Mark 15:43-44

15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council,¹ who was himself looking forward to² the kingdom of God,³ went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.⁴ 15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He⁵ called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time.

¹tn Grk “a councillor” (as a member of the Sanhedrin, see L&N 11.85). This indicates that some individuals among the leaders did respond to Jesus.

²tn Or “waiting for.”

³sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial suggest otherwise.

⁴sn Asking for the body of Jesus was indeed a bold move on the part of Joseph of Arimathea, for it clearly and openly identified him with a man who had just been condemned and executed, namely, Jesus. His faith is exemplary, especially for someone who was a member of the council that handed Jesus over for crucifixion (cf. Luke 23:51). He did this because he sought to give Jesus an honorable burial.

⁵tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.