Luke 23:26–49
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”1 And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,2 “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,3 saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour,4 and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,5 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
1 Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus . . . what they do 2 Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew 3 Or blasphemed him 4 That is, noon 5 That is, 3 p.m.
Section Overview
One of the striking features of Jesus’ death is how little is said about it; the account is terse, spare. In verses 26–31 Simon of Cyrene is called to carry Jesus’ cross. Meanwhile, some of the people and women lament Jesus’ death, but Jesus focuses not on his fate but on theirs, warning them that a day of judgment is coming for Jerusalem. Jesus is crucified like other criminals and with other criminals, and yet he extends forgiveness to those who unjustly condemn him (vv. 32–34). Three different sets of people mock Jesus while he dies: the religious leaders (v. 35), the soldiers (vv. 36–38), and one of the criminals also being crucified (v. 39). But for those who have eyes to see, the crucified Jesus is the King of the Jews (v. 38). The other criminal being crucified recognizes that Jesus does not deserve such punishment, while he and the other criminal do (vv. 39–43). He asks Jesus to remember him, and Jesus promises that he will be in paradise with him that day. The hour of Jesus’ death draws near (vv. 43–49). Darkness covers the land, the temple curtain is torn in half, and Jesus at his death commits himself to the Father. The centurion confesses that Jesus is righteous, and the crowds go home deeply moved.
Section Outline
V. Death and Resurrection in Jerusalem (19:28–24:53) . . .
F. Crucifixion and Burial (23:26–56)
1. Crucifixion (23:26–49)
Response
We are told in Luke 23:45 that the temple curtain was torn in two. Jesus in his death replaces the temple. The temple sacrifices always pointed forward to the death of Jesus. Because of his death we can confidently enter God’s presence, and we see this in the account of the criminal who repented while on the cross. No matter how much evil we have done, we can turn to Jesus for forgiveness, even if we have wasted nearly all of our lives. I think of the Chronicles of Wasted Time, the autobiography of Malcolm Muggeridge, who turned to the Christian faith at the end of his life. It would be a mistake, of course, to put off repentance, anticipating that we will turn to God at the end of our lives, because we do not know whether we will have the desire to pursue God in the future. As Paul says, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). If we turn away from the Lord, we may find ourselves in a place of hatred toward him at the end of our lives.
At the same time, we should not say that our evil is so great that God could never forgive us. Satan whispers such words into our hearts to convince us not to give ourselves to the Lord, and when he does so we must remember the great words Jesus speaks to the criminal on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Finally, we see even during the short time the criminal lives after his conversion that he is truly saved. We do not merit or earn salvation by works, but all those who are saved indicate they are saved by the new life they live. Paul in Acts 26:20 speaks of works “in keeping with . . . repentance.” True repentance always manifests itself in good works. And this is true of the criminal in the last few minutes he lives. He rebukes the other criminal, who complained to Jesus. The repentant criminal shows himself to be a different person by what he says. The way we talk and live demonstrates whether we have truly repented. But any change in our lives flows from trusting in Jesus. The thief repents because he believes that Jesus can save him.
Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus . . . what they do
Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew
Or blasphemed him
That is, noon
That is, 3 p.m.
23:26 Luke does not tell us specifically that Jesus is scourged, but such is clear from the other Gospels (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15). This explains why he is not able to carry his cross to the place of execution, the Roman custom for those to be crucified. Simon from Cyrene (in present-day Libya) is coming from the countryside and is compelled to carry Jesus’ cross. Through such an act Luke symbolizes what it means to be a disciple of Christ, as Jesus taught earlier in the Gospel (cf. 9:23). Simon himself likely becomes a believer, along with his two sons, Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21), for the inclusion of Alexander and Rufus in Mark seems superfluous otherwise.
23:27–31 The notion of following Jesus continues, as a great many of the people and women are not ashamed of Jesus but stay with him and mourn over what is happening to him. Such mourning accords with what we find in Zechariah 12:10–14, and Jesus promises a blessing for those who mourn (cf. Luke 6:21). The mourners identify with the crucified one, the one rejected by the majority of Israel. Perhaps the majority of those weeping are women, since Jesus addresses the “Daughters of Jerusalem.” Even at the hour of his death, Jesus shows love and concern for others instead of considering his own suffering, and he forecasts a great sorrow that is coming upon Israel, both women and children. We are reminded of what Jesus taught concerning the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem (19:41–44; 21:5–24). Difficult days are approaching, days in which those typically considered cursed will now feel blessed: women who cannot bear or nurse children will feel relieved, since their lack of children will mean they are spared intense suffering (cf. 21:23).
The suffering will be so intense that people will prefer death to life; the words of Hosea will become a reality (Hos. 10:8; cf. Rev. 6:16). They will implore the mountains and the hills to fall upon them and deprive them of life, for death will seem better than life. Jesus argues comparatively. If they have inflicted such suffering on Jesus (the green tree) when times are good, the suffering to come when the time of distress arrives will be unimaginable. Again, the days in view are the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70; the horror of those days is communicated well by Josephus in Jewish Wars.
23:32–34 The prophecy that Jesus would be counted among transgressors is fulfilled (Luke 22:37; Isa. 53:12), since two criminals are to be crucified with him. Luke tells us that Jesus is crucified in a place that looks like a skull, with the criminals at his right and left. None of the Gospels attempts to elicit pity by dwelling on the horrors of crucifixion. They are remarkably reserved and restrained in describing Jesus’ suffering. People in the Roman world would know, of course, how terrible such suffering was. Perhaps we can think of how the word cancer strikes fear in people today, but the word crucifixion was far worse, since those who were crucified were hung on a cross, typically naked, for hours and sometimes days. One only could breathe by pushing up with one’s feet; insects would feast on one’s blood. In addition, Jesus’ body is already lacerated from his scourging. While Jesus is crucified, lots are cast for his clothing, in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18.
Some textual witnesses exclude the first part of Luke 23:34, in which Jesus prays for the forgiveness of those crucifying him. The textual evidence is divided, but the text is almost certainly authentic. Scribes would have been prone to remove these verses because they doubted that those who crucified Jesus would be forgiven! The prayer for their forgiveness does not guarantee that those who put Jesus to death are guiltless, because forgiveness does not come without repentance—as Luke makes clear often in his Gospel and in Acts (Luke 3:3, 8; 5:32; 10:13; 11:32; 13:3, 5; 15:7, 10; 16:30; 17:3, 4; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20). In fact, Peter preaches this very truth in Jerusalem. Those who put Jesus to death can be forgiven since they act in ignorance, which means that they do not grasp fully what they are doing in crucifying the Son of God (Acts 3:17–20; cf. 1 Cor. 2:8). Ignorance does not excuse the evil done, but the ignorant are given an opportunity to turn away from their wickedness. We should recognize that Jesus does not forgive them here but asks God to do so. He has a heart of forgiveness and mercy to those who put him to death; Stephen has the same spirit as his Lord when he is killed (Acts 7:60). Hatred, revenge, and bitterness do not lodge in Jesus’ heart toward those full of rage against him.
23:35–39 The people (Gk. laos) in Luke typically side with Jesus. They take sides against the religious leaders and join with the tax collectors in vindicating God’s ways (Luke 7:29; 20:6). The people also give praise to God when the blind man is healed (18:43) and eagerly listen to Jesus’ teaching (19:48; 20:1; 21:38; cf. 23:5, 14, 27). The religious leaders fear the people, suspecting that they side with Jesus (20:19). Jesus does refer to wrath for the people (21:23), so that they are not without fault. Still, here they do not mock Jesus but watch him, which perhaps suggests sympathy instead of contempt.
The rulers, on the other hand, mock Jesus. They believe their criticism of Jesus to be apt, for if he were truly the Messiah and God’s elect (cf. 9:20, 35) he should be able to save himself as he saved others. They do not realize, however, that they are fulfilling Scripture in uttering these things. Psalm 22 forecasts the reviling of the Messiah’s opponents, as they say about him, “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Ps. 22:8). Ironically, the rulers are fulfilling this very text. Jesus anticipates at the outset of his ministry that he cannot heal himself to save others (Luke 4:23). Ironically enough, the only way Jesus can save others is by not saving himself.
The soldiers, by which is meant Roman soldiers, also scorn and mock Jesus and bring him sour wine to drink. The giving of sour wine fulfills Psalm 69:21, in which David’s enemies give him sour wine to drink (cf. Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:23, 36; Luke 23:36; John 19:28). Psalm 69 describes a time of crisis in David’s life, as he is opposed by his enemies and faces adversaries who hate him for no reason. Davidic typology is at work, since the psalm is not an overt prophecy, and David in the psalm confesses his sins (v. 5). The hatred and opposition to King David points typologically to opposition to Jesus the Messiah. Many NT writers see Psalm 69 as being fulfilled ultimately in the life and death of Jesus (e.g., Ps. 69:4 in John 15:25; Ps. 69:9 in John 2:17; Ps. 69:9 in Rom. 15:3; Ps. 69:22–23 in Rom. 11:9–10). Some think Jesus is given wine to drink to lessen his pain, but this seems unlikely, since the soldiers are mocking him. It is more likely that they want to extend his suffering. They basically repeat the ruler’s words but emphasize that the King of the Jews should be able to save himself, showing the same blindness as the rulers of the Jews.
Luke follows with the inscription on the cross: “This is the King of the Jews.” The placement of the inscription at this point in the text is significant, for it contradicts the view of the Roman soldiers. The inscription has it right: Jesus is the King of the Jews, but he is a crucified King. Ironically enough, they are crucifying him for what he really is; they think the crucifixion proves he is not the King, but in fact it qualifies him to be so.
23:44–46 The time is around noon, and darkness settles on the land for about three hours. The darkness signifies God’s judgment and displeasure, as in Amos 8:9 (cf. Joel 2:10):
“On that day,” declares the Lord God,
“I will make the sun go down at noon
and darken the earth in broad daylight.”
The judgment here, however, is not upon Jesus but upon Israel generally for rejecting her King. The curtain in the temple is split into two. The curtain was long and thick, and thus it could be split only by a supernatural act. Luke does not specify which curtain was split, and thus he could be referring to the visible outer curtain separating the courtyard from the Holy Place (Ex. 26:36). But he more likely refers to the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. The rending of the curtain means that access to God is granted to believers through the death of Jesus Christ and also symbolizes that the old covenant, the Levitical priesthood, and the temple, have come to an end. Now believers, as the letter to the Hebrews teaches, have bold access to God through the death of Jesus as their Great High Priest (Heb. 4:16; 6:19–20; 10:19–22).
The tearing of the curtain calls attention to the effect of Jesus’ death, and Luke proceeds to narrate the moment Jesus dies. The definitive moment has arrived, and Jesus with a loud voice commits his spirit to his Father. The allusion here is to Psalm 31:5, a psalm in which David is under attack from his foes. Jesus, like David, is a king, and psalms that refer to David in their historical context have a typological connection to Jesus as the son of David, the fulfillment of Davidic hopes. Jesus commits himself to God with the assurance that the Lord will vindicate him. He dies not in fear but with confidence and hope, for he has taught the disciples not only that he would die but also that he would be raised from the dead (Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:6–7).
23:47–49 The centurion, affirming a central Lukan theme throughout the chapter, declares Jesus to be righteous and innocent. It was important in the early church to affirm that Jesus’ death was a miscarriage of justice. It is unclear what the centurion sees that leads him to make this declaration. Is it Jesus’ forgiveness of those who put him to death, the acknowledgment of Jesus by the second criminal, the darkness descending over the land, or Jesus’ final dying words? It may be a combination of all of these. The tearing of the temple curtain cannot be in view, since that could not have been seen from the place Jesus died and must have been reported later.
The crowds flocked to Jesus during his ministry (cf. 4:42; 5:1, 3, 19; 6:17, 19; 7:11, 12; 8:4, 19; 8:40, 42, 45; 9:11, 12, 37–38; 11:14, 29; 12:1; 18:36; 19:3), but they did not understand who he was (9:18), though at times they sided with him against the religious leaders (e.g., 13:17). But a crowd also arrested Jesus (22:4) and seemed to join the religious leaders in asking for his death (23:21). Still, the crowds are ambiguous and hard to categorize. They come to see the spectacle of Jesus’ death, but they are struck with grief over what happens to him (cf. 18:13). Those close to Jesus—his friends and the women who followed him as disciples (cf. 8:1–3)—watch at a distance, which may be a critical remark that they have not stayed close to Jesus during his hour of trial.