Discovery BoxMark 15:42-45 
Context15:42 Now 1 when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath), 2 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, 3 who was himself looking forward to 4 the kingdom of God, 5 went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 6 15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He 7 called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45 When Pilate 8 was informed by the centurion, 9 he gave the body to Joseph.
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic and introduction of a new character.
2 sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
3 tn 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.
4 tn Or “waiting for.”
5 sn 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.
6 sn 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.
7 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
