position. Sometimes a lowly clerk in the office is bright and forward for the Lord, and that individual gets a promotion and becomes a manager, and the manager suddenly becomes a secret disciple of the Lord Jesus. Or we've seen people in public office. And they're voted in by people because they believe they're gonna take their stand. They're gonna take their stand for what's right. And once the public chain is put around their neck, that stand disappears. You could multiply the examples many times. But those who do so, they are the loser. They are the loser. Joseph looked at Jesus afar off. He didn't follow him close. He looked at him afar off. He missed all of those times that he could be close to him, that he could have gathered with him, he could have united with him, even in public. Don't miss any time. Don't miss any time to be with the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't follow afar off today. And maybe there's someone here, and for maybe reasons totally different other than we've briefly glanced at, you are following afar off. It's an awful tragedy to meet Christians who follow Christ afar off. What joy you're missing out on. We want to be close to Christ. We want for him to walk with us, for us to walk with him. Nothing short of that will suffice the true soul of the child of God. Secondly, consider with me, Inversely, what was it then that made Joseph publicly declare his faith? This secret disciple suddenly became an open, bold disciple, even daring to go in before the Roman governor. We read in the Word of God in Romans 10 and 10, with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. In essence, you can't continue as a sacred disciple. The moment has to come when you openly, publicly avow allegiance to the Lamb. What was it then that enabled Joseph to throw his caution to the wind and just openly, publicly declare his allegiance to the Lamb? Well, I believe it was Calvary. It was the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think he had witnessed the miracles because all of Judea had known of the miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ. He had heard of his matchless, sinless life because that's what drew his heart out after Christ. He was a just and good man, and he looked at Christ, this sinless, perfect man, and his heart naturally was drawn out after him. Was it even his teaching that drew him? Obviously there were great influences there, and Joseph of Arimathea I think heard those teachings. But I believe what compelled him to publicly acknowledge Christ was the awful and yet the inspiring sight of the cross. Joseph had not consented to his death, that is made clear to us. And when he witnessed the deed, when he actually saw his savior, whom he secretly was following on the cross of Calvary, he, as we sang in that lovely second hymn, he took his stand beneath that cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I would say to every Christian today, never take your eyes off the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't mean that in a superstitious manner. There are some people, and they have a little wooden cross, and when our children left the school in Kenya, they give them these presentations, a little cross, and in a superstitious manner, they were told just to hold on to that cross. But I don't mean it's holding on to the shape of the cross, the wood of the cross. It's ever keeping before you the work of the cross, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And who will be a constant witness to that awful scene and not stand up for him? It's at the cross we see the Saviour in all of his glory. It's at the cross we see man's enmity, his hatred poured out upon the Son of God. It's at the cross where we see love manifested. It's at the cross where we see justice satisfied. It's at the cross where we see this is how we gain remission of sins. That verse of that hymn has been with me all week that we sang on Wednesday evening in the prayer meeting. Pardon from an offended God. Pardon at the cross. There is no pardon but from the cross. And Christians should always keep close to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe those who backslide and those who go away from the Lord Jesus Christ are those who turn their back on the cross. What wonders of Christ's death did Joseph behold that day? He saw his visage more marred than any other man's. That's a big statement. He witnessed in the wounds of Christ the healing that Christ's death afforded, because by his stripes we are healed. He saw what you and I can only sing about and by faith can experience. He saw the blood of Christ and the wounds of Christ, which was the ransom for man's sin. On that day, the sun veiled its face in sackcloth as Jesus suffered on the cross. The earth owned him. Why? Because it groaned under the burden. Death owned him. How did death own him? Because the grave gave up its dead. This was the witness at the cross. The temple owned him. How? Because the veil, that sacred veil between the holy place and the outer court was torn in twain from the top right down to the bottom. Joseph was witnessing all of this and he saw it all at the cross. And the more he lingered at that sacred scene, the more he was convinced of what he had to do. He knew what he had to do, and it was from the cross that he went to Pontius Pilate, and he not just, as it were, pleasantly asked for the body of Christ to be taken down. It tells us in Mark's gospel that he actually went in and he craved that body. He went in boldly unto Pilate and craved the body of Jesus. This was something that touched his heart. It's at the cross where we gain our strength. We sing those words oftentimes, at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away. But it's still at the cross. All these years later, we gain our strength for the journey. And we see what Joseph of Arimathea saw. And we gain strength. We gain strength from Christ's death at the cross. And maybe there's someone here today, but you've never been saved. You've never been to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. Your eyes have never saw him dying there for you. It's not until you see Christ dying there for you, it was for me, for me alone. The Savior suffered on that cross that you'll gain the courage to step out on the promises and to call upon the Lord for mercy and for salvation. May the Lord show you Calvary today. and may the Lord draw you close to Calvary. We learn thirdly, from this awful scene, the need to take a public stand for the Lord Jesus Christ. He's no longer on the tree. He's no longer on the cross. As reformed evangelical Christians, we don't believe in crucifixes or people wearing, even people wearing crosses, And much more than that, people wearing crucifixes. We don't believe in all of that imagery that is connected with it. But we do believe in taking a stand for the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's no longer on the trees, no longer in the tomb, but there are other sterner emergencies that call for you and I to take our stand for him. As in the days of Joseph, the enemies of Christ in her own land, they've gone far. Such was their enmity of the truth, they crucified the Savior, and such is the enmity of the devil today. The truth is being crucified, men and women, in her land. And the hatred of Christ is just as intense today as it was at Calvary. And it always will be, because the heart of the natural man is at enmity with God. His word is denied. His deity is dethroned. His atoning blood is decried. His day is desecrated. We could go on. We're called to take our stand publicly for him. to speak a word and season. When Joseph declared himself a follower of Christ, most of the others had fled. And today there are many and they've fled. And they're not with us. Don't flee from Christ. but ever seek to follow close to Christ, even if it brings you into the most unusual situations. Joseph aligned himself with a feeble company, and he stood there, as it were, outside the camp for the Lord Jesus Christ when he stood in front of Pilate and asked for that body. And God wondrously worked. Pilate couldn't understand how Jesus was dead so soon. And he sent for the centurion and asked him, is Jesus really dead? Is he really dead? And of course he was really dead. And his request was granted. And he was given the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was enabled to give him an honorable burial. And I want you to notice in closing today that that cost him, because there is a cost in following the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the greatest treasures that a Jew could have was a tomb that was held in such high esteem. There are people today, I believe it's right, of course, that we talk in Ulster about having your grave. I do believe it's right to have your grave. to prepare for your final resting place. But one of the greatest inheritance that a Jew could get was to inherit a tomb. And the cost for Joseph was giving his tomb to the Lord Jesus Christ. He jeopardized everything. He was prepared to pay anything in order that Christ would be honored and would be revered. He took the body of Jesus from the cross. And when he took the body of Jesus from the cross, remember, it was coming up to the Sabbath day. And bringing himself into contact with that dead body, he brought himself into ceremonial pollution. He defied himself in the eyes of Judaism. The religious establishment now would no longer touch him. But he wasn't afraid. anywhere for Jesus and anything for Jesus. And he gave up that which was the greatest aspiration of all the Jews. He gave up his own sepulcher in which to put the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have much to learn, don't we, brethren and sisters, in advancing the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. What is our devotion today? Are you following afar off? You can be in a meeting like this and still be following afar off. You can be in church on Sunday in the world from Monday to Saturday. Jesus calls you to follow him close today. We want disciples. That's what I was trying to say on Friday night at the meeting in the martyrs. It's not just empty decisions we want. It's disciples, but we do want sacred disciples. We want those that have been empowered by the Lord to stand for the Lord. And those that are prepared to give what they have, whatever it is, for the Lord's glory and his cause and his advancement. I love this man, Joseph of Arimathea. He has much to teach us. The hour demands The hour demands not secrecy. The hour demands braveness and boldness. The hour demands that we stand beneath the cross of Jesus and take our stand for the Lord in our own little circle of influence. And from that little circle of influence out into the broader, wider community and out into society itself, that were open, unashamed followers of the risen Lamb of God. Let's sing in closing today our