Luke 23:33-43 (NRSV)
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah 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, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? 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 have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:33-43 relates the story of the crucifixion and pronouncements of Jesus from the cross.
Luke 23:33-38 is the story about the crucifixion. The source is Mark in verses 33, 34b, 38, and the source unique to Luke in verses 35a, 36-37, 34a. Both sources provide the theological context of the crucifixion by using Scripture to interpret the crucifixion of Jesus. Luke, like the other gospel writers, is remarkably brief in his description of the planning of the crucifixion. Instead, there is a focus on how the death of Jesus fulfills the Scriptures of Israel. Crucifixion was a common and shameful form of execution in the first century. It was an agonizing and extended death, compounded by the sneering, mocking and scoffing of onlookers. Because of this, the challenge facing the gospel writers was to make clear to their readers the distinctive significance of Jesus' crucifixion -- one that was, in no way, the death of a common criminal. Luke makes full use of the roles of the various characters in the story in order to accomplish this goal. In particular, note the structure of three mocking, repeated references to the Scriptures, selected Christological titles, the mysterious phenomena that accompany the death of Jesus (vv. 44-49), the ironic truths of the taunts hurled at Jesus, and Jesus' three pronouncements from the cross in 33-46.
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, [Κρανίον] they crucified Jesus. Mark provides no details regarding the size or shape of the cross or the manner in which the Romans fastened Jesus to it. They crucified Jesus there with the criminals [Isaiah 53:12], one on his right and one on his left. Mark says nothing of the charges against the two criminals crucified with Jesus. [[ 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”]] Here is the first pronouncement of Jesus from the cross. Scholars have debated the authenticity of Jesus' prayer from the cross in verse 34a with inconclusive results. Some of the earliest and most geographically diverse manuscripts omit it. Yet, other ancient authorities include it. The NRSV compromises by enclosing the sentence in double brackets. The NIV provides a footnote expressing the prayer's doubtful heritage. Although it is unclear whether Jesus is praying for the Romans, the Jewish leaders or both, it is fair to say that the prayer is consistent with both Luke's characterization of Jesus and Luke's style. Jesus prays repeatedly to God the "Father" in Luke, and his emphasis on forgiveness would make it likely that Jesus would ask for forgiveness for all who were involved in his death. However, in what way did they not know what they were doing? They thought they were executing a criminal, a blasphemer, a rebel. They did not know he was Messiah, the Chosen, and King of the Jews. Theologically, they represent us all. In fact, in the narrative of Luke, the truth is on their lips, but not in their hearts. Robert C. Tannehill says this prayer and the final one in verse 46 ("Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.") serve to "bracket" the Crucifixion. Both prayers address God as "Father." In one, Jesus addresses the horizontal dimension of life - his opponents. In the other, Jesus addresses the vertical dimension of human existence - his relationship with God. And they cast lots to divide his clothing [Psalm 22:18]. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him [Psalm 22:7], saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God [Christological title], his chosen one!” Two groups of mockers here, the public rabble and their leaders. They challenge Jesus to do for himself what he maintains he could do for them. They do not think he can actually save himself. The ironic truth of the taunts is that those who mock him declare his messianic identity and the saving significance of his death. 36 The soldiers also mocked him [Psalm 69:7ff], referring to a third group who mocked Jesus, doing so by coming up and offering him sour wine [Psalm 69:21b], 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews [Christological title], save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” [Christological title] The soldiers also challenge Jesus to do for himself what he maintains he could do for them. They also do not think he can actually save himself. The ironic truth of the taunts is that those who mock him declare him King.
Luke 23:39-43 is a pronouncement story concerning the two criminals. The source is material unique to Luke. This passage sums up the theology of Luke concerning the cross.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him, for Luke, a fourth source of mocking Jesus, and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? [Christological title] Save yourself and us!” He challenges Jesus to do for himself what he maintains he could do for them. He does not think Jesus can actually save himself. The ironic truth of the taunt is that the one who mocks him declares his messianic identity and the saving significance of his death. 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 have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” The criminal proclaims the innocence of Jesus. Even a criminal recognizes the saving effect of the death of Jesus. In one sense, the repentant criminal on the cross delivers the first Christian sermon. The outcast criminal understands things that neither the family of Jesus nor the disciples had understood. While everyone else abandoned Jesus, the criminal gives witness. 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He believes Jesus is the Messiah. His request echoes the cries of those in need and those dying in ages past. In Genesis 40:14, Joseph asks the cupbearer to think of him when it goes well with him and show Joseph kindness by mentioning him to Pharaoh. In I Samuel 1:11, Hannah vowed that if the Lord would remember her in her affliction of being childless, she would dedicate her son to the Lord. In Nehemiah 5:19, Nehemiah asks God to remember him because of all the good he has done. Job 14:13 has Job asking the Lord to remember him in accord with the lovingkindness of the Lord when he is in Sheol. Psalm 25:7 asks the Lord to remember him in accord with the lovingkindness and goodness of the Lord. Jeremiah 15:15 has Jeremiah asking the Lord to remember him. 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me. No, this is not “fair.” Jesus does not treat the thief fairly. This story is a reminder to us all that salvation is by grace. This thief has literally done nothing to inherit the promise of Jesus here. You can I can do nothing to earn this promise. Pause and consider the power of these words. This is not only an offer of forgiveness, but also of friendship. Thus, at the precise moment Jesus is saving the whole world, he takes the time to save the one person. Jesus never sacrificed the one for the many, or the many for the one. He kept the One and the Many together at all times in his life ... and death. Jesus promises the man that he will be with Jesus in Paradise.” The word occurs only here in the gospels. Here is the second pronouncement of Jesus from the cross. Jesus' conversation with the penitent thief will become one of the distinctive features of Luke's crucifixion story. Verses 28-30, in which Jesus tells his disciples that his Father appointed a kingdom for him and he will reign, probably inspire verse 43 For some scholars, the saying of Jesus appears out of character for Jesus to have said it.
I invite you to focus upon the Christological titles of this passage. I invite you to use them to re-affirm the faith that through all the twists and turns, the hills and valleys of our year, Jesus is our Lord and King. Some years, to affirm that truth may take more faith and hope than in other years. I want to offer two simple affirmations and two stories.
First, Jesus turned evil into good. Anyone who believes in the providence of God must also affirm that God is able to make good out of evil. This does not mean, of course, that all things are good. This would be to deny that evil exists. Rather, we simply acknowledge that God is able to use the awful things that happen in this world to bring about a good result.
I remember vividly the first time I heard about the 21 Coptic Christians killed in Libya by Islamic terrorists. I know enough about human history to know we are capable of doing horrendous things to each other. However, to see that picture of these human beings lined up for their slaughter generated empathy for them and anger at the terrorists.
It was early in 2015. Coptic Christians are the largest Christian community in the Middle East. It remains one of the oldest continuous branches of Christianity in the world. They trace their church back to Saint Mark, who introduced Christianity in Alexandria, Egypt, just a few years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
The terrorists took these Coptic Christians hostage and executed them because of their faith in Jesus Christ. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, released a video of the killings titled, "A Message Signed with Blood to the Nations of the Cross." ISIS clearly wanted to send a message to Christians around the world, to residents of what they call "the Nations of the Cross."
However, like the people who killed Jesus, they did not know what they were doing. Instead of weakening the Christian faith, they strengthened it.
The 21 men the terrorists murdered were working on a construction job as tradesmen. All were Egyptians except for one. He appears to have been a young African man, perhaps from Chad or Ghana. A Greek Orthodox bishop said that the executioners demanded that each hostage identify his religion. Under threat of death, they could have denied that they were Christians. Instead, each of the Christians declared their trust in Jesus. Maintaining their faith in the face of evil, the terrorists beheaded each man. The Coptic Church also has a Pope at its head, and he named these persons as martyrs and saints in the church, commemorating the date of their execution as their feast day. Pope Francis, soon after their execution, offered these words:
“ [T]he blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard… It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ. This is not to minimize differences, nor to turn a blind eye to them. However, in dying for Christ do such divisions among Christians retain real relevance? In dying for Christ one has become the perfect disciple, and enters a real communion with Christ’s Body in heaven. ”
The bishop, named Demetrios of Mokissos, describes this crime as "a grotesque example of the violence Christians face daily in Libya, Iraq, Syria and anywhere that ISIS prosecutes its murderous campaign against anyone it deems an infidel." Nevertheless, as horrible as these executions were, the story has an unexpected and inspirational ending.
The young African man who was with the Egyptians was not a Christian when they captured him. However, when the ISIS terrorists challenged him to declare his faith, he replied, "Their God is my God."
What a statement! "Their God is my God."
After hearing those words, the terrorists killed him. Nevertheless, in that moment, the young man became a Christian. Jesus said to him, as he said to the man on the next cross, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (v. 43).
Bishop Demetrios concludes,
"The ISIS murderers seek to demoralize Christians with acts like the slaughter on a Libyan beach. Instead they stir our wonder at the courage and devotion inspired by God's love."
A year later, another Bishop[1] offered these words:
"These men paid the ultimate price, but gave us a cause to advocate for all those persecuted; they also showed us that there was a level of evil that we must all stand in solidarity against, and a level of courage, faithfulness and defiance that we must all aspire to."[2]
The terrorists who killed that young man did not know what they were doing.
Second, Christ fights evil through people who follow him with courage and devotion. Rodger Nishioka is a Presbyterian seminary professor and Christian educator who is convinced that actions speak louder than words, and that Christian service provides new ways of knowing Jesus today.
"Words are lovely, but in the 21st century, when we have rhetoric everywhere, maybe people are paying attention to how you and I live, to what we do."
He thinks it might be better for us to be participants, not commentators.
Nishioka tells the story of a young couple who moved from New Jersey to Iowa to start their careers. They visited a couple of churches but did not join a congregation. Then the wife discovered that she had Stage 4 breast cancer and was terrified. She entered the hospital for surgery. The pastor from one of the churches they attended visited her.
Once home, the young wife received a visit from one of the women of the church. She brought a casserole and said that she and her fellow church members had been praying for the woman and her husband. The wife thanked her and asked how much she owed her for the casserole. The woman said, "Sweetheart, this is free." They talked for a while, and then the churchwoman helped by cleaning the house.
Next day, there was another knock on the door. This time it was a man from the church bringing another dinner. The young wife offered to pay him, and he said, "No, this is free. This is what we do." Then he offered to fix her screen door, and he went out, got his tools, and fixed it.
The congregation brought a meal to this couple every day for six months. The two had so much in their freezer that they invited young adults from their workplaces to a meal at their house. Their colleagues asked, "Where did you get this food?"
They replied, "It comes from our church." Note the pronoun: Our church.
Their colleagues then asked, "What church do you go to?"
What made the difference were actions, not words -- how Christians were living and what Christians were doing. In this Iowa community, young adults were looking at authentic Christian devotion and saying: Their God is my God. Once again, Jesus the King was bringing good out of evil and life out of death.
Conclusion
Such stories stir our wonder.
"Come on, church, Maybe in the 21st century, folks are looking for a group of believers who act for the glory of God."
You have heard me say before that what this world needs is more of Jesus. We are the body of Christ. If the world is to see more of Jesus, it will be through our continuing faith and hope in Christ, even as we must battle evil, sin, and suffering in this world. We act, not for ourselves, but for the glory of God. We act, not for ourselves, but for Jesus.
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