Daily Scripture Reading Luke 23:33-56
A common problem throughout human history, and it is happening in the West today, is corrupt government leaders punishing their political opponents and other innocent people. If and when the corruption is rooted out and punished, it is natural to take revenge against everyone who participated, including police officers who arrested innocent victims. Should every participant be held accountable?
Jesus was an innocent man who was put to death. When they hung Him on the cross, He forgave those who physically put Him there. His reason for extending forgiveness gives us something to think about as we decide who all should be punished when corruption is brought to light.
After trials before both Pilate and Herod, Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, and offered to release Him. However, the Jewish leaders repeatedly demanded His death, so Pilate delivered Him over to their will. They led Jesus and two criminals away to be put to death.
Luke 23:33 ¶ And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” AND THEY CAST LOTS, DIVIDING UP HIS GARMENTS AMONG THEMSELVES.
Notice the word “forgive” and the pronoun “them”. Jesus forgave the ones who actually hung Him on the cross. The reason for the forgiveness was because they didn’t know what they were doing. The soldiers who physically put Jesus on the cross were simply doing as they were told. They were not responsible for determining whether Jesus was innocent or guilty. When Jesus said they didn’t know what they were doing, He said they were not aware they were crucifying an innocent man who also happened to be God Himself.
A common problem throughout human history, and it is happening in the West today, is corrupt government leaders punishing their political opponents and other innocent people. When injustice takes place, there are multiple levels of people involved. Law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and prison administrators all participate in the nasty deed, not just the corrupt government leaders who initiate the atrocity.
If and when the corruption is rooted out and punished, it is natural to take revenge against everyone who participated, including police officers who arrested innocent victims.
Should every participant be held accountable? If a law enforcement officer followed orders and arrested an innocent man, should he be held accountable? If soldiers follow orders and kill innocent civilians, are they guilty of murder?
Jesus forgave those who physically put Him on the cross because they did not know what they were actually doing. Perhaps we should use the same standard. When we punish corruption, anyone who knew they were doing something wrong should be held accountable. Meanwhile, anyone who was not aware they were actually participating in corruption, and had no way of knowing they were doing so, may deserve some grace.
Luke 23:35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were scoffing at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”
Luke 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
Luke 23:37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
Luke 23:38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Luke 23:39 ¶ And one of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”
Luke used the word “blaspheming” to describe one of the criminals. Blaspheme means to slander, speak lightly of, malign, and dishonor.
Luke 23:40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Don’t miss the detail that the one criminal rebuked the other when he observed the disrespect.
Luke 23:41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
This criminal admitted he was guilty. Somehow he also knew Jesus was innocent. The Bible does not tell us how he knew that.
Luke 23:42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
Notice the phrase “in Your kingdom”. This tells us the second criminal grasped the deity of Jesus. He knew and acknowledged who Jesus is.
Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Since the second criminal accepted the truth about Jesus, he went to Paradise.
This parallels what we know about salvation. Romans 10:9-10 tells us anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord and believes He rose from the dead will be saved. In other words, anyone who accepts the truth, reality, and ramifications about who Jesus is will be saved.
Luke 23:44 ¶ And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
Luke 23:45 because the sun was obscured. And the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two.
The Jewish leaders knew they did not have sufficient reason to put Jesus to death. Based on His miracles, they should have known Jesus is God. Furthermore, when the sun went dark and the veil was torn, they had even more reason to know that Jesus was not merely a man.
Luke 23:46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.
Luke 23:47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was righteous.”
The centurion oversaw the actual crucifixion of Jesus. Before they put Jesus on the cross, the centurion probably had no way of knowing whether or not Jesus deserved death. The centurion was included in the group that Jesus forgave.
Having said that, when the centurion saw the sky go dark and observed everything else that surrounded the crucifixion, he came to the conclusion that Jesus was righteous.
Luke 23:48 And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, were returning, beating their chests.
Notice the phrase “beating their chests”. Luke also used this phrase in Luke 18:13. The tax collector went to the temple and was beating his chest, requesting mercy from God. This tells us beating their chest was a sign of anguish and mourning. It was not celebration.
When the crowds at the cross observed what happened, they went home beating their chests, a sign of anguish, because they grasped that something unjust had occurred.
Luke 23:49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, watching these things.
Luke 23:50 ¶ And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a Council member, a good and righteous man
Luke 23:51 (he had not consented to their counsel and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God;
Luke 23:52 this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Verse 50 tells us Joseph was a good man. Verse 51 tells us he did not agree with killing Jesus.
Luke 23:53 And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.
Luke 23:54 It was Preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
Luke 23:55 Now the women, who had come with Him from Galilee, followed and beheld the tomb and how His body was laid.
Luke 23:56 Then after they returned, they prepared spices and perfumes. ¶ And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
When corruption takes place, law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and prison administrators all participate in the nasty deed, not just the corrupt government leaders who initiate the atrocity. If and when the corruption is rooted out and punished, it is natural to take revenge against everyone who participated, including police officers who arrested innocent victims. Should every participant be held accountable?
Jesus forgave those who physically put Him on the cross because they did not know what they were actually doing. Perhaps we should use the same standard. When we punish corruption, anyone who knew they were doing something wrong should be held accountable. Meanwhile, anyone who was not aware they were actually participating in corruption, and had no way of knowing they were doing so, may deserve some grace.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”