“Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.”
Mark 15:42-47 NKJV
Interesting to notice, Joseph asked for the body- ‘soma’ is the Greek word. Pilate gave Joseph the body- ‘ptoma’ is the Greek word. The word soma speaks of the total personality, a word meaning care and tenderness. The word ptoma that Pilate used just means the corpse or carcass. Two different viewpoints, two different attitudes toward death and the bodies of the dead. Joseph wanted Jesus, all Pilate did was give him a carcass. What a difference!!!
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