Who wants a dead Savior?

 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
 On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:50-56 ESV)
Why come forward now? That is the question for Joseph of Arimathea.  He had kept his life as a follower of Jesus secret for this long; why come forward now and look like a follower of a loser? And these women: give it up already! They have ministered to Jesus all through His ministry. One of them anointed Him ahead of time; they saw what Joseph did - why keep planning to follow and minister to a dead body?  Because Jesus gives hope to the hopeless.  This is a sign of true faith in the true Savior: He is going to make a way out of this; I, like Job, just need to keep following and sticking close to Him.