Pilate was shocked to hear that Jesus was already dead; significantly prematurely compared with normal crucifixions.  By Roman law the bodies were left hanging on the cross until they had died, which could take up to four days.  Death was the end-product of the beatings, internal haemorrhage, increasing weakness which prevented breathing - leading to asphyxia and cardiac arrest.  The execution squad could only leave the site after the criminals had died, so they often increased the bleeding by breaking large bones in the legs or spearing the abdomen.  If it sounds grotesque and macabre, it was.  The Romans had perfected the art of crucifixion over 100 years before Jesus and for another 400 afterwards.  It was only abolished by the Christian Emperor, Constantine.   

But Jesus died within 6 hours.  He laid down His life; it was not taken from Him (John 10:18).  Unlike the criminals on either side of Him, His bones were not broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:33).  The spear that pierced Him came after His death – releasing the separated blood elements as occurs after death (John 19:34).  The centurion correctly observed the moment of death; it coincided with an earthquake (Matthew 27:54).  Pilate commanded the centurion to give a personal report.  He confirmed the death and Pilate released the body of Jesus to Joseph of Arimathea for burial.

Despite previously being a secret disciple (John 19:38), Joseph's personal involvement with Jesus now could not have been more obvious.  He brought metres of linen burial cloth, enlisted the help of Nicodemus (John 19:38-39), and carried Jesus' body to the rock tomb along with 34 kilograms of embalming spices (John 19:39-40).  Servants would have helped, perhaps the same ones who had hacked out the stone cave: all ready for Joseph, whenever his time might come (Matthew 27:60).  Like every important event in the life and ministry of Jesus there were witnesses; two women and two men knew exactly were Jesus’ body had been placed, sealed in by a heavy millstone.  They did not know it at the time but the women needed to know exactly which tomb to come to … to discover He had risen.

Jesus was buried in the tomb which Joseph had prepared for his own death.  It was a graphic substitution demonstrating that Jesus was sealed into the death-place which belonged to Joseph.  Jesus became the substitute for each of us in punishment and death, because He chose to and because He loved us (1 Peter 3:18).  Yet gratitude and worship is too often an occasional response, and telling others can make us embarrassed.  But Jesus did it all for us, and in some way, Joseph knew this demanded his full involvement that day.  Perhaps we should think the same!