Nicodemus was also there helping in the preparation of Christ’s body for a respectful burial. Note that the thing about Nicodemus which comes most readily to John’s mind was that he was the one who had come to Jesus at night (John 3:2). He, too, was a secret disciple, but not quite as secretive as Joseph, for he had already stuck his neck out for Jesus publicly before the Sanhedrin at least once before (John 7:50-51).

John 3:2  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

John 7:50-51  Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,  “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”

It is thought that Nicodemus was Nicodemus ben Gorion, one of the three richest men in Jerusalem. We do know that he was rich because of the incredible amount of spices he brought which would have cost a lot of money. Nicodemus and Joseph had probably agreed between them which one would prepare the spices and which would get permission from Pilate to take the body, because of the time constraints.

Myrrh was a resin extracted from the gum of the Arabian Balsamodendron Myrrha. It was used as a perfume, for embalming, and an ingredient in the holy anointing oil (Ex 30:22-33). It was present in the beginning of Christ’s life on earth (Matt 2:11) and at the end of it.

Exodus 30:22-33  Then the LORD said to Moses,  “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,  500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.  Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.  Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,  the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,  the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.  You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.  “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.  Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.  Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.  Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.’”

Matthew 2:11  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Aloes came from the wood of a resinous tree which was pulverized to extract the oil. It was common to bury the dead with sweet- smelling spices (2 Chron 16:14) and myrrh and aloes were very sweet-smelling (Prov 7:17) and some of the finest spices (Song 4:14). The custom was to wrap the spices with the sheets around the body, so Nicodemus was only doing what would have been the right thing to do. What was unusual here was the quantity of spices used.

2 Chronicles 16:14  They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honour.

Proverbs 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Song of Solomon 4:14  nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.

Why did they go to so much effort, expense, and danger to take care of the dead body of Jesus? Some think that it was a lack of faith in the resurrection of Christ, but I disagree. This was a bold display of their great love for Jesus, much like Mary did in (John 12:1-8). Even though it was mostly secret up to this point, they had a great deal of respect for Christ and His message, and the cross and His humiliation on it did not lessen their respect one bit. Their meekness while Christ was alive is now replaced by boldness at His death — a boldness which probably came from God (Romans 14:4). Had they been more perceptive, the chief priests could have here seen the vanity of their attempts to discredit and dishonor Jesus and His teachings, for He was honored by God in His sufferings (Matt 27:45, 51-54) and now by men, even powerful, rich men, in His death.

John 12:1-8  Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Romans 14:4  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Matthew 27:45  From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

Matthew 27:51-54  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

As previously seen in (2 Chron 16:14), large quantities of spices were used in the burial of kings. The proselyte Onkelos burned more than 80 minas of spices at the funeral of Rabbi Gamaliel. When he was asked why he did this, he mentioned (Jer 34:5) and said, “Is not R. Gamaliel better than a hundred kings?” (Morris) The large amount of spices used in the burial of Jesus is undoubtedly a pointer to His Kingship (Psalms 45:6-8). When Jesus had spoken with Nicodemus at night, so long ago, He had spoken of the kingdom of God and how to enter into it (John 3:1-15), and now Nicodemus honors Jesus as the King of that kingdom.

Jeremiah 34:5  you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honour of your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so they will make a fire in your honour and lament, “Alas, O master!” I myself make this promise, declares the LORD.’”

Psalms 45:6-8  Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.  You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.  All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

With Nicodemus, as with Joseph, the death of Jesus had an opposite effect on them than it had on the disciples who had openly followed Christ while He was alive. Morris observes that “Now, when they had nothing at all to gain by affirming their connection with Jesus, they came right out into the open.” We can only hope that we would do the same in similar circumstances.