Luke 23

⁷And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Lu 23:1-5. Jesus before Pilate. (See on Mr 15:1-5; and Joh 18:28-19:22.) Lu 23:6-12. Jesus before Herod. (See Mr 15:6.) 7. sent him to Herod--hoping thus to escape the dilemma of an unjust condemnation or an unpopular release. at Jerusalem ... at that time--to keep the passover.

⁸And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.

8. some miracle--Fine sport thou expectedst, as the Philistines with Samson (Jud 16:25), O coarse, crafty, cruel tyrant! But thou hast been baulked before (see on Lu 13:31-33), and shalt be again.

⁹Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

9. answered ... nothing--(See Mt 7:6).

¹⁰And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

10. stood and vehemently accused him--no doubt both of treason before the king, and of blasphemy, for the king was a Jew.

¹¹And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

11. his men of war--his bodyguard. set him at naught, &c.--stung with disappointment at His refusal to amuse him with miracles or answer any of his questions. gorgeous robe--bright robe. If this mean (as sometimes) of shining white, this being the royal color among the Jews, it may have been in derision of His claim to be “King of the Jews.” But if so, “He in reality honored Him, as did Pilate with His true title blazoned on the cross” [Bengel]. sent him again to Pilate--instead of releasing him as he ought, having established nothing against Him (Lu 23:14, 15). “Thus he implicated himself with Pilate in all the guilt of His condemnation, and with him accordingly he is classed” (Ac 4:27) [Bengel]. at enmity--perhaps about some point of disputed jurisdiction, which this exchange of the Prisoner might tend to heal.

(See on Mr 15:6-15; and Joh 19:2-17).

²⁶And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

26. Cyrenian--of Cyrene, in Libya, on the north coast of Africa, where were many Jews who had a synagogue at Jerusalem (Ac 6:9, and see Ac 2:10). He was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mr 15:21), probably better known afterwards than himself, as disciples. (See Ro 16:13). out of the country--and casually drawn into that part of the crowd. laid the cross--“Him they compel to bear His cross,” (Mt 27:32)--sweet compulsion, if it issued in him or his sons voluntarily “taking up their cross!” It would appear that our Lord had first to bear His own cross (Joh 19:17), but being from exhaustion unable to proceed, it was laid on another to bear it “after Him.”

²⁷And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

²⁸But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

²⁹For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

³⁰Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

³¹For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

27-31. women--not the precious Galilean women (Lu 23:49), but part of the crowd.

³⁹And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

39. railed on him--catching up the universal derision, but with a turn of his own. Jesus, “reviled, reviles not again”; but another voice from the cross shall nobly wipe out this dishonor and turn it to the unspeakable glory of the dying Redeemer.

⁴⁰But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

40. Dost not thou--“thou” is emphatic: “Let others jeer, but dost thou?” fear God--Hast thou no fear of meeting Him so soon as thy righteous Judge? Thou art within an hour or two of eternity, and dost thou spend it in reckless disregard of coming judgment? in the same condemnation--He has been condemned to die, but is it better with thee? Doth even a common lot kindle no sympathy in thy breast?

⁴¹And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

41. we ... justly, &c.--He owns the worst of his crimes and deserts, and would fain shame his fellow into the same. nothing amiss--literally, “out of place”; hence “unnatural”; a striking term here. Our Lord was not charged with ordinary crime, but only with laying claim to office and honors which amounted to blasphemy. The charge of treason had not even a show of truth, as Pilate told His enemies. In this defense then there seems more than meets the eye. “He made Himself the promised Messiah, the Son of God; but in this He ‘did nothing amiss’; He ate with publicans and sinners, and bade all the weary and heavy laden come and rest under His wing; but in this He ‘did nothing amiss’: He claimed to be Lord of the Kingdom of God, to shut it at will, but also to open it at pleasure even to such as we are; but in this He ‘did nothing amiss!’”

Does His next speech imply less than this? Observe: (1) His frank confession and genuine self-condemnation. (2) His astonishment and horror at the very different state of his fellow’s mind. (3) His anxiety to bring him to a better mind while yet there was hope. (4) His noble testimony, not only to the innocence of Jesus, but to all that this implied of the rightfulness of His claims.

⁴²And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

42. said unto Jesus, &c.--Observe here (1) The “kingdom” referred to was one beyond the grave; for it is inconceivable that he should have expected Him to come down from the cross to erect any temporal kingdom. (2) This he calls Christ’s own (Thy) kingdom. (3) As such, he sees in Christ the absolute right to dispose of that kingdom to whom He pleased. (4) He does not presume to ask a place in that kingdom, though that is what he means, but with a humility quite affecting, just says, “Lord, remember me when,” &c. Yet was there mighty faith in that word. If Christ will but “think upon him” (Ne 5:19), at that august moment when He “cometh into His kingdom,” it will do.

“Only assure me that then Thou wilt not forget such a wretch as I, that once hung by Thy side, and I am content.” Now contrast with this bright act of faith the darkness even of the apostles’ minds, who could hardly be got to believe that their Master would die at all, who now were almost despairing of Him, and who when dead had almost buried their hopes in His grave. Consider, too, the man’s previous disadvantages and bad life. And then mark how his faith comes out--not in protestations, “Lord, I cannot doubt, I am firmly persuaded that Thou art Lord of a kingdom, that death cannot disannul Thy title nor impede the assumption of it in due time,” &c.--but as having no shadow of doubt, and rising above it as a question altogether, he just says, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest,” &c. Was ever faith like this exhibited upon earth?

It looks as if the brightest crown had been reserved for the Saviour’s head at His darkest moment!

⁴³And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

43. Jesus said, &c.--The dying Redeemer speaks as if He Himself viewed it in this light. It was a “song in the night.” It ministered cheer to His spirit in the midnight gloom that now enwrapt it. Verily I say unto thee--“Since thou speakest as to the king, with kingly authority speak I to thee.” To-day--“Thou art prepared for a long delay before I come into My kingdom, but not a day’s delay shall there be for thee; thou shalt not be parted from Me even for a moment, but together we shall go, and with Me, ere this day expire, shalt thou be in Paradise” (future bliss, 2Co 12:4; Re 2:7). Learn (1) How “One is taken and another left”; (2) How easily divine teaching can raise the rudest and worst above the best instructed and most devoted servants of Christ; (3) How presumption and despair on a death hour are equally discountenanced here, the one in the impenitent thief, the other in his penitent fellow.

(See on Mt 27:51-56; Mt 27:62-66; and Joh 19:31-42).