Rise of the Unsuspected Hero

Joseph of Arimathea another Sanhedrinist named Nicodemus were actually secret disciples of Jesus Christ. Joseph had determined to learn from Christ and go with Him in his spirit but he had not overcome his fear of others and so he remained silent about this decision. He and Nicodemus were able to maintain their silence and secret in the Sanhedrin when it met to plot Christ death and when it voted to give consent to his death and when it went to Pilate's Government office to demand that Jesus be crucified. We are told by Luke that Joseph didn't consent to these things but he apparently didn't also stand to speak against it or to speak for Christ. He had maintained his silent belief in Christ. But now Christ is dead and Joseph comes forward... The hero's we anticipate are not the usual ones that God uses. He shows that heroic acts of faith are the expressions of grace from Him. And here we see that transformative power of Christ unleashed at the very foot of the cross.