Study 55. Luke 23:32-49

16. The rulers, soldiers, and first criminal talk about the Christ and salvation several times in 23:35-39. What does their scoffing imply they believe about...

 What it means to be the Christ?
 It is to have the power to save yourself and others. This might mean miraculous abilities or earthly resources. It is to have special divine favour. Yet his power was used to stay on the across, not to come down from it. 

 What salvation means?

 Relief from physical, emotional and social suffering

 

Spiritual power has little to do with comfort and privilege. It has to do with strength of character to do the will of God. It is not to have earthly support and supporters

 

 

17. What do Jesus' responses to the second criminal (23:43) and to the sneering crowd tell you about Him?

Reassuring ('truly')

Graciously rewarding faith ('with me in paradise') 

Assured ('today' 'you will')

 

Describe the second criminal's attitude toward Jesus (23:40-42).What did he apparently believe about:

Justice?  Jesus was innocent (v.41) and had not received it

Mercy? Jesus could provide it in His kingdom even though he deserved punishment

Salvation?  lay beyond the grave ('when you come into your kingdom')

Jesus' identity?  the King whose kingdom is coming

Meditate on Jesus' attitude toward mockers and persecutors. How could you follow His example in your daily life? Ask him to enable you to do this.

He ignored them or said only what was strictly necessary. He despised the shame (Heb 12:2)

He showed mercy to them and forgave them. His prayer may include both the Jews who were responsible for the crucifixion and the Romans who carried it out (cf. Acts 2:23; 3:17; 13:27f.; 1 Cor. 2:8).

 

I Pe 2:21-23 is instructive: "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ²² He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³ When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly."

Meditate on the significance for you of

• The darkening sun

An eclipse is impossible at the full moon (which determined the time of the Passover. Darkness can mean lament (Am 8:9-10) or judgment (Ex 10:21-23). It was a sign of God's displeasure

• The tearing of the temple curtain

The 3 1/2" curtain that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple symbolized the separateness, the remoteness of God. The tearing of the curtain at this time gives symbolic expression to the truth that the death of Jesus has made the way open into the very presence of God (cf. Heb. 9:3, 8; 10:19ff.)

• Jesus' attitude in death

Jesus’ last words are a beautiful expression of trust as he commends himself to the Father in the words of a Psalm (Ps. 31:5)

 

Consider how Peter, the other disciples, Pilate, Herod, and the crowd treated Jesus in 22:39-23:35. Do any of theior actions suggest an attitude you need to guard against? If so, what steps might you take toward preventing yourself from having similar attitudes?

Denial, running, cowardice, contempt, lack of seriousness, mockery

Describe the attitude with which Jesus met death (23:46)

Jesus’ hands were nailed (John 20:25), and probably his feet also (cf. 24:39), though none of the Evangelists says so in set terms. There was a horn-like projection which the crucified straddled, which took most of the weight and stopped the flesh from tearing from the nails. The discovery of the bones of a man crucified at about the same time as Jesus raises the possibility that the legs may have been bent and twisted, then fastened to the cross by a single nail through the heels. Such a contortion of the body would have added to the agony. Crucifixion was a slow and painful death, but it is noteworthy that none of the Evangelists dwells on the torment Jesus endured. The New Testament concentrates on the significance of Jesus’ death.

Luke says only that they were criminals, Matthew and Mark that they were thieves. The three were brought to a place called The Skull (in Latin, calvaria, from which we get ‘Calvary’). The reason for the name is not known. It is usually held to be because of the shape of the hill on which Jesus was crucified, but neither Luke nor any of the others speaks of a hill, let alone its shape. All four Evangelists tell us that Jesus was crucified between the other two, evidently a way of bringing out the fact that he was executed as a criminal (cf. 22:37). In his death Jesus was in the midst of transgressors (cf. Isa. 53:12).

 

All four Evangelists mention the inscription on the cross. Such a placard would announce the crime for which the condemned man was being executed. The inscription over Jesus’ head is differently reported in all four Gospels, but as the inscription itself was in three languages (John 19:20; the corresponding words in av, rsv mg. here are not well attested and should be rejected) and we have no means of knowing which any of the Evangelists is following. Pilate was proclaiming that Jesus died as King of the Jews. He was taking a grim revenge on the Jewish leaders who had hounded him. But he was also proclaiming Jesus’ royalty, a theme that meant much to Luke.

 

'Today' is occasionally taken with the preceding words, but there seems no reason for this. Almost all scholars agree that it refers to being in Paradise. This Persian word meaning ‘garden’ is used in the Old Testament of a number of gardens. Specially important is its use for the Garden of Eden. Perhaps from this the term came to be used of the abode of the blessed in the coming world (cf. 2 Cor. 12:3; Rev. 2:7). It is used in this way here. Jesus assures this man of bliss in the immediate future, a bliss closely associated with himself (with me).

 

 The word rendered breathed his last, exepneusen, is not the normal one for saying that someone has died. In fact none of the Evangelists says ‘Jesus died’, which may be part of the way they bring out the truth that in Jesus’ death there was something most unusual. 

 

The multitudes will be the Jerusalemites who had no great interest in Jesus but who had come to watch the execution. Instead of being entertained they were saddened by it all and went home beating their breasts in grief. Many have seen in this reaction a preparation for the successful preaching on the day of Pentecost when three thousand believed in this city (Acts 2:41). Why so many? Part of the answer surely is that many went home from the crucifixion disturbed and thoughtful. 49. Curiously Luke does not mention the effect on Jesus’ followers. He tells us that some of them were there and characteristically he singles out certain women for special mention. But he tells us only that these people stood at a distance (it may not have been politic to come too close) and saw these things.

.