The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

John 19:39-42

Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried. So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by.

In the beginning there was a Garden. In the beginning there was a tree. In the beginning there was a fall from grace that started everything here in motion. In the end, as Jesus is laid to rest, there is another garden, there is another tree, and the fall is reversed. The cost of sin that began with disobedience is redeemed through an act filled with obedience.

As Jesus is laid in the tomb, all may seem to be lost. This is not a comfortable place for us. It is hard to sit in times of darkness and fear, but we know that God can accomplish His greatest work in the darkest of times. Today, as Joseph, Nicodemus and the others return to their homes, we leave here as well. Jesus is hidden from our view, and we will wait.

Have you had a time when felt Jesus was missing in your life, only too discover that much work was being done when you looked back? What happened?

If you’re just now jumping in, find the rest of the Stations of the Cross here.