John 19:39

Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

Joseph of Arimathea along with Nicodemus the Pharisee had been secret disciples of Jesus…but not anymore. Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus and then met Nicodemus at Golgotha. They took Jesus down and carried him to the garden tomb to give him the best Jewish burial they could in the short few hours they had before sundown and the beginning of the Sabbath. Their love for Jesus and belief in his ministry was officially “out of the closet”.

Is yours?

It must have been a gruesome and difficult job…pulling Jesus down off that cross. I’m sure it was no easy task for these influential men to have to remove the spikes from his hands and feet. Can you imagine? It can be difficult to remove a few nails for a project at home, but iron spikes that were 7 to 9 inched in length, driven through flesh and bone and into hard timber? It was probably the most strenuous manual labor these men had done in years…yet they did it, and they did it publicly. The sweat that dropped. The tears that flowed. The blood that smeared all over their expensive tunics. What a mess. What a privilege.

Considering these two men, Charles Spurgeon wrote:

“Fear which leads us to conceal our faith is an evil thing. Be a disciple by all means, but not secretly: you miss a great part of your life’s purpose if you are. Above all, do not be a disciple secretly because of the fear of man; for the fear of man bringeth a snare. If you are the slave of such fear it demeans you, be-littles you, and prevents your giving due glory to God.”

You will never know the fullness of joy available to you as a Child of the Risen King if you choose to remain a camouflaged Christian. Jesus said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:32-33). If you really understand what Christ has done for you, how can you possibly hide that reality in your daily comings and goings? What are you afraid of? God has promised never to leave you nor forsake you…and He won’t. Will you do the same for Him? Will you do it publicly and without shame?

I sure hope so.