This man has done nothing wrong
This week's verses are on Luke 23:39-48:
There's that "beating of breasts" thing again that we saw last week. The crowd that had gathered for a public execution returned home not cheering, but beating their breasts. Why the distress? Why was this time different?
Look at the contrast in these verses. The people are gathered for the ultimate punishment of guilt, and yet they are all witnessing the innocence of the defendant. Even one of the criminals stood up for him, proclaiming his innocence. He says "This man has done nothing wrong."
Jesus did nothing wrong, and yet he was the one being punished for everything. And only a criminal stood up for him while he was on the cross. It seems like ultimate failure, but there is a lesson. This one criminal spoke the truth and asked for mercy in the afterlife. And Jesus, nailed to the cross, confirmed that his prayer would be answered. The criminal would be together with Jesus in paradise. A failed man, confessing his sin, reaches out to the crucified Christ and is saved. It's our story too!
It was a massive injustice for Jesus to be there. The sun's light failed and the whole region was plunged into darkness for three hours. The heavy-duty curtain in the temple was torn in two! And Jesus departed on his mission. 3-2-1 blast off!
Imagine you were there watching this. You had come out to watch an execution, and now the whole world was falling apart. Rumor has it, the man being executed was a god. Maybe the rumors were right? And if they were, what could that mean for you? Would the god want revenge? Would he remember the faces of those who stood around and let it happen? You're at the zoo with your friends, pounding on the glass to taunt the lion, and suddenly the glass breaks...
The centurion praises God for what has happened. He says "Certainly this man was innocent!" Why else would the universe seem to grieve at what had just happened? He praises God for vindicating the innocent man, the man who has done nothing wrong, not realizing how massive the event he was witnessing was. He doesn't realize that the story is not over yet.
The people went home beating their breasts, overcome at the injustice of what had happened, fully aware that they shared the guilt of it, terrified that they would be destroyed. This man had done nothing wrong, and they had all showed up to be entertained as he got tortured to death. What they saw was the same thing we see in church on Sunday: Jesus, nailed to the cross, dying or dead, nothing but entertainment to us, until we realize who he is, and are terrified.
The rumors were true. The story isn't over. But if you had to be a criminal, looking back on what happened, would you rather have been the criminal who mocked Jesus, or the criminal who proclaimed the truth and begged for mercy? Maybe there's still time for us to make the right decision.
One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, because the sun’s light failed. The temple curtain was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And after he said this he breathed his last.
Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
There's that "beating of breasts" thing again that we saw last week. The crowd that had gathered for a public execution returned home not cheering, but beating their breasts. Why the distress? Why was this time different?
Look at the contrast in these verses. The people are gathered for the ultimate punishment of guilt, and yet they are all witnessing the innocence of the defendant. Even one of the criminals stood up for him, proclaiming his innocence. He says "This man has done nothing wrong."
Jesus did nothing wrong, and yet he was the one being punished for everything. And only a criminal stood up for him while he was on the cross. It seems like ultimate failure, but there is a lesson. This one criminal spoke the truth and asked for mercy in the afterlife. And Jesus, nailed to the cross, confirmed that his prayer would be answered. The criminal would be together with Jesus in paradise. A failed man, confessing his sin, reaches out to the crucified Christ and is saved. It's our story too!
It was a massive injustice for Jesus to be there. The sun's light failed and the whole region was plunged into darkness for three hours. The heavy-duty curtain in the temple was torn in two! And Jesus departed on his mission. 3-2-1 blast off!
Imagine you were there watching this. You had come out to watch an execution, and now the whole world was falling apart. Rumor has it, the man being executed was a god. Maybe the rumors were right? And if they were, what could that mean for you? Would the god want revenge? Would he remember the faces of those who stood around and let it happen? You're at the zoo with your friends, pounding on the glass to taunt the lion, and suddenly the glass breaks...
The centurion praises God for what has happened. He says "Certainly this man was innocent!" Why else would the universe seem to grieve at what had just happened? He praises God for vindicating the innocent man, the man who has done nothing wrong, not realizing how massive the event he was witnessing was. He doesn't realize that the story is not over yet.
The people went home beating their breasts, overcome at the injustice of what had happened, fully aware that they shared the guilt of it, terrified that they would be destroyed. This man had done nothing wrong, and they had all showed up to be entertained as he got tortured to death. What they saw was the same thing we see in church on Sunday: Jesus, nailed to the cross, dying or dead, nothing but entertainment to us, until we realize who he is, and are terrified.
The rumors were true. The story isn't over. But if you had to be a criminal, looking back on what happened, would you rather have been the criminal who mocked Jesus, or the criminal who proclaimed the truth and begged for mercy? Maybe there's still time for us to make the right decision.
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