The Crucifixion

Good Friday – Luke 23:32-49

2 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus[e] 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.”

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

In the Good Friday worship in-person and on-line the focus is on what Jesus says from the cross. So this devotional will focus on the contrast between vs. 35-37 and vs. 47-48.

In vs. 35-37, the soldiers ridicule Jesus, they have the power and he has none. They can taunt him knowing he is going to die. The same with others in the crowd; “If you are so great,” they say, “Then save yourself.” Jesus appears to be defeated, powerless; the forces of evil are doing their worst and human beings are joining in on the action. The forces of evil and the people who do evil have won.

But at noon the story changed. Suddenly the sun stopped shining (theologically it is as though creation cannot witness the death/murder of its creator), the world went dark. The curtain in the temple that protected The Holy of Holies from the eyes of human beings, a curtain that was as much as 6 inches thick, was torn from top to bottom and the holiness of God was no longer contained in The Holy of Holies. Both of these are the actions of God, God steps into the story – not sending angels to rescue Jesus – but nonetheless stepping into the story and declaring that evil had not won, that the human powers did not win. The final proof is that Jesus can commit himself to God, who has been proven victorious in the cross.  

The change in the story impacts the people around the cross. The Roman centurion, the one in charge of the soldiers who had mocked Jesus, gave praise to God for what he had seen, saying “Surely this man was innocent.” Those in the crowd who had laughed at Jesus went home in mourning, beating their chests over what they had done. They recognized the wrongdoing.

The seeming defeat of Jesus by the forces of evil and the people who do wrong was turned on its head as Jesus dies triumphant over the evil powers that killed him.

PRAYER:  

Lord God, your Son was nailed to the cross in defeat and died in victory; was laughed at by his enemies and hailed as the king by those who saw the truth. Help us to see the truth as well, that losing is winning, that defeat is victory, and that death is the road to life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.