David Bahn – Reflections

John 19:41

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid

The ending of the Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar is sad and evocative. The last song is an instrumental, a recapitulation of several of the themes from the rest of the work. It is titled John 19:41. The music and all that goes with the opera points to a sad, unsuccessful, defeated and dead ideologue. And though there are powerful words and music throughout the work, some of which speak clearly of the sacrifice of Jesus for the sake of the people, Jesus ends up merely in the tomb at the end of the musical.

We know better. Jesus was laid in a tomb to be sure. He died a shameful death after incredible suffering. He was laid in a borrowed tomb. But John 20 follows John 19. We know Jesus only borrowed the tomb. We know that he rose from the dead; the tomb is now empty. So while we may well embrace the reality of Jesus’ death we do so not without remembering also his resurrection.

But the borrowed tomb in which Jesus’ body rested is important to us as well. We cannot ignore the context of this verse to be sure. Jesus has died a shameful and painful death. His disciples are scattered. The garden tomb is Jesus’ resting place but for three days. It was Friday, but as the preacher says, “Sunday’s coming!”

Superstars have their legacy. Graceland still attracts visitors today. Tragic figures from Elvis, to Kurt Cobain, to John Lennon, to Michael Jackson – to name just a few – are listed on Wikipedia: a sad commentary on the fleetingness of fame. But most of those died-too-young superstars testify to death’s cruelty and drugs’ seduction. They may live on in their music in some cases. But their bodies have not abandoned their borrowed tombs.

Jesus is more than a superstar. He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He lives – not just in the stories of his past miracles and tragic death. He lives at the right hand of God interceding for us. He will come again at the End of Time, and every eye will see him, and every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth. And every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (cf. Philippians 2:5-11).

John 19:38-42

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.³⁹ Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus^[e] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds^[f] in weight. ⁴⁰ So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴² So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.