The Burial

⁴²That evening — since it was Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath — ⁴³Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor who was also waiting for the kingdom of God, went in boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴Pilate was surprised that Jesus could already be dead. He summoned the centurion and asked if Jesus had been dead for long. ⁴⁵Once the centurion confirmed it, Pilate released the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶Joseph bought a linen cloth, took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and placed it in a tomb that had been carved out of rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance. ⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses watched carefully and saw where he was laid.