Luke 23:44-56

It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o’clock in the afternoon, because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the Temple was torn in two. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, I give you my life.” After Jesus said this, he died. When the army officer there saw what happened, he praised God, saying, “Surely this was a good man!” When all the people who had gathered there to watch saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests because they were so sad. But those who were close friends of Jesus, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched. There was a good and religious man named Joseph who was a member of the council. But he had not agreed to the other leaders’ plans and actions against Jesus. He was from the town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before. This was late on Preparation Day, and when the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin. The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid. Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes. On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.