The Burial of Jesus—Matthew 27:57–61 Open It 1. What do you think about fair-weather friends who depart at the first sign of trouble? 2. What would your coworkers say if they found out that you were in this Bible study? 3. *Where do you want to be buried? Why? Explore It 1. Who came to the execution site? When? (27:57) 2. What was true about Joseph of Arimathea? (27:57) 3. What did Joseph think about Jesus and His message? (27:57) 4. *What kind of help did Jesus receive at His death? (27:57–58) 5. How did Joseph ask for the body of Jesus? (27:58) 6. How did Pilate respond to Joseph’s request? (27:58) 7. *What did Joseph do with Jesus’ body? (27:59–60) 8. Where did Joseph put Jesus’ body? (27:60) 9. How did Joseph seal the tomb? (27:60) 10. *Who watched Joseph bury Jesus? (27:61) Get It 1. Where were Jesus’ disciples when all these events were going on? 2. As a respected Jewish religious leader (see Mark 15:42–43 and John 19:38), what risk was Joseph taking in coming forward to bury Jesus? 3. *In what ways are you a secret disciple of Christ, afraid to publicly follow him? 4. How might your reputation suffer if you let it be known that your top desire in life is to love and serve Jesus Christ? 5. When, if ever, is it inappropriate to use your power and position to support Christ and his work? 6. *What brand-new possessions would you be willing to part with for the sake of Christ? Apply It 1. *What gift (of time, money, effort, possession, etc.) can you give this week out of love and devotion to God? 2. In what setting today, tomorrow, or over the next week do you need to let it be known—maybe for the very first time—that you are a follower of Jesus Christ?