Robert J Haswell

The Man from Arimathaea: Joseph of Arimathaea the Man Who Buried Jesus Robert J Haswell

Publisher Marketing: Joseph of Arimathaea was the earthly uncle of Mary, The Mother of Jesus, the Son of God. His whole family was blessed by God, preparing them to intertwine their lives, first with the birth of Mary, and then with Gabriel's visit to her. They were not permitted to interfere with God's plan for Jesus, but could only offer support for the protection of both, in their early years. As Mary 3 months along, was about to show, they took her from the danger of stoning, to her cousin Elizabeth. This placed Joseph and his family at the home of Zacharias when the Holy Spirit swept in as he told them the baby boys name was John. They heard the prophesy describing the ministry of John as it intertwined with Jesus' life. By this point the tin trade had made Joseph wealthy beyond measure. in his service to King Herod, he had arranged with King Cunobelinus of Britain, to purchase tin directly, at a lower price. He did this by cutting out the Veneti. (This tribe of Gauls had controlled the tin trade for years.) With the aid of Herod, Joseph was introduced to Octavian Caesar Augustus who rewarded him greatly, for setting up a treaty enabling Rome to purchase all the tin from Britain they needed. (Tin was necessary in the making of bronze which was the armament their Legions used. At the peak of his power Joseph retires to live in Jerusalem where he is led by God to build his imposing home next to the place called Golgotha. At age 30 he is made a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. It is during this time that Mary is visited by the Angel Gabriel. Jesus is born and two years latter, the Wise Men visit Bethlehem. The reader can follow Joseph as he watches Jesus being baptized in Jordan. He sees the dove come and land staying on Jesus transforming Him from the son of man into the Messiah. From then on He is both The Father and The Son sharing the same body. Joseph watches as Lazarus comes out of the tomb and sets with him during the feast when Jesus declares He is to die and raise again. You can be with him as he watches the trial knowing he can do nothing to stop God's plan from proceeding to it's end. He follows the crowd and as he watches them brutalize Jesus he fully understands what John meant when he described Him as the lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. Suddenly he saw his part in God's plan. He had been prepared from his youth and blessed for this hour. He was to save the body of Jesus from being destroyed in the common grave. In addition he was to provide for Jesus' resurrection. He would no longer be a secret disciple waiting for the coming of the kingdom.