Burial of Christ

From Encyclopedia Reformata

Part of the Humiliation of Christ

It might seem as if the death of Christ was the last stage of His sufferings. Did He not cry out on the cross, “It is finished”? But these words probably refer to His active suffering. His burial certainly was a part of His humiliation, of which He as Son of God was also conscious. Man’s returning to the dust is a punishment for sin, Gen. 3:19. That the Savior’s abode in the grave was a humiliation, is evident from Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27, 31; 13:34, 35. It removed for us the terrors of the grave.

It might seem that the death of Christ was the last stage of His humiliation, especially in view of the last words on the cross: “It is finished.” But these words in all probability refer to His active sufferings. It is quite clear that His burial also formed a part of His humiliation. Man’s returning to the dust is part of the punishment of sin, Gen. 3:19. Moreover, several passages of Scripture clearly imply that the Savior’s abode in the grave was a humiliation, Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27, 31; 13:34, 35. The sinner is represented as being buried with Christ, and this refers to the going down, the putting off, the destruction of the old man, Rom. 6:1–6. It clearly shows that the burial of Christ is regarded as a part of His humiliation. The burial of Christ served the purpose of removing the terrors of the grave for the redeemed and of sanctifying the grave for them.

Source: Based on Louis Berkhof’s Summary and Manual of Christian Doctrine.