Luk 23:39 | KingComments | STEP | In the midst of the rejection we see how the Lord turns to His Father and asks Him to forgive His murderers because they don’t know what they are doing. Isn’t that an incomprehensible grace? No word of revenge comes over His lips, but a word out of which His love for this people radiates. The first crossword is one of forgiveness. He addresses Himself in this prayer to His Father. On the basis of this intercession, Peter delivers his speech to the Jews after the Holy Spirit has been poured out ( ). The conversion of Saul, the hater and persecutor of the Christians, also takes place on the basis of this prayer ( ). Would we have said that they did not know what they were doing? The Lord says it and therefore it is so. They did not know it in depth, otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory ( ). While the Lord prays, the soldiers make a game of dividing up His garments. It was all He left. The people are looking on and watch all. Even at the cross His enemies do not leave Him alone. With pleasure the rulers look at the result of their efforts. They managed to get rid of Him. They continue to sneer at Him and challenge Him to save Himself. After all, He also saved others, didn’t He? Their remark that He has saved others is true. With this remark they testify of His work of grace among them, but it has done nothing in their heart. They mock the fact that He is the Christ of God. Let Him prove it by saving Himself. They say things of which they do not in any way suspect the truth. He is the Chosen One, although everything there speaks against it when He hangs on the cross as the Miserable and is an example of contempt and weakness. It seems that God does not want to have anything to do with Him and it seems that the religious leaders are right that He is a deceiver. But it is precisely in these moments that He is pre-eminently the Chosen One of God, the Man Who completely answers everything God asks of a man. Because He wants to save others, He cannot save Himself. The soldiers join in mocking Him. They are approaching and offer him sour wine. Possibly we should think of them bringing the sour wine close to His lips, without Him actually being able to touch it. This is a tantalus torment for one who is tortured by thirst. We read in the book of Psalms that the Lord was tormented by thirst ( ). Luke does not mention how the Lord responds to this. To him it is about the portrayal of man who, led by satan, turns against the Christ of God in the most horrible way. While the rulers challenge the Lord to save Himself and thereby show that He is the Christ, the soldiers challenge Him to save Himself and thereby show that He is the King of the Jews. The inscription placed above Him as a mockery is: “This is the King of the Jews.” And so He is. In His shame His glory becomes manifested, despite man’s will to humiliate Him into the deepest depths. Soon He will reveal Himself as King. For the third time, the mocking challenge of saving Himself is heard. This time it comes from one of the hanged criminals who calls upon Him as the Christ to do it and then at the same time save them. This criminal is only thinking of a salvation for the moment. It is not a question of a sincere heart, but a blasphemy. This man too, so close to the gate of death, joins the blasphemers of the Lord. The hatred of wicked man is so great, that even in his death agony he blasphemes the Lord.

‏ Luke 23:39

Prayer for His Enemies and Mocked

In the midst of the rejection we see how the Lord turns to His Father and asks Him to forgive His murderers because they don’t know what they are doing. Isn’t that an incomprehensible grace? No word of revenge comes over His lips, but a word out of which His love for this people radiates. The first crossword is one of forgiveness. He addresses Himself in this prayer to His Father.

On the basis of this intercession, Peter delivers his speech to the Jews after the Holy Spirit has been poured out (Acts 3:17). The conversion of Saul, the hater and persecutor of the Christians, also takes place on the basis of this prayer (1Tim 1:13). Would we have said that they did not know what they were doing? The Lord says it and therefore it is so. They did not know it in depth, otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1Cor 2:8).

While the Lord prays, the soldiers make a game of dividing up His garments. It was all He left. The people are looking on and watch all. Even at the cross His enemies do not leave Him alone. With pleasure the rulers look at the result of their efforts. They managed to get rid of Him. They continue to sneer at Him and challenge Him to save Himself. After all, He also saved others, didn’t He? Their remark that He has saved others is true. With this remark they testify of His work of grace among them, but it has done nothing in their heart.

They mock the fact that He is the Christ of God. Let Him prove it by saving Himself. They say things of which they do not in any way suspect the truth. He is the Chosen One, although everything there speaks against it when He hangs on the cross as the Miserable and is an example of contempt and weakness.

It seems that God does not want to have anything to do with Him and it seems that the religious leaders are right that He is a deceiver. But it is precisely in these moments that He is pre-eminently the Chosen One of God, the Man Who completely answers everything God asks of a man. Because He wants to save others, He cannot save Himself.

The soldiers join in mocking Him. They are approaching and offer him sour wine. Possibly we should think of them bringing the sour wine close to His lips, without Him actually being able to touch it. This is a tantalus torment for one who is tortured by thirst. We read in the book of Psalms that the Lord was tormented by thirst (Psa 22:15). Luke does not mention how the Lord responds to this. To him it is about the portrayal of man who, led by satan, turns against the Christ of God in the most horrible way.

While the rulers challenge the Lord to save Himself and thereby show that He is the Christ, the soldiers challenge Him to save Himself and thereby show that He is the King of the Jews. The inscription placed above Him as a mockery is: “This is the King of the Jews.” And so He is. In His shame His glory becomes manifested, despite man’s will to humiliate Him into the deepest depths. Soon He will reveal Himself as King.

For the third time, the mocking challenge of saving Himself is heard. This time it comes from one of the hanged criminals who calls upon Him as the Christ to do it and then at the same time save them. This criminal is only thinking of a salvation for the moment. It is not a question of a sincere heart, but a blasphemy. This man too, so close to the gate of death, joins the blasphemers of the Lord. The hatred of wicked man is so great, that even in his death agony he blasphemes the Lord.