Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Jesus Led away to be Crucified. LUKE XXIII, XXIV. Two Thieves C-ucificd with Hun.
thee? Doth even a common lot kindle no sj'jnpathy In thy breast?" we justly, Ac—He own.s the worst of bis crimes and deserts, and would lain shame his fellow into the same, nothing amiss lit., ' 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 honours which amounted to blasphemy. The charge of treason had not even A show ol truth, as I'ilate told His enemies. In this delence then there .seems more thnu meets the eye. ' He ma'le Himself the promised Messiah, the Son of God; but in this He "di<i nothing amiss ;" He ate with publicans and sinners, and bid 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 th? 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 icsa than this? Observe (1.) His frank confession and genuine selfcondemnation, (2.) His astonishment and horror at the very dilterent state of his fellow's mind. (3.) His anxiety to bring him to a better mind while yet there was hope.
55-62. Jestts Before Caiaphas—Fall of Petek. The particulars ol these two .sections require a combination of all the narratives, for which see on John IS. 1, Ac.
63-71. Jksus Condemned to Die and shajiefui.i.y Kntkeated. See on Mark 1!. ;>^-ti.S; John IS. iU, iSc. (See on V. M-ii'l.)
CHAPTER XXIII.
Ver. 1-5. Jesds Before Pilate. See on Mark 15. 1-5; and Jolui IS. iS, &c.
6-12. Jesus Before Herod. See on Mark 15. 6. sent lilm to Herod—hoping thus to escape the dilemma of an unjust condemnation or an unpopular release, at Jenisalem ... at tliat time—to keep the Passover, some mlrncle—Fine sport tliou expectedst, as the Philistines with Samson (Judges 16. 25), O coarse, crafty, cruel tyrant
But thou hast been baulked before (see on ch. 13. Sl-S?), and slialt be again, aiiswered nothing—See Matthew?.
6. stood and veliemeiitly accused liim— no doubt both of treason before the king, and of blasphemy, for the king was a Jeiv. and Ills men of war—his body-guard. s*t Iiim 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 sliining white, this being the royal colour among the Jews, it may have been in derision of His claim to be " King of tlie Jews." But if so, 'He in reality honoured Him, as did Pilate with His true title blazoned on the cross.' [Bf.ngel.] sent Iilm again to Pllatc—instead of releasing him as he ought, having established nothing against Him {v. 14, 1.5). 'Thus he implicated himself with Pilate in all the guilt of His condemnation, and with him accordingly he is classed' (Acts
(4.) His noble testimony, not only to the innocence of Jesus, but to all that this implied of the rightfulness of His claims. Said to 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 tcmpo7-al kingdom. (2.) This he calls Christ's own (th.v) kingdom. (3.) As such, he sees in Clirist tlie absolute right to dispose of that kingdom to whom He pleased. (4.) He does not presnme to a.sA; a place in that kingdom, though that is what he means, but with a humility quite affecting, just says, " Lord, ?-(?m('»i6pr me when," &c. Yet was there mighty faith in that word. If Clirist will l)ut "think upon him" (Nehemiah 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 tiie 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 conies 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 wlien thor comest," &c. Was ever faith like this exhibited npop. earth? It looks as if the brightest crown had been reserved for the Saviour's head at His darkest moment! 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 1 say unto thee 'Since thou speakest as to the king, with kingly authority speak I to thee.' to-dny—'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, 2 Corinthians 12.4; Revelation 2.7). Learn
4.27). [Bengel.] ateniiiily—perliaps al)Out some point of disputed jurisdiction, which this exchange of the Prisoner might tend to heal.
1S-3S. Jesis again before Pilate—Delivered up— IjED AWAY TO be Ckucifieb. See on Mark 13.6-15; and John 19.2, etc. 26. Cyrculan—of Cyrene,in Ubya, on the north coast of Africa, where were many Jews who had a synagogue at Jeru.salem (Acts 6. 9, and see 2. 10). He was "the father of Alexander and Rufus" (Mark 15. 21), probably better known afterwards than himself, as disciples. See Romans 16.13. out of tlie country—and casually drawn into that part of the crowd, laltl the cross—"Him they compel to bear His cross" (Matthew 27. 32>—sweet compulsion, if it issued in him or his sons voiunlarily "taking up iAcjr cross!" It would appear that our Lord had first to bear His own cross (John 19. 17), hut being from exhaustion unable to proceed, it was laid on anotlier to bear it "after Him." 37-31. women—not the precious Galilean women (v. 49), but part of the crowd, not for me, &c.—noble spirit of compassion, rising above His own dread endurances, in tender commiseration of sufferings yet in the distance and far lighter, but tvitliout His supports and consolations .' mountains . . . hills, &c.—(Hosea 10.
8), fl.ving hither and thither as they did in despair for shelter, during the .siege; a very slight premonition of cries of another and more awful kind (Isaiah 2. 10, 19, 21; Revelation 6. 16, 17). green tree—that naturally resists the fire, the dry—that attracts the fire, bein its proper fuel. The proverb here plainly means: 'If such sufferings alight upon the Innocent One, the ver,y Lamb of God, what mu.st be in store for those who are provoking the
(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 presumptim and despair on a death hour are equally discountenanced here, the one in the impenitent thief, the other in his penitent fellow.
flaiines?'
32-38, 44-46. Crucifixion and Death of the Lord Jesuk. See on John 19. 17-30. 3^48. The Two Thieves. 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 dishonour and tora It to the unspeakable glory of the dying Redeemer. 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 corning Judgment? In the same condemnation—' He has been condemned to die, but Is 11 better with
47-56. Signs and Circumstancf.s Following His DE.vrn—His Burial. See on Matthew 27. 51-56, 62-6d' John 19. 31-42.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Vor. 1-12. Angelic Announcement to the WoMEif THAX Christ is Risen—Peter's Visit to the Empty Sepulchre. See on Mark 16. 1-8, and Matthew 28, 1-5, 8«