Yet one more “personality of the Passion” contributes his meaning to Jesus’ death. Joseph of Arimathea boldly came to Pilate to gain permission to bury Jesus’ body (vv. 23, 24). Pilate expressed surprise that Jesus had died so quickly. Victims often lingered on the cross for several days. We remember the indignity in the ancient world attaching to an unburied corpse. The issue is the theme of Sophocles’ play Antigone. So Joseph’s action had a deep meaning. The fact that