"Fingerprints" 4-15-22
Overview
Fingerprints at the Tomb
Every person leaves a unique mark—fingerprints that identify and accuse. As we walk through the burial of Jesus in Mark 15:42-46, three distinct sets of fingerprints come into focus, and what we discover is both convicting and beautifully reassuring.
The Fingerprints of Hidden Disciples
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. The text tells us he was "waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God," and Matthew 27:57 identifies him as a disciple of Jesus, while Luke 23:51 notes he had not consented to the council's plan. With Sabbath only hours away, his fingerprints were left on the linen as he wrapped the body and on the stone he rolled across the tomb. Nicodemus joined him, bringing nearly a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes John 19:38-40—the same Nicodemus who first came to Jesus by night and heard the words of John 3:16.
Yet John 19:38 tells us plainly: Joseph was a disciple "secretly, for fear of the Jews." Where were these men when Jesus was condemned? Their fingerprints of devotion are present at the burial, but the fingerprints of fear and silence linger from earlier hours. Their story is honest about the mixture of faith and failure that lives in every believer.
Our Own Fingerprints of Sin
The evidence against us is just as overwhelming. David confessed in Psalm 51:5, "I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." We know our transgressions; our sin is ever before us Psalm 51:3-4. The fingerprints of our sin are on everything we touch, and we cannot wipe them away. The verdict is guilty, and what we deserve is separation from God forever. So with David we cry, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" Psalm 51:10.
The Fingerprints of God
But there is another set of prints all over this scene—God's. Pilate marveled that Jesus was already dead, so his legs were not broken, fulfilling Psalm 34:20. He was buried in the new tomb of a rich man, fulfilling Isaiah 53:9: "they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death." None of this was accident. As Ephesians 1:3-7 declares, God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and "in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace."
The spotless Lamb of God took our sin upon himself and wiped away what we never could—every unique fingerprint of sin removed, our transgressions cast as far as the east is from the west Psalm 103:12. The fingerprints of God on the cross and the tomb are the evidence of his grasp on us. Where our prints condemn, his prints redeem—and the candle of Easter's dawn still burns.
Transcript
Would you open your Bible's please to this portion of Scripture on this holy night? 2s
Mark the 15th chapter. 8s
Page 47, if you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture, Mark the 15th chapter. 10s
Fingerprints, fingerprints. 22s
For over 100 years, fingerprints have been used to identify people. 28s
And what is so amazing is that everyone's fingerprints are unique. 37s
There never has been nor will there be anyone that has your exact fingerprints, the 49s
fingerprints. 67s
The fingerprints have different fingerprints. 68s
Science has even developed to the point where fingerprints can be taken off of linen 75s
and even off of a rock. 84s
Notice tonight the fingerprints that are all over the story. 95s
Look with me please. 107s
Verse 42 of our text. 108s
The Scripture says when evening had come and since it was the day of preparation that 114s
is the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Aramathia, a respected member of the council who 118s
was also himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to pilot and asked for 125s
the body of Jesus. 133s
The council that Joseph of Aramathia was a part of was the Sanhedrin, that was the Jewish 136s
Supreme Court. 145s
He was one of the 70 members of that court and it was that court you'll recall that had 148s
drummed up the charges against Jesus and had turned him over to be executed. 159s
And Joseph of Aramathia was a respected member of that court. 166s
Bible also tells us in Luke chapter 23 that he had not agreed to the plan and action 175s
of the court. 182s
And it also tells us in Matthew chapter 27 that he was a disciple of Jesus. 184s
Look at the second part of verse 43. 194s
It says of Joseph that he was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. 199s
Joseph of Aramathia was a believer. 206s
Joseph of Aramathia believed that Jesus was the Messiah. 212s
In ancient day when a person was crucified, to dispose of the body they would take it 224s
down off of the cross and throw it in the dump just outside of the city. 233s
They did that because it was an act of ridicule and act of contempt. 244s
The second part of verse 43 tells us that Joseph of Aramathia boldly went to pilot and 255s
asked for the body of Jesus. 263s
Now that tells us some things here. 270s
It tells us that Joseph of Aramathia here since he is asking for the body if he would 274s
be granted the body. 281s
He would have to move quite quickly because at the beginning of verse 42 it says when evening 284s
had come that means it's four or five o'clock and then it says and since it was the day 290s
of preparation that is the day before the Sabbath. 296s
The Sabbath begins at six o'clock so at best Joseph of Aramathia has two hours to get 301s
the body to prepare the body and to give the body of Jesus a proper burial. 311s
He has to move quickly. 321s
Verse 44 says then pun that wondered if he were already dead and summoning the centurion 326s
he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 333s
Pilot was wondering indeed because sometimes those being crucified would be on the cross for two 339s
to three days. 346s
Verse 45 says when he learned from the centurion that he was dead he granted the body to Joseph 350s
that tells us that pilot believed he was innocent. 359s
Verse 46 then Joseph bought a linen cloth and taking down the body wrapped it in the linen cloth 369s
and his fingerprints. 384s
His unique never to be repeated fingerprints were all over the linen. 393s
Scripture says and he laid the body of Jesus in a tomb that had been huned out of the 410s
rock. 418s
He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb and the fingerprints. 420s
Joseph's fingerprints all over the rock but they were the only fingerprints present. 433s
In John 19 chapter. 452s
Scripture says after these things Joseph of Aramathia who was a disciple of Jesus though 458s
a secret one because of his fear of the Jews asked pilot to let him take away the 466s
body of Jesus. 474s
Notice the detail that we've learned there in the gospel according to John the detail 476s
about Joseph of Aramathia. 482s
He was a secret disciple because he was afraid and the sin of his fingertips. 485s
It came from the hand that had covered his mouth for how can you be a secret disciple? 505s
And his hand left the fingerprints of his sin. 532s
He wasn't the only one with fingerprints at the scene. 551s
For there's another set of fingerprints. 556s
Going on into the very next verse in the gospel of John it says Nicodemus who had at first 561s
come to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of mirror and allos weighing about 568s
a hundred pounds. 574s
They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths according 577s
to the burial custom of the Jews. 582s
Nicodemus, he had met Jesus early on in Jesus' ministry all the way back into John 587s
the third chapter. 595s
And you remember the exchange that occurred between them. 597s
Jesus turned to him and said very truly I tell you no one can see the kingdom of God without 601s
being born from above. 608s
Nicodemus said to him how can anyone be born after having grown old? 611s
Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born? 617s
Jesus answered very truly I tell you no one can enter the kingdom of God without being 623s
born of water and spirit. 632s
And it was Nicodemus. 636s
His ears that heard the most famous of all Bible verses when Jesus in that exchange 639s
turned to him and said for God so loved the world that he sent his only son that all 647s
who believe in him shall not perish but may have eternal life. 656s
It was Nicodemus. 665s
Just like Joseph, he had faith. 668s
Just like Joseph, he wanted a proper burial for the Lord Jesus Christ. 674s
Just like Joseph, Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. 682s
He was one of those 70. 688s
And so where was he before this? 697s
Good that they're caring for the body of Jesus. 707s
But where was he? 716s
When all of it went down. 722s
And are the fingerprints of his sin? 729s
Found also at the scene. 737s
When it comes to fingerprints, all of our unique fingerprints, our fingerprints of sin. 750s
It's all over, isn't it? 766s
It's all over. 769s
Indeed, I was born guilty a sinner when my mother conceived me. 777s
We confess tonight that we know our transgressions. 786s
We know them. 791s
And we can't wipe the fingerprints away. 798s
We confess tonight that our sin is always before us. 806s
And we can't wipe the fingerprints away. 812s
We confess tonight that against God we have sinned. 818s
And we can't wipe the fingerprints of our sin from the scene. 824s
We confess that we have done evil in his sight. 832s
And we can't wipe the fingerprints away. 838s
We cry out to the Lord and we say tonight, 844s
hide your face, blood out my iniquity, 848s
create in me a clean heart, O Lord, 852s
renew a right and steadfast spirit in me. 857s
Because the fingerprints of our sin, 865s
the fingerprints of our sin, 871s
is on everything that we touch. 879s
It's on everything. 891s
The evidence is overwhelming. 903s
There's no defense. 909s
The judge rules and the verdict is guilty. 912s
And what we deserve is for God to put us in the prison of hell, 919s
and it's self for all of eternity, 928s
because the evidence, 935s
it's in the fingerprints. 942s
And it's overwhelming. 948s
But look again at the text. 954s
For there is another set of fingerprints that are there. 960s
Verse 44, it says, then pilot wondered if he were already dead, 969s
and summoning the centurion he asked him, 974s
whether he had been dead for some time. 978s
You see, in ancient day, when finally, 984s
those who were crucifying the people had had enough, 988s
in order then to finally bring about death, 994s
they would break the legs of those that were hanging there. 997s
But the scripture tells us in Psalm 34, the prophetic word. 1003s
It says, he keeps all his bones, 1007s
not one of them is broken. 1011s
The prophetic word about the Messiah fulfilled, 1014s
because not a bone of Jesus was broken. 1018s
He was already dead. 1023s
The scripture tells us going on in to verse 46, 1028s
that he was laid in a tomb that had been huned out of the rock. 1034s
Matthew 27 says, so Joseph took the body, 1040s
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 1044s
and laid it in his own new tomb, 1046s
which he had huned in the rock. 1050s
And Matthew chapter 27 also tells us, 1052s
that when it was evening, there came a rich man from Aramathia named Joseph, 1056s
and the prophetic word given to the prophet Isaiah centuries before, 1063s
recorded in Isaiah 53, said of the Messiah, 1068s
they made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich. 1073s
And the prophecy fulfilled once again to the letter. 1082s
It's the fingerprints of God, 1096s
and they're all over the scene. 1105s
His fingerprints, 1111s
as God controls the events. 1115s
Ephesians 1 tells us, 1121s
blessed be the God, 1124s
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1125s
who's blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 1127s
Just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world 1134s
to be holy and blameless before him in love. 1140s
In him we have redemption through his blood, 1145s
the forgiveness of our trespasses, 1149s
according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. 1152s
It was no accident that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, 1158s
it was the fingerprints of God, 1165s
going all the way back to the messianic prophecy revealed all the way back into Genesis. 1170s
It is the fingerprints of God, 1177s
the Lord Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, 1181s
going to the cross and bearing the wrath of God for sin upon himself, 1186s
taking our sin upon him, 1192s
the spotless sinless lamb of God, 1196s
taking our sin upon him, 1200s
and wiping away what we can't wipe away, 1204s
wiping away all of our sin, 1209s
wiping away all of our fingerprints, 1212s
casting our sin as far as the east is from the west, 1217s
wiping it away, 1226s
every unique fingerprint of sin, 1231s
for given. 1243s
The details of Palm Sunday, 1253s
the depth of Thursday, 1258s
the darkness of Friday, 1264s
and a candle will remain lit, 1271s
a reminder of Easter's dawn. 1278s
It's the fingerprints of God, 1289s
evidence of His grasp of us. 1299s