the cloth was placed on a dead body because all the bloodstains coming out are absolutely incompatible with any kind of breathing movement. if guscin is correct, then joseph of arimathea would have wrapped this cloth around jesus face while he was still on the cross. the face cloth was used in jewish burial custom because the face is really the seat of the soul. when that person dies, the face is the first thing that is covered. it make sure that treated with the greatest respect. the reason joseph became proactive in making sure jesus had a proper, honorable burial, i think this was joseph s own way of saying, i did not do
to rest. the bible tells that the cloth was given by joseph of arimathea, a wealthy member of the jewish council, the sanhedrin. the gospels described joseph of arimathea as being a sympathizer with the jesus movement. he s fascinated by jesus, so fascinated that even after the crucifixion, he wants to make sure that the right thing is done, that jesus gets the right burial. everyone who encounters jesus in the gospels is in some way transformed. they re either healed, or they want to follow him, and so simply meeting jesus, even for one time, was life-changing, and that probably changed joseph s life. but first, joseph needs permission to take jesus down
he s supplying really very expensive products to be used in the process of embalming the body. first century jewish law said that to touch a dead body would make you unclean, and so for joseph and nicodemus to actually go through the process of preparing jesus for burial, there had to have been tremendous love and devotion just to care for him. a rock is rolled across the entrance to seal the tomb shut. three days after the crucifixion, john and simon peter, two of jesus s disciples, visit the tomb. they find it empty. according to john s gospel, then simon peter came and went into the tomb.
secure, somewhere we can prepare his body. so by going to pilate and asking for this rather personal favor, it s almost as if he might be guilty himself. you can imagine it being a very tense meeting between the two men. yes. pontius pilate gives joseph of arimathea the body, but he probably thought he was just letting some jewish custom play out. so far as he was concerned, that was going to be the end of it. in allowing joseph to take the body, pilate had unwittingly started a journey that would turn jesus burial shroud into one of the most venerated and mysterious relics of all time. oh! oh! oh!
joseph of arimathea. the bible also reveals that joseph had help in burying jesus, another member of the jewish council, nicodemus. nicodemus, much like joseph of arimathea, was also a member of the sanhedrin, a prominent man in jewish society. it s clear that not all the jews in jerusalem were behind jesus s death for the simple reason that jesus is jewish, his followers were jewish, the disciples were jewish, but not only that. not even all of the jewish authorities were responsible for jesus s death because you have people like joseph of arimathea and nicodemus. the body is taken to joseph s tomb and prepared for burial. when nicodemus is willing to get involved is in the burial.