Delivered during Sunday morning worship, July 26, 2020. All four Gospels tell the story of Joseph of Arimathea and his royal treatment of Jesus' body after His Crucifixion. John alone tells us of Nicodemus' participation and the kingly nature of the burial the two men hastily arrange. We will discuss the reason for these details and what they tell us about the exaltation of Jesus after His death. But John particularly brings our attention to the fact that both men prior to this crisis were afraid to reveal their belief in Jesus. That will spark our discussion of disciples, both in John's day and in ours, who are gripped with the same fear. Ultimately we will recognize this as a serious problem within the church and discuss both the warnings and solutions for those who are living as "secret disciples".