Save Yourself

Luke 23:35-39 (ESV) And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Just after Jesus was nailed to the cross, three different groups of people called on him to save himself. The first was the Jewish leaders. They were more responsible for Jesus’ execution than any others. They took him to Pilate on trumped up charges. When Pilate sought to release him, they prevailed and persuaded him to crucify Jesus instead. They gloatingly taunted Jesus to save himself because they had won their victory (or so they thought).

The second group was the Roman soldiers who had just crucified him. These men were likely far from home in a land and among people they neither loved nor understood. To them Jesus may have been just another criminal to be executed until their leader, at least, recognized there was something more to this Jesus (See Luke 23:27 and Matthew 27:54).

The third was a criminal on the cross next to Jesus. This bitter taunt was the last in a bitter life. Each of these called on Jesus to save himself if he were the King of the Jews, as the sign over his head read, or if he were the Christ – the promised anointed one of the Jews: prophet, priest, and king.

The irony is Jesus was and is Christ and King, but saving himself would have eliminated those titles. The only one who got it right that day was the thief on the other cross, who asked Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) He alone understood that if Jesus had saved himself, he could not have saved anyone else. Because he did not save himself, he can and will save anyone who calls to him, no matter how guilty (as that guilty and convicted murder and thief proves). The only way you can save yourself is to go to the one who did not save himself so he could save you.

Exchanging Loads

Luke 23:26 (ESV) And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

Simon had no idea what would happen to him that day as he walked into the city. Originally from the area we now know as Libya, he may have trekked the thousand miles from there to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, or he may have been part of a community of Cyrenian Jews who lived near Jerusalem. Mark’s account tells us he was the father of Rufus and Alexander. Archaeologists have a discovered a first century tomb near Jerusalem of an “Alexander, son of Simon” in a Cyrenian cemetery. In Romans 16:13, Paul greeted a man named Rufus “and his mother, who has been a mother to me also.” This Rufus could well have been Simon’s son. Why else would a random stranger be named in all three Gospels and his sons named in one that likely originated in Rome? It sounds like that trip into the city changed Simon’s life and the lives of all in his family.

The biggest life changes often happened unexpectedly. They are rarely comfortable. Jesus had been carrying his cross after being flogged. Jesus probably stumbled from weakness and pain from the abuse, so a soldier picked Simon, a helpless bystander, and forced him to carry that cross. Simon’s routine trip to the city turned out much differently than he expected. The blood from Jesus’ whippings would have been streaming down the more than one hundred pound cross beam, making it very difficult to handle. He likely faced rough handling by the Roman soldiers who forced him to carry it. Whatever he was originally trying to do in the city got sidetracked by a major interruption far against his will.

Yet, it seems Simon was able to see beyond the pain and unfairness of that day’s interruption. Somehow he contemplated the one whose cross he bore. Perhaps he was able to gain a fresh perspective and realize that the one whose burden he carried that morning would carry his much greater burden on that same cross that afternoon. Simon responded that day by willingly exchanging his burden with Christ, and he, his wife, and his children were never the same again.

Much like Simon, we each need to look past our own pain and discomfort in those unpleasant interruptions of life. We need to see the opportunities they bring. Yet, even more like Simon, we need to take Jesus’ burden upon ourselves (Matthew 11:29), so that he can take the burden of our wrongdoings and their consequences onto that cross. That is the burden we can never bear on our own. 

In My Place

Luke 23:25 (ESV) He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

Barabbas was a terrorist and a murderer. There was no question of his guilt and responsibility with so many witnesses. He was held in prison by the Romans for leading an insurrection. In all likelihood, he was scheduled to be executed without any hope until some surprising events occurred one day. A homely teacher from the redneck land of Galilee had been dragged to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate by the chief priests who were jealous of his growing influence among the people.

Pilate tried this Jesus to placate the Jewish leaders, but he found no guilt in him. The charges the Jewish leaders put on Jesus were obviously trumped up and of no real consequence. Time and again, Pilate tried to let Jesus go, but the leaders kept calling for his crucifixion. Then Pilate thought of another way out. It was the Passover Feast. He had established a tradition of releasing a prisoner to the people. He thought the people would surely ask for Jesus. Instead, the priests had paid off the loudest to call for that man named Barabbas – the murder and terrorist – to be released. After one last failed attempt to persuade the crowd, Pilate gave in.

Imagine you were Barabbas: obviously guilty, expecting to be executed any day. In one moment, your life is changed. Another carries the cross you were supposed to carry. Another is executed on that same cross. That other dies were you were supposed to die. The biggest difference is he was completely innocent while you are completely guilty.

In a real sense, what happened to Barabbas happens to all of us who believe in Jesus. He took my place. He suffered the punishment I deserve. Although I may not have committed murder or led an insurrection, I have been guilty of doing bad and wrong things from my childhood on. (I could tell stories of my sin all day.) I do not deserve eternal life or a relationship with God in this one. Yet, this perfect savior died in my place on that cross so that by believing in him I can have new life – eternal life. (See Romans 5:8) I, the guilty criminal, am free.

Jesus died in your place, too. There is no sense in both of you suffering for your wrongs. Receive his forgiveness today.

To Whom Do You Listen?

Luke 23:22-24 (ESV) A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Have you ever thought you knew the right thing to do but someone else’s loud voice led you to do something different? That seems to be the case with Pontius Pilate. He was the governor of the most rebellious province in the whole Roman Empire. Becoming a governor was a great honor for him and an opportunity to prove himself possibly worthy of the highest seat in the world of his time, but he had to show he could lead effectively.

Pilate exercised a strong hand early in his term, but this caused an uproar and a rebuke from Caesar. At the time of Jesus’ trial, his situation was tenuous. He had to keep order and prove himself an effective leader.

He had no doubt heard about this Jesus, whose case he was to try. It sounds like he gave him a fair hearing. John 18 & 19 go into even more detail on their conversation. Pilate was convinced that Jesus had not done anything deserving of death. Yet, as we see above, the voices of the Jewish leaders prevailed, and Pilate made the decision they wanted, not the one his conscience directed him to give.

Although we may not be deciding life or death court cases, we still face the choice every day. Will we do the right thing or give into the loudest voices? Sometimes that is the same decision, but let us be careful to choose well when it is not. Just because their voices are loud does not make them right.

Healing Those Who Hurt Us

Luke 22:50-51 (ESV) And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.

Malchus came out to capture Jesus that night. He was no doubt armed and part of a detachment of soldiers and officers from the high priest sent to put an end to this vagabond preacher from Galilee who was stirring up trouble among the people. He had no good intent toward Jesus. He wanted to see him destroyed. He wanted to see Jesus hurt.

Once Malchus (we know his name from John 18:10) arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane with the rest of the armed squad, Judas gave the pre-planned signed of the kiss, so they would know for certain which of the men in that dark garden was Jesus. As he stepped forward to grab Jesus, the Apostle Peter stepped forward with a sword to prevent him. Not being an expert swordsman, Peter missed the vital organs but cut off Malchus’ ear. I am certain that was painful. To any of us it would have been justified. Malchus had maliciously come to cause Jesus pain. One of Jesus’ closest followers got to him first to prevent it. Turnabout is fair play, right?

Yet, once again, Jesus turned turnabout around. He healed Malchus’ ear. Rather than congratulating Peter on a good attempt or finishing the task he started, Jesus healed the one who came to hurt him. Note that he did not simply “let it go.” He reached out to his enemy and took away his pain.

What pain in your life have you sought to revenge? Perhaps you have congratulated yourself by forgiving and letting it go but cutting off the relationship, too? It is too often true that “hurt people hurt people.” Maybe it is time to take the next step and be like Jesus. Let’s seek the healing of those who hurt us.