Text – Luke 23:50-51; John 19:38
“Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.” Luke 23:50-51
“And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.” John 19:38
INTRODUCTION –
How many of you know that there are a lot of “SECRET SAINTS” walking around? They can be found EVERYWHERE! They can be found in our homes, on our jobs, in our classrooms, in our churches (Pews, Deacon boards, Pulpits, etc.), our neighborhoods . . . EVERYWHERE! (Expound).
The very name given to these individuals infers two things: One, they are Believers of the our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; secondly, few (if anybody) knows they are Saints of God, because they do not yield any fruit (expound). There many secret Saints going around today who are well known in their communities and even throughout the world for the wonderful things that they do; but it’s just that those wonderful things don’t happen to be the things that the Lord has commanded His Believers to do, and often times the Lord is not the one who is glorified in those things (expound).
In our text for today, we will be looking at one of the most well-known men in the Bible. We are talking about a man who has gone down in history for the kind act that he showed toward our crucified Savior. This was a bold, generous, and kind gesture that he did for the Lord; but make no mistake about it; he was definitely one of a number of SECRET SAINTS!
POINTS –
- “Joseph, a member of the Council.” (v.50) – Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin Council; the group of Jewish religious leaders who called for Jesus’ crucifixion. Being a member of this religious group made Joseph well known and respected in the community.
- “Who had not consented to their decision and action.” (v.51) – Even though Joseph was a member of the same religious council who was calling for Jesus to be crucified, we read that Joseph did not give his consent or approval for Jesus to be crucified. To some people today, this may come across as a noble act; but is it? Jesus said: “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:33 (Expound).
- “Being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews.” (John 19:38) – Can you imagine the type of life Joseph* was living; being a member of Sanhedrin as well as being a follower of Jesus! Being part of an established and respected religious order, but then receiving the message of the gospel. This is a prime example of how so many SECRET SAINTS are struggling today. Many don’t want to be ostracized, or disrupt their lifestyle by submitting totally to the ways of the Bible at the expense of having to give up the way they want to live; to give up the popularity, the boosts to their ego, and comfort zone they have created for themselves (expound).
- “He himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 23:51B) – We see Josephs’ spiritual immaturity and lack of understanding of Jesus’ teaching. Joseph may not have been a secret saint solely because of his fear of how the Jews would treat him, or what they might do to him, but also because he did not understand the expectations, commands, promises and assurances that Jesus was teaching (expound).
CONCLUSION –
There are still so many Saints of God who are literally “waiting for the kingdom of God.” They don’t realize that they are part of this kingdom, and the Lord has commissioned and commanded us to do more than just WAIT! The Lord expects us to be the witnesses and lights of the world that He says we are. Too many Believers are wearing the title of Saint, but their lives are not reflecting that title. (CONCLUDE).