John 19:38 says, “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being 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 the body of Jesus.” Jesus and the 2 criminals were now dead. “Joseph of Arimathea,” roughly 20 miles from Jerusalem, secretly followed Jesus and remained anonymous because he feared the Jews. As a wealthy Sanhedrin member who disapproved crucifying Jesus (Luke 23:50-51), he may have known Pilate already. So he received his permission to bury Jesus. We don’t know if he knew he was fulfilling Scripture (Isaiah 53:9). Perhaps his risk was minimized because bodies couldn’t remain exposed during the Passover. However, speculation shouldn’t distract us from realizing Joseph stepped up anyway. No more secret discipleship for him! How about us? Let’s consistently live out our faith each day.