Life takes on a different odor and
texture when someone close to you passes away. Suddenly all the things we take
for granted become so much more important. If only we could have one more
minute to tell that person those words we long to say. There’s no do-overs when
the end comes. It’s just over. No one can make it all better. That’s why God
did not intend for death to be a part of our existence. Let me repeat that. God
did not intend for death to be a part of our existence. We hear that death is a
natural part of our living, but it is not. It is the ultimate result of the fall
of man from the creation state when man lived in perfect relationship with God.
Death is separation, and not God’s desire for man at all. Therefore, God, in
His incarnate state, crossed the line, spread his arms, and reached for us. For
Him, all life matters, my life matters, your life matters, we all matter. As
Jesus faced those final moments of His life, He was still about those divine
appointments, those last chances to say those things that needed to be said
despite the immensity of His pain, or the risk that it would not impact those
around Him. Those He encountered while Jesus was dying is the subject of our
study.
Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a
Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that
he might bear it after
Jesus. Luke 23:26
The first of the encounters that we see is Simon of Cyrene. Simon
was in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, having just arrived, he comes
into the city as the Romans are leading a group of condemned men out to be
executed. Simon, a young, strong man from Northern Africa, is pressed into
service to carry the cross of one of the prisoners. The condemned is too badly
beaten to bear the weight of the instrument of his execution. Simon cannot
disobey the Romans unless he too wants to suffer the same fate, but he also
does not want to be defiled right before the high holy day. The Romans will
kill him if he refuses to follow their orders, the orders of the empire, there
for he would be guilty of insurrection. He has no choice, death, or life
through carrying the cross. He carries the cross, and by doing so he lives. The encounter with Christ, demonstrates what
Jesus said was indeed true: Whoever does not
take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and
whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. Matt.10:38-39 We know this experience changed Simon, because
the other gospels and church history mentions him as the father of Alexander
and Rufus who were known in the church. Also the fact that the gospel writers
all knew his name means that he hung around after the experience. He was not
just a face in the crowd. This experience changed him. He witnessed the
crucifixion. The carrying of the cross had bonded him to the Man. Perhaps he
wondered what Condemned could have done to deserve such treatment from the
Romans. This was not the average execution. Usually a man was either scourge
and left to die or crucified, but not both. Like many young people today, he
got caught up in what was going on, and he had to try to make sense of the
madness of the situation he found himself in the center of.
And a
great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and
lamented Him. But
Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but
weep for which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which
never nursed!’ Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on
us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For
if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” Luke
23:27-31
This passage begins interesting enough, with the familiarity of
the words, “And a great multitude followed Him, what is interesting is the reason
they were following Him. It was not longer to hail Him as King, like they did
just a week before, this multitude has a different agenda, and it begins with a
group of women, probably women who had knew of His works when He was in his
ministry. Think of them as groupies. This were not the saintly women who are
painted as being those who tended to him during his ministry. These women
received a rebuke from Him, even as he was being executed. He calls them
Daughters of Jerusalem, which He had given a warning: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to
you, how often I have
longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her
wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until
you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’
Matt.23:37-39. He did this
because even then Jesus could see their hearts. These women were not crying for
what they were losing in relationship, but for what they were losing in gain.
They were the ones who go in after the relative has died and start eyeing the
possessions.
There are so many in the church like this today. They sit in the pews
and sometimes even in the pulpit, for the purpose of self-serving agendas
instead of the kingdom of God. Sometimes not knowing why you’re doing something
is exactly why you should be doing it. They weep because of what they’re losing
for themselves, their chance at that opportunity to prosper themselves. If
those who had Jesus there in the flesh couldn’t understand it while it was
fresh, what chance do people have today with so much misinformation about Jesus
being thrown at them to dry out the truth?
There were also two others, criminals, led with
Him to be put to death. And
when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and
the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus
said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And
they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers
with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the
Christ, the chosen of God.”
The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are
the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”
And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek,
Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:32-38
Imagine if you were the one dying and people were mocking you.
There are many who have experienced and continue to experience this kind of
death. The death of a martyr knows this type of experience. What is fascinating
is that Jesus didn’t resist, even though he had the ability to stop it. He didn’t get angry. He had come to complete a
mission and it was going to be fulfilled, no matter who stood in opposition to
Him, even if those He had come to save did all they could to make it as hard as
possible to do it. He prayed for them. This is what He instructed us to do. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matt. 5:44 Understanding that God is control of every situation should make it
easier for all us to forgive those who mock us. He will handle the situation.
Sometimes God will choose to appoint mockers to rise up for purposes we don’t
understand at the time. The thing about stepping out in faith is remembering
that we have to be pelted by the storm to really experience the awesome power
of the God we serve. Peter stepping out of the boat and walking on the water
wasn’t as miraculous a story if the sea was calm. It was because of the
fierceness of the storm. He trusted enough to step out in such a deluge, when
without Jesus he was sure to die. Standing strong for Jesus is the definitive
measure of what a Christian is, especially in the face of the mockers as we are
about to see.
Then
one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the
Christ, save Yourself and us.”
But
the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing
you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive
the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus,
“Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you
will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
The mocking, the self-serving, and the rejecting all come together
in the blaspheming criminal. Someone once asked me what about his question was
blasphemous. I explained to her that it was blasphemous on two points. First by
the way he started, “If you are the Christ…” He began without acknowledging
that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And secondly, by assuming
that he was just as worthy to be on equal footing with the Christ, in a sense
elevating himself to the same level. He wasn’t saying, “Save me, Lord, I’m a
sinner.” He was ordering Jesus to do it for him. This was the same sin as the
first sin spoken by Satan to Eve in the garden. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes
will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil.” Genesis 3:5
The other criminal has quite
the opposite reaction to Jesus being there beside him. He knows that he is
deserving of death, and is getting the sentence he has been dreading. He says
as much when he admits and confesses that he is getting what he deserves. There
is no mercy for his deeds in this life. He is very aware of that fact, so he
places his hope in what he can, the next life. This man beside is innocent, and
being ‘sacrificed’. He understands that Jesus is Lord, and has observed His compassion
even in dying. He asks that Jesus remembers him as He his heavenly Kingdom.
Truly God has given him divine revelation as he places his last hope in the
righteousness of Jesus. And Jesus assures him his hope has not been misplaced.
Now
it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth
until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the
temple was torn in two. And
when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your
hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God,
saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” Luke 23:44-47
Mission accomplished. At the sixth hour of the day, when it should
have been bright, a great darkness covered the land for three hours. Some say
this was an eclipse, but I’ve never known an eclipse to last that long, also to
encompass the entire earth. It’s as if nature itself was holding its breath.
The sun awaits that moment when this event happens. The mention of the veil
being torn in two is very significant because it was the veil that separated
the most Holy of Holies from the Holy place where the priests served up the
sacrifices of the common people. It was as if God Himself stepped through and
said, “I accept.” And in that moment it what was offered to Him was the
sacrifice of His Son in the place of the people. A Passover sacrifice had been
made, and there would be no more death.
Who took notice of this? It was a Centurion, a gentile soldier who
had been the one to conduct the execution of the sacrifice. In his
pronouncement he was saying, “This was an acceptable sacrifice, without
blemish, without mar, without fault, and He has been sacrificed.” It was the
job of the one who conducted the killing of the sacrifice to pronounce that the
ransom had been paid. God used this man, this gentile, to demonstrate that He
would not hold back his blessing from anyone who would proclaim the
righteousness of Christ. The Bible does not say that this Centurion became a
believer, but we do know through history that it was through the Roman army and
the conversion of many in the ranks that the gospel was spread throughout the
world. During the first persecution of the church, it was the martyrdom of the
saints that inspired the Roman legions to seek out this Christ that even when
driven to death his followers would not deny Him. This Centurion was just the
first of many who would choose to make this declaration.
These encounters, in the final moments of Jesus missionary
ministry, demonstrate to us the message of the gospel is not about waiting for
the proper time. There never is a proper time. It’s always go-time. It’s always
inconvenient. It’s always costly. The impact we can have is about the moment we
are in now, because we don’t always get another chance with someone. But for those of us who believe:
But this Man, after He had
offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till
His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them," then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Hebrews 10:12-18
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