At the Cross

Welcome.

In my previous post, we left off with Jesus on the road to the Cross.  Now, in Luke 23:32-43, Jesus reaches the place called The Skull, and there he is crucified.  Here is my translation:

32 Then they led him away with two other criminals in order to put him to death. 

33 They came to a place called The Skull and they crucified him there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  34 Jesus said, “Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Meanwhile, they divided up his clothing and cast lots for them. 35 People were just standing there watching, but the chief priests mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others, so let him save himself, if he is the God’s Messiah, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also ridiculed him, approaching him and offering him sour wine,  37 saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”38 An inscription had been placed above him, stating “This is the king of the Jews.”   

39 One of the criminals who had also been crucified, blasphemed Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and us.” 

40 However, the other man rebuked him , saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same punishment that he is.” 41 We are being treated justly, since we are receiving punishment worthy of things we have done. 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  

43 Jesus said to him, “I’m telling you the truth, today, you will be with me in Paradise.”  

Jesus is led away to his crucifixion along with two other criminals.  He is placed on his Cross between them, one on his right and one on his left.  The idea of Jesus hanging between two criminals reminds me of James and John asking to sit at Jesus’ left and right when he comes in his glory.  (Mark 10:35-40.)  They tell Jesus that they can drink the cup that Jesus is going to drink.  I suspect that they had no idea that it involved being crucified.  It also recalls Isaiah 53:12, where it says that he was ‘numbered with the transgressors.’

Verse 33 tells us that Jesus was taken to a place that was referred to as The Skull.  This is where they crucified him.  Matthew, Mark and John all mention the name Golgotha as the place of the Skull.  Luke omits the name Golgotha and simply refers to it as the place called The Skull.

Luke does not go into a lot of detail about the crucifixion itself.  At times people were crucified by being tied to a cross.  However, we know that Jesus was nailed to the Cross because Thomas refused to believe unless he saw the nail marks. (John 20:25.) 

While on the Cross, Jesus is still pouring out love, even for his enemies.  He puts one of his most challenging teachings into practice, when he says, concerning his enemies, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  

At the same time, the soldiers have divided up clothing and are gambling over it.  Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus made himself nothing.  He really has.  Everything he has is taken from him, even his clothing.  

The Crucifixion has drawn a crowd.  Some are there to watch, while others have come to mock.  

I’m sure that the chief priests are there to make sure that their plan succeeds and Jesus really does die.  It is unlikely that they went often to witness a crucifixion.  These supposed men of God actually seem to be enjoying this barbarism. 

The ridicule doesn’t stop with the chief priests.  The Romans soldiers mock him as well.  The Romans probably had no real understanding of what was going on here.  They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  I would guess that they were unsure why someone who was claiming kingship would make no effort to save himself.  

Even the two criminals that were crucified with him were ridiculing Jesus. Eventually one of them saw the light, repented and rebuked the other man. It is hard to guess what sudden realization this man came to, but he asked that Jesus remember him when he comes into his kingdom. On the face of it, it is an odd time to become a follower of Jesus. If Jesus is about to die, what kingdom is he possibly going to come into?  He understand the answer to that now, but Jesus’ own disciples did not understand the nature of Jesus' kingdom at this point. 

Jesus responds to the man with nothing but love and forgiveness, telling him that later today the man would be with Jesus in Paradise.  The man was a ‘sinner’, perhaps a lifelong criminal, and yet he was going to make it to Paradise due to his 11th hour acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord.