‘And after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Judaisers, asked of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and took away his body. And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night (John 3:1-15), bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred pound weight. So they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.'
As a result of Jesus' death two men came out of the night into the light and both were prominent members of the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:51; John 3:1; John 7:50-51). The first was Joseph of Arimathea. He was a rich and pious man who ‘was looking for the kingdom of God' (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43), and he went to Pilate to ask for the body for burial. His success was probably aided by the fact that the remaining members of the Sanhedrin would be preparing for the Sabbath high day. His being a lay member of the Sanhedrin, and not implicated in the charges against Jesus, may have lent strength to his plea. But he would certainly be aware that what he was doing would soon come out, and it demonstrated that he was at last ready to show his true colours. ‘A disciple of Jesus' simply indicates that He had heard Jesus' teaching and was in sympathy with it.
The second was Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus ‘by night' to learn from Him (John 3:1-15). Now he too comes into the day by bringing a great quantity of spices so that Jesus may have a proper burial. It is clear that they must have discussed the matter together so that Joseph, as the wealthy and influential elder, went to Pilate while Nicodemus went and bought the spices.
Thus was Jesus not cast in an unmarked grave and his body was not mutilated as was the common lot of criminals. Instead He was placed in the tomb of a rich man, being ‘with the rich in His death' (Isaiah 53:9).
It would appear that a number of cloths were used to wrap the body mingled with the spices and that a larger linen cloth was then used to cover the body (Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53). Arms and legs would be bound to the body to prevent spasmodic movement, and a turban put round his head probably also holding up his chin from sagging.