Luke 23:50-56

Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God: this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Here we see that it is inaccurate to assume that no one with wealth could ever be saved. The man who buried Jesus was a wealthy man. He had a special burial place cut right out of stone that was completely unused. I understand that it was common for families to be buried together, but this man had an entire tomb empty and waiting. He was also a public official. I would venture to guess that standing up for Jesus after He had been crucified as a criminal was not a good thing to put on His resume.

Many would have considered the use of the tomb a waste because a criminal was given a rich man’s burial. The reason this happened was because God planned it that way. There was a prophesy that had to be fulfilled by the Messiah.

Isaiah 53:9

They made his grave with the wicked,
and with a rich man in his death;
although he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah had written this prophesy hundreds of years before Jesus’ death which indicated that the Messiah would have his grave made as a criminal, but would also be with a rich man in His death. That would have been very confusing to understand and very difficult to fake but it actually ended up working out. He was killed as a criminal and probably would have been naturally thrown out where the bodies of other dead criminals went, but He ended up being buried in a rich man’s tomb instead. This prophesy is a miracle in itself.