Even now, at the right hand of God, the Lord is continually praying a prayer of anticipatory forgiveness out of compassion for the ignorance of a sinner like me, repeatedly saying, “Father, forgive James … forgive James …”

 

Even now, at the right hand of God, the Lord is continually praying a prayer of anticipatory forgiveness out of compassion for the ignorance of a sinner like me, repeatedly saying, “Father, forgive James … forgive James …”

 

 

[Prayer of anticipatory forgiveness: Before the perpetrators had repented of their wrongdoing or even asked for forgiveness, Jesus first proclaimed forgiveness at the very height of the most terrible suffering, as the cross was being erected.]

 

 

 

“Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him.  When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left.  Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.  They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’  The soldiers also came up and mocked him.  They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’  There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah?  Save yourself and us!’  But the other criminal rebuked him.  ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our deeds deserve.  But this man has done nothing wrong.’  Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ J esus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:32–43).

 

 

(1)   After reading today’s passage, Luke 23:32–43, in both the Korean Bible and the Greek text, the first thing I would like to do is compare it with the parallel passages—Matthew 27:33–43, Mark 15:22–32, and John 19:17–24—in order to understand the comprehensive sequence of events.

 

1.   The Journey from Pilate’s Judgment Seat to Golgotha

 

Departure: After receiving the death sentence, Jesus takes off the purple robe and puts on his own clothes.  According to John’s account, he initially sets out toward Golgotha outside the city gate carrying his own cross.

 

Simon of Cyrene carries the cross: When Jesus can no longer carry the cross because of the scourging and exhaustion, the Roman soldiers seize Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who happens to be coming into the city from the countryside.  They force him to carry Jesus’ cross and follow behind Jesus.

 

The women mourn: To the large crowd of people and the women who are following him, weeping and mourning, Jesus says, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children,” warning them of the judgment that is to come.  The two other criminals are also led away with Jesus to be executed.

 

2.   Arrival at Golgotha and the Crucifixion (9:00 a.m.)

 

The offer and refusal of a drink: When they arrive at the place called “the Skull” (Golgotha), the soldiers first offer Jesus wine mixed with gall (wine mixed with myrrh), containing an anesthetic intended to lessen the pain before crucifixion.  However, Jesus tastes it and refuses to drink it.

 

Execution by crucifixion: Then, at the third hour (9:00 a.m.), the soldiers crucify Jesus. The two criminals are also placed on his left and right, one on each side, and are crucified and hung there with him.

 

Prayer for forgiveness: While on the cross, Jesus offers his first prayer for those carrying out the execution: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

 

3.   Casting Lots for the Clothes and Attaching the Inscription

 

Distribution of the undergarment and outer garments: After crucifying and hanging Jesus, the soldiers sit beneath the cross.  They divide Jesus’ outer garments into four parts, taking one part each.  But because his undergarment is woven in one piece, they do not tear it; instead, they cast lots to determine who will receive it, thereby fulfilling the Old Testament Scripture (Ps. 22:18).

 

The inscription in three languages: Above Jesus’ head on the cross, they place an inscription reading, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”  The chief priests protest to Pilate and ask him to change it to “He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews,’” but Pilate refuses. The inscription is written in Hebrew, Roman (Latin), and Greek so that both Jews and Gentiles can see it.

 

4.   Mockery and Ridicule from Every Side

 

Insults from the rulers and the people: The people stand watching, while those passing by shake their heads and insult him, saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!  If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”  The chief priests, scribes, and elders also mock him, saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel. Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.”

 

Mockery by the soldiers: The soldiers also mock him, offering him wine vinegar and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”

5.   The Contrasting Responses of the Two Criminals and the Promise of Paradise

 

Their initial response: At first, both criminals who were hanging beside Jesus on their crosses insulted Jesus and hurled abuse at him.

 

The repentance of one criminal: However, as time passed, one of the criminals hanging on the cross underwent a change of heart after seeing Jesus’ prayer and his manner of conduct.  He rebukes the other criminal who is still insulting Jesus and defends Jesus, saying, “Don’t you fear God, even though you are under the same condemnation?  We are receiving what we deserve for what we have done, and that is just. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

 

The declaration of paradise: When the criminal asks Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise,” thereby saving his soul (Internet).

 

(a)  Here I became somewhat confused as to whether the two criminals were also nailed to the cross like Jesus [ἐσταύρωσαν (estaurōsan)] in Luke 23:33, or whether they were not nailed but merely hung by something like ropes [κρεμασθέντων (kremasthentōn)] in verse 39.

 

(i)    The Relationship Between Estaurōsan (ἐσταύρωσαν) in Verse 33 and Kremasthentōn (κρεμασθέντων) in Verse 39

 

If we interpret the relationship between the Greek words estaurōsan (ἐσταύρωσαν) in verse 33 and kremasthentōn (κρεμασθέντων) in verse 39 within the context of the original Greek, the confusion can be clearly resolved.

 

To state the conclusion first: the two criminals were not merely tied with ropes; they were crucified just as Jesus was.  The word in verse 39 does not mean that they were not nailed to the cross.  Rather, it is an overlapping expression referring to the condition of being hung after having been crucified.  The detailed distinction and reasons based on the Greek text are as follows (Internet):

 

a.   Verse 33: The specific manner of the action — estaurōsan (ἐσταύρωσαν)

 

“There they crucified him (ἐσταύρωσαν) and the two criminals as well, one on his right and the other on his left.”

 

Meaning in the original language: This is the aorist active form of stauroō (σταυρόω), meaning “to crucify,” and is the clearest and most specific word for the Roman method of execution by crucifixion at that time.

 

Grammatical structure: Immediately after Luke states that Jesus was crucified, he says that the two criminals were treated “in the same way.”  If the criminals had merely been tied with ropes, this wording could not be used in the same way.  Thus, with regard to the method of execution, all three were crucified, meaning that their hands and feet were nailed to the cross.

 

b.  Verse 39: The resulting state on the instrument of execution — kremasthentōn (κρεμασθέντων)

 

“One of the criminals who hung there (κρεμασθέντων) hurled insults at him…”

 

Meaning in the original language: This is the aorist passive participle of kremannymi (κρεμάννυμι), whose basic meaning is “to hang,” “to suspend,” or “to be hanging.”

 

Nature of the word: This word does not specify the particular means by which someone was attached—whether by being tied with a rope or nailed.  Rather, it describes the resulting state of being suspended or hanging in the air on an instrument of execution, regardless of the method used.

 

Since verse 33 has already explicitly stated that they were crucified (estaurōsan), the “hanging” (kremasthentōn) in verse 39 should be understood as referring to the criminals hanging on the cross after having been crucified. In this way, the two expressions fit the context perfectly.

 

c.   Why did Luke change the word in verse 39? (The Old Testament background)

 

The reason Luke chose this word in verse 39 is to emphasize the messianic background associated with Deuteronomy 21:23 that Jews of the time would have recognized.

 

In the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint), when it says that “the one who is hung (κρεμάμενος) on a tree is under God’s curse,” a word from this same root is used.

 

Thus, Luke deliberately uses this expression in verse 39 to highlight visually and theologically that the two criminals, together with Jesus, were in the miserable condition of being hung high on an instrument of execution under a curse and suffering agony.  The apostle Paul likewise uses this word (κρεμάμενος) when describing Jesus’ crucifixion in Galatians 3:13, quoting this Old Testament background.

 

Summary:

 

The two words are not opposing concepts—“being nailed” versus “being tied with ropes.”  Rather, estaurōsan (ἐσταύρωσαν) in verse 33 describes the act of execution, namely crucifying them, while kremasthentōn (κρεμασθέντων) in verse 39 describes the resulting miserable condition of being suspended and suffering on the instrument of execution.

 

Therefore, the two criminals were indeed crucified and hung in the same manner as Jesus (Internet).

 

(b)  Also here, I was somewhat confused as to whether the “offering and refusal of the drink” came first, or whether the “execution of the crucifixion” came first.  The reason is that in today’s passage, Luke 23:33 says that Jesus was crucified, and then in verse 36 it records that the Roman soldiers gave Jesus sour wine.

 

(i)     The key to resolving this confusion is that the wine drinks appearing in the Gospels are two different kinds: the “anesthetic drink given before the execution” and the “drink of mockery given after the execution.”  When we compare the passage in Luke with the accounts in the other Gospels, the matter can be clearly organized as follows (Internet):

 

a.   Drink “before” the execution: Wine mixed with myrrh (gall) ➡️ Jesus refused it

Biblical passages: Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23

 

Timing: Immediately before being crucified

 

Purpose (medical/merciful): Before laying the condemned prisoner on the instrument of execution, the Roman soldiers offered “wine mixed with myrrh (or gall)” containing an anesthetic ingredient in order to lessen the extreme pain.

 

Result: After tasting it, Jesus intentionally did not drink it and refused it, in order to bear the full penalty for the sins of humanity with a completely sober mind and in full consciousness of the suffering. (Luke does not record this “pre-execution drink.”)

 

b.   Drink “after” the execution: Sour wine (oxos) ➡️ The soldiers gave it to Him while mocking Him

 

Biblical passages: Luke 23:36, Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, John 19:29

 

Timing: After He had been crucified (while He was hanging on the cross)

 

Purpose (mockery/thirst): Luke 23:36 records that the soldiers “came up and mocked him, offering him sour wine.”  This drink was the cheap, sour wine (oxos) commonly consumed by Roman soldiers at the time, and they held it to Jesus’ mouth to tease and mock Him while He was thirsty.

 

Summary and clarification of the timeline:

 

If we read only Luke 23, we see the sequence “execution (verse 33) ➡️ mockery with sour wine (verse 36),” but if we integrate all four Gospels and rearrange the events chronologically, the drink appears twice, as follows:

 

[Immediately before the execution] They offered Him “wine mixed with myrrh,” intended to lessen His suffering ➡️ Jesus refused it (recorded by Matthew and Mark)

 

[Execution] Jesus and the two criminals were crucified and hung on crosses (common to all four Gospels)

 

[After the execution] The soldiers held “sour wine” to Jesus, who was hanging on the cross, and mocked Him (Luke 23:36, etc.)

 

·        This then raises the following question: Why did the Roman soldiers offer Jesus “wine mixed with myrrh” to reduce His suffering immediately before the execution, and then, after the execution, hold “sour wine” to Jesus as He hung nailed to the cross and mock Him?  What was the reason?

 

-      The reason the Roman soldiers gave Jesus drinks with completely contrasting attitudes before and after the execution is because Roman execution practices at the time, the soldiers’ psychological change, and the theological message are intertwined.  Artificial intelligence has clearly organized the reasons from three perspectives as follows (Internet):

 

1.  Historical and execution-practice reason: The difference between “control” and “rationed provisions”

 

“Wine mixed with myrrh” immediately before the execution (for the purpose of forced anesthesia): The drink given immediately before the execution was not so much an act of pure mercy toward the condemned prisoner as something resembling a procedure for enabling the Roman soldiers to carry out the execution smoothly.  If a condemned prisoner struggled violently or moved about while being crucified fully conscious, the soldiers could be injured or the execution could be delayed.  Therefore, its main purpose was to make the prisoner more compliant and easier to control by giving him something like an anesthetic to dull the pain.

 

“Sour wine” after the execution (the soldiers’ everyday drink): The “sour wine (oxos)” here was a cheap, sour everyday beverage called posca, which Roman soldiers drank while on guard duty.  A crucifixion was normally a tedious and arduous guard assignment that could last for several hours.  The soldiers would wait while drinking their own beverage, and then pretend to offer it to Jesus, who was thirsting and groaning on the cross, in order to attract His attention.

 

2.  Psychological reason among the soldiers: Mockery and amusement concerning the “King of the Jews”

 

Today’s passage, Luke 23:36–37, clearly reveals the soldiers’ intention: “The soldiers also mocked him and came up and offered him sour wine and said, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.’”

 

In the soldiers’ eyes, the inscription “King of the Jews,” which had been placed above Jesus’ head, was an object of ridicule.  Since a wretched condemned prisoner who had been nailed to a cross was being called a “king,” they amusingly imitated the behavior of subjects presenting a cup to a king (a parody), mocking Him by saying, “Your Majesty, why don’t you have a cup of this cheap sour wine that we soldiers drink?” and enjoying the spectacle.

 

3.  Theological and redemptive-historical reason: Enduring suffering and the fulfillment of prophecy

 

From the perspective of the biblical writers, Jesus’ response to the two drinks reveals His messianic mission in a striking way.

 

First refusal: Jesus did not escape the suffering required to atone for the sins of humanity through medication.  Rather, after tasting the drink containing an anesthetic, He firmly refused it in order to personally endure the curse of the cross with a fully conscious mind and senses.

 

Second acceptance: Later, when the soldiers mockingly offered Him sour wine amid the intense thirst caused by His entire body losing its fluids (John 19:28–30), Jesus accepted it.  This was in order to fully fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 69:21 in the Old Testament (“They gave me gall for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink”) and to cry out His final word, “It is finished.”

 

In conclusion,

 

For the Roman soldiers, the drink before the execution was a “tool for control to facilitate an efficient execution,” whereas the drink after the execution was a “mocking toy with which to make fun of a powerless king.”

 

The deep paradox of the crucifixion is that even these malicious actions of the soldiers ultimately became instruments through which the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah were thoroughly fulfilled (Internet).

 

(2)  Second, as I meditate on Jesus’ first prayer for those carrying out His execution—the “prayer of forgiveness,” which was His first prayer from the cross and the “very first saying” among the Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross—“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” [Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν τί ποιοῦσιν (Pater, aphes autois, ou gar oidasin ti poiousin)] (Lk. 23:34), I would like to receive the lessons that this prayer gives us.

 

(a)  This first prayer that Jesus offered at the very moment of His excruciating suffering as He was being crucified (Lk. 23:34) gives us three holy lessons that penetrate to the heart of the Christian faith.  The spiritual lessons that we can meditate upon together with the biblical nuances of the original Greek are as follows (Internet):

 

1.   Unconditional, preemptive forgiveness: Grace proclaimed in the midst of suffering

 

Reflection on the original language: Jesus prayed, “Forgive them,” using the Greek word “aphes” (ἄφες). This word is the imperative form of the verb “aphiēmi” (ἀφίημι), which carries the meanings “to cancel a debt” and “to release someone completely by untying their bonds.”

 

Lesson for meditation: Before the perpetrators repented of their wrongdoing or even asked for forgiveness, Jesus first proclaimed forgiveness (“preemptive forgiveness”) at the very height of the most horrific suffering as the cross was being erected.  Human beings generally begin to consider forgiveness only after the other person apologizes, but God’s love teaches us that grace comes to the sinner first, while the sinner is still an enemy, and releases him from his bonds.

 

2.   Compassion for the sinner’s ignorance: Pity rather than hatred

 

Reflection on the original language: Jesus said, “For they do not know what they are doing.” Here, the Greek expression “ou oidasin” (οὐ οἴδασιν), meaning “do not know,” goes beyond simply lacking intellectual knowledge.  It refers to a state of “spiritual blindness” in which they have no awareness whatsoever of the spiritually destructive consequences of the evil they are committing.

 

Lesson for meditation: Jesus did not pour out anger or curses upon the soldiers who were nailing Him to the cross or upon the crowd that was mocking Him.  Instead, He viewed their evil through the lens of “spiritual ignorance and inability” and maintained an attitude of compassion (pity) toward them.  When we encounter those who hurt us, He teaches us to develop a heart broad enough to feel compassion for their spiritual weakness and ignorance rather than becoming trapped in feelings of hatred.

 

3.   Continual intercessory prayer: The grace of the imperfect tense

 

Reflection on the original language: At the beginning of verse 34, the Greek word corresponding to “said” in “Jesus said” is “elegen” (ἔλεγεν), which grammatically is in the imperfect past tense. In Greek, the imperfect tense indicates that He did not merely say something once in the past and finish, but that He “continued saying it repeatedly.”

 

Lesson for meditation: In other words, Jesus did not merely utter this prayer of forgiveness once while on the cross.  Even as He was being nailed to the cross, even as the sound of the hammer rang out, and even as people mocked Him, He breathed with difficulty and continually repeated, “Father, forgive them … forgive them …”  This passage confirms the faithful love of Jesus, who even now, at the right hand of the throne of God, continually intercedes for us without ceasing.  This first prayer also became a decisive occasion that broke the heart of one of the criminals who was beneath the cross” (Internet).

 

(i)      Here, I am both amazed by the statement that Jesus’ continual prayer of unconditional, preemptive forgiveness, offered out of compassion for the sinner’s ignorance, became a decisive occasion that broke the heart of one of the criminals, and deeply grateful when I think that even now, at the right hand of God, the Lord continually repeats in prayer, “Father, forgive James… forgive James…” out of compassion for the ignorance of a sinner like me.  I cannot help but give thanks for the Lord’s faithful love, as He ceaselessly intercedes for a sinner like me.  At the same time, I receive the lesson that the more the Holy Spirit enables me to understand and know this love and grace of the Lord, the more I should have compassion on those who have sinned against me through the Lord’s mercy and, like Jesus, continually offer prayers of forgiveness to God the Father.

 

(3)  Third, I would like to meditate somewhat carefully on the reactions of the people when Jesus was hanging on the cross: (a) “The people stood by, watching” (Lk. 23:35); (b) “The rulers scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!’” (v. 35); (c) “The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’” (vv. 36–37); and (d) “One of the criminals who were hanging there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” (v. 39).  I became interested in understanding these four groups of people and their reactions more specifically.

 

(a)  The four groups of people surrounding Jesus as He was crucified and their reactions vividly reveal the various spiritual states in which human beings respond to God’s grace and the Messiah.  Following the flow of Luke 23, the reactions of each group and the meaning contained within them have been specifically analyzed as follows by artificial intelligence (Internet):

 

1.   The People: “The people stood by, watching” (v. 35a)

 

Spiritual state: Indifferent spectatorship and spiritual apathy

 

Specific analysis: Here, the Greek word for “watching,” theōrei (θεώρει), conveys the image of standing at a distance and watching something as though one were observing a play or spectacle.  Only a few days earlier, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, these crowds had shouted “Hosanna” and enthusiastically welcomed Him.  Yet when Jesus was helplessly led away to the place of execution, they simply stood there, watching as though they were looking at an interesting spectacle, without any sense of responsibility.

 

Lesson for meditation: They represent the typical “indifferent majority” who do not actively side with evil but remain silent and passive when truth and grace are suffering.

 

2.   The Rulers (Religious Leaders): “The rulers scoffed at him, saying…” (v. 35b)

 

Spiritual state: Malicious mockery and arrogant certainty

 

Specific analysis: These were the Jewish religious leaders of the time, including the chief priests, scribes, and elders.  They mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”  They reduced the Messiah’s power to visible physical strength and self-preservation.  When they saw that Jesus could not come down from the cross, they sneered as though saying, “We were right. He is a fraud,” and became convinced of their own victory.

 

Lesson for meditation: They represent spiritual blindness—the condition of being so trapped in one’s privileges and religious pride that one cannot see the Messiah’s “redeeming love,” by which He refuses to save Himself in order to save humanity.

 

3.   The Roman Soldiers: “They mocked him… ‘If you are the King of the Jews…’” (vv. 36–37)

 

Spiritual state: The mockery and political ridicule of worldly power

 

Specific analysis: To the Gentile soldiers, Jesus was merely a powerless prisoner being eliminated because He was hated by the Jewish religious leaders.  They treated the cheap sour wine they themselves drank as though they were offering it to Him and ridiculed the title “King of the Jews” written on the inscription above the cross.  In an attitude of superiority based on power, they enjoyed themselves, saying in effect, “Are you really a king?  You cannot do anything against the power of the Roman army, so what kind of king are you?  If you have any power, come down from there.”

Lesson for meditation: This reveals the reality of worldly power that worships only visible strength and authority and mocks the true “King of heaven,” whose reign breaks the power of sin and death through the cross.

 

1.      One of the Criminals Hanging There: “He hurled insults at him… ‘Save yourself and us!’” (v. 39)

 

Spiritual state: Anger in despair and a selfish demand for salvation

 

Specific analysis: Even though he was in the miserable condition of dying on a cross alongside Jesus, what came out of his mouth was not repentance but an insult—blasphēmei (βλασφήμει), meaning blasphemous denunciation.  His demand was essentially, “If you are the Christ, then save yourself and get us down from here as well.”  He had no concern for the pain of his own sin or for the salvation of his soul.  He wanted only to escape his present suffering and physical death, and he blamed Jesus.

 

Lesson for meditation: He shows the tragic end of fallen humanity—remaining hardened in heart even at the threshold of death, complaining against God and crying out only for selfish liberation.

 

The Commonality and the Reversal among the Four Groups: “Save Yourself”

 

Remarkably, the central demand made by the rulers, the soldiers, and the criminal toward Jesus was essentially the same: “Save yourself” (σῶσον σεαυτόν).

 

This was a continuation of Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, when Satan said, “If you are the Son of God… throw yourself down.”  Satan used the mouths of the people to continue tempting Jesus to the very end: “Save yourself first and prove that you are the Messiah.”

 

Yet Jesus quietly walked the way of the cross, saving all of us precisely by refusing to save Himself (Internet).

 

(i)      Here, when I meditate on the people who stood watching (v. 35a), who were in the spiritual state of indifferent spectatorship and spiritual apathy, I am reminded of 1 Kings 18:21: “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions?  If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word.” What lessons do these passages give us?

 

·        The central truth running through both passages is the spiritual truth that refusing to make a decision and remaining neutral ultimately becomes passive complicity with evil.  The spiritual condition of the people who stood watching at Golgotha (Lk. 23:35) and the people who hesitated between the LORD and Baal at Mount Carmel, saying not a word (1 Kgs. 18:21), is essentially identical. The profound lessons these two passages give us today can be summarized in three ways (Internet):

 

a.   “Hesitant spectatorship” is silent rejection.

 

Meditation on the Word: When Elijah challenged the people, saying, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions?” the passage records that “the people did not answer him a word.”  They did not openly reject the LORD, but neither did they abandon Baal.  Instead, they were weighing the situation and remaining passive spectators.

 

Lesson: In the spiritual realm, there is no neutral ground. Watching Jesus as though He were merely a spectacle and postponing a decision between the world and God are ultimately spiritual conditions that are no different from rejecting God.  This is a warning to us.

 

b.   The weakness of following visible circumstances and the majority.

 

Meditation on the Word: The people at Golgotha had been cheering Jesus only a short time earlier as they witnessed His miracles.  But when Jesus was helplessly arrested and the rulers and soldiers mocked Him, they were swept along by the prevailing opinion and became part of the “majority standing and watching.”  Likewise, the people at Mount Carmel remained silent and watched the situation because they were intimidated by the enormous power represented by King Ahab and the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah.

Lesson: Faith is not watching from the sidelines and following the prevailing trend or the majority.  It is the lonely decision to stand on the side of truth even when no one recognizes us and everyone is mocking us.  We must not remain spectators before the truth simply because circumstances appear unfavorable.

 

c.   God requires a clear position, whether cold or hot.

 

Meditation on the Word: Elijah demanded that the people clearly choose one side, saying, “If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, then follow him.”  Likewise, in Revelation 3:15, the Lord says to the Laodicean church, which was lukewarm and passive, “I wish that you were either cold or hot.”

 

Lesson: The Lord does not tolerate a safe faith in which we try to stand with one foot on each side.  If we know the grace of the cross, we must not remain gray-area people between the values of the world and the Word of God.  There must be a clear confession and a decisive way of life in which we completely surrender the lordship of our lives to the Lord.

 

Conclusion of the Meditation:

 

The people who stood as spectators eventually regretted their actions and beat their breasts only after seeing the supernatural phenomena of the earth shaking and darkness falling when Jesus breathed His last (Lk. 23:48).  Likewise, the people at Mount Carmel fell down and confessed, “The LORD, he is God” (1 Kgs. 18:39), only after fire came down from heaven.

 

God does not want us to be spectators who see signs and regret our unbelief only afterward.  Rather, He wants us to become genuine “worshipers and disciples” who, here and now, in the place where we live our daily lives, proclaim and follow the Lord as our one and only God (Internet).

 

(ii)     Also, when I think about the “rulers”—the chief priests, scribes, and elders, the Jewish religious leaders—who were trapped in their privileges and religious pride and completely failed to see the Messiah’s “redeeming love,” by which He refused to save Himself in order to save humanity, I find myself wondering whether this might also be a picture of our church leaders today.  Are we perhaps also trapped in our privileges and religious pride, failing—or perhaps unable—to practice the redemptive love of Jesus Christ, who did not save Himself in order to save us?

 

·        The chief priests, scribes, and elders who mocked Jesus beneath the cross 2,000 years ago are not merely figures confined to the pages of a history book.  Their image may be a portrait of ourselves—the church and its leaders today—when we become trapped in privilege and religious pride and lose the Lord’s redemptive love.  Holding this sobering question in our hearts, we need to confront two deep spiritual reasons why we are failing to practice that redemptive love (Internet):

 

a.   The reality of a church trapped in a theology of “self-salvation”

 

The rulers beneath the cross: They mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others; but he cannot save himself.”  In their worldview, success and power meant proving oneself and surviving by one’s own strength (“self-salvation”).

 

Our situation today: Many churches and leaders today, and we ourselves as well, may call upon the name of Jesus while actually living according to a logic of “self-salvation”—trying to prove our own strength in the world, secure our own position, and protect our own privileges.  If we are consumed by thoughts such as, “I deserve to be treated this way,” “My church needs to become this large,” or “My authority needs to be recognized,” then our thinking is no different from that of the rulers beneath the cross who cried out for self-salvation.

 

b.   “Redemptive love” appears to be “failure” to those who seek to prove their own strength.

 

The Lord who did not save Himself: Jesus did not fail to come down from the cross because He lacked power.  He could have called more than twelve legions of angels (Mt. 26:53), but for the one purpose of giving us life, He completely surrendered His rights and His life.  This is the mystery of redemption.

Why we fail to practice it: Why are we unable to practice this love?  It is because we regard suffering loss, humbling ourselves, and standing in the position of one who has been wronged as “failure” and “shame.”  Religious pride always tries to place us in the position of the “righteous” and the “respected.”  As a result, the practical life of the cross—willingly allowing ourselves to be stepped on and wounded for the sake of others and laying down our privileges first—continually disappears from our daily lives.

 

Spiritual Comfort and Challenge for Us:

 

When we grieve over this reality and shed tears, the Holy Spirit does not condemn us but invites us again to the very heart of Golgotha.

 

The only way to tear down the walls of privilege and pride is to follow the path Jesus walked—the path of “not saving oneself.”  In other words, we begin by overcoming our instinct to preserve ourselves and by making small acts of daily obedience in which we willingly give our time, heart, and privileges for the sake of the weak and vulnerable people beside us (Internet).

 

(iii)      Here, when I meditate on the one criminal who showed the tragic end of fallen humanity by remaining hardened in heart even at the threshold of death, complaining against God and crying out only for selfish liberation, I find myself wondering whether, when we fail to guard our hearts, which are the source of life (Prov. 4:23), our hearts also become hardened so that we complain against God and people while crying out only to satisfy our own selfish desires.

 

·        The image of the criminal who, even at the threshold of death—that is, in the most horrifying and extreme circumstances of life—failed to turn his heart and instead continued to pour out insults is a spiritual warning sign showing how far the inner life of a person can collapse when he fails to guard his heart.  When we examine this hardened criminal through the lens of Proverbs 4:23, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” we gain three serious benefits and lessons that explain why we must guard our hearts every day (Internet):

 

a.   Suffering tears away the “wrapping” of the heart and reveals its “true reality.”

 

Under ordinary circumstances, anyone can behave like a cultured and righteous person.  But when the extreme suffering and deprivation of crucifixion came upon this criminal, the toxins, resentment, and selfish desires that filled his inner life erupted outward without any filtering.

 

Likewise, we may appear to trust God well when life is peaceful, but when our lives become pressed down like a cross and things do not go according to our wishes, the resentment and hardness hidden within us will surface if we fail to guard our hearts.  Suffering is a mirror that shows us the true report card of our hearts.

 

b.   A hardened heart sees even the Messiah right before its eyes merely as a “means.”

 

This criminal was hanging only a few centimeters away from Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe and the Savior.  He clearly heard the Lord’s gentleness and His prayer of love: “Father, forgive them.”

 

Yet when his heart became hardened, his spiritual senses were completely numb. He could not see Jesus as the Savior of his soul, but only as a “useful tool” who could get him out of his suffering.  His cry—“Are you the Christ? Then prove it. Save yourself and save us too!”—was not repentance but merely a mocking attempt to demand that the Lord satisfy his selfish desire for survival.  Likewise, if we fail to guard our hearts, we may call upon the Lord in prayer not to seek His face but merely as a means of satisfying our own desires.

 

c.   A hardened heart rejects grace like the “roadside soil.”

 

Both criminals experienced the same suffering of the cross and heard the same prayer of Jesus for forgiveness.  Yet one criminal’s heart was broken and he received salvation (good soil), while the other persisted in hardness of heart and walked toward eternal destruction (roadside soil).

 

A heart that has become hardened because it was not guarded cannot absorb even the powerful grace of the cross and the gospel when they are poured out upon it; instead, it rejects them all.  Ultimately, this criminal demonstrates firsthand that the problem is not the circumstances or environment but the condition of “my heart” that receives the Lord’s grace.

 

Spiritual Conclusion for Us:

 

The confession, “When our hearts become hardened, are we complaining against God and people while crying out only to satisfy our own selfish desires?” gives us an absolute reason to cultivate the soil of our hearts through prayer every morning before the Lord’s cross.

 

Taking the miserable end of this criminal who remained hardened to the very end as a mirror for ourselves, we must come humbly before the Lord each day and pray through the Holy Spirit: “Lord, please remove the calluses from my heart and keep me with a soft heart that responds to Your grace” (Internet).

 

(4)  Fouth and las, I would like to reflect somewhat on the other one of the criminals who was hanging on the cross. He “rebuked” the other criminal, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” [οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματι εἶ; καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως, ἄξια γὰρ ὧν ἐπράξαμεν ἀπολαμβάνομεν· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν ἄτοπον ἔπραξεν (oude phobe sy ton theon, hoti en tō autō krimati ei? kai hēmeis men dikaiōs, axia gar hōn epraxamen apolambanomen; houtos de ouden atopon epraxen)] and “rebuked” him [ἐπετίμα (epetima)] (Lk. 23:40–41).  After that, he said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” [Ἰησοῦ, μνήσθητί μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν σου (Iēsou, mnēsthēti mou hotan elthēs eis tēn basileian sou)] (v. 42).  I became interested in knowing more specifically and in greater detail what these words mean.

 

1.   Holy Fear and Thorough Self-Examination: “He Rebuked Him” (vv. 40–41)

 

When the other criminal poured out insults, this criminal is recorded as having “rebuked him” [ἐπετίμα (epetima)].

The nuance of epetima (ἐπετίμα): This word does not simply mean that he scolded or nagged him.  It is a strong, forceful word that was also used when Jesus “rebuked” demons or commanded the wind and the sea and brought them under control.  He firmly cut off the spiritual hardness and poison contained in his fellow criminal’s insults.

 

Fearing God [οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν θεόν (oude phobe sy ton theon)]: He was looking beyond the human judgment of Pilate and facing the final judgment of God that he would encounter after death, together with a holy fear of God.

 

The due reward [καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως (kai hēmeis men dikaiōs)]: He declares, “We are receiving what is justly due to us (dikaiōs), and it is right that we receive an appropriate (axia) payment for the evil things we have done.”  He demonstrates that the first step toward salvation is thorough repentance—fully acknowledging that one is a sinner who deserves eternal death.

 

2.   Recognizing Jesus’ Perfect Righteousness: “He Has Done Nothing Wrong” (v. 41b)

 

Reflection on the original language: “But this man has done nothing wrong [οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν ἄτοπον ἔπραξεν (houtos de ouden atopon epraxen)].”

 

Specific meaning: The Greek word atopon (ἄτοπον), translated here as “wrong,” means something inappropriate, unreasonable, improper, or evil.  In other words, this criminal publicly declared that he could find not a single flaw, fault, or inappropriate evil in Jesus’ life or actions.

 

All Israel and the religious leaders had condemned Jesus as a criminal worthy of death. Ironically, however, an actual condemned criminal became the “true witness” who testified from the cross to Jesus’ sinlessness and perfect righteousness.

 

3.  The Greatest Confession of Faith Looking Toward the Resurrection and the Messianic Kingdom: “Remember Me” (v. 42)

 

Reflection on the original language: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom [Ἰησοῦ, μνήσθητί μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν σου (Iēsou, mnēsthēti mou hotan elthēs eis tēn basileian sou)].”

 

The only person who called Him by name: Among those in the Gospels, this criminal is virtually the only person who directly addressed Jesus by the intimate and earnest name “Jesus (Ἰησοῦ),” rather than using a title such as Rabbi or Lord (Kyrios).

 

“Remember me” [μνήσθητί μου (mnēsthēti mou)]: This prayer uses language found in the Old Testament when asking for God’s mercy and salvation.  He realized that after death he had no hope apart from God’s grace and therefore entrusted himself completely to the Lord’s mercy.

 

“Your kingdom” [τὴν βασιλείαν σου (tēn basileian sou)]: The greatness of this confession is that it transcended the visible circumstances completely.  The Jesus before his eyes was a helpless condemned man, crushed under Roman power, bleeding and dying.  Instead of a crown, He wore a crown of thorns.  Yet this criminal’s spiritual eyes were opened, and he believed that this miserable Jesus possessed His true kingdom beyond death, that He would overcome death and come as King, and that He was the true Messiah.  At that moment of despair, when even the disciples had fled and were doubting, he confessed one of the most radiant eschatological hopes in heaven.

 

Spiritual Summary for Us:

 

This criminal heard, from the closest possible position, the Lord’s repeated prayer of forgiveness from the cross: “Father, forgive them ...”  That love broke his hardened heart, caused him to fear the holy God, and enabled him to see that the only King who could save him was right beside him.

 

He was physically incapable of doing anything: his hands and feet were nailed to the cross, and he could neither keep the Law, go to the temple to offer sacrifices, nor be baptized.  Yet when he confessed that he was a sinner, believed that Jesus was King, and sought only His mercy, the Lord immediately proclaimed his perfect salvation right there (Internet).

 

(a)  Jesus’ perfect declaration of salvation was: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” [Ἀμήν σοι λέγω, σήμερον μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ (Amēn soi legō, sēmeron met’ emou esē en tō paradeisō)] (v. 43).  I would like to understand more specifically what the Lord’s words mean.

 

a.   Absolute Certainty Guaranteed by an Oath: “Amēn soi legō” (Ἀμήν σοι λέγω)

 

Meaning in the original language: “Truly (amen) I say to you.”

 

Specific meaning: “Amen” was primarily used in the Old Testament when agreeing with another person’s words or responding at the end of a prayer with the meaning, “May it be so.”  But Jesus always placed this word at the beginning of His statements.

 

Lesson for meditation: On the basis of His own divine authority, Jesus was declaring, “I guarantee and solemnly affirm, staking My own name on it, that this will certainly happen.”  Even amid the extreme suffering of the cross, He solemnly guaranteed before the entire universe the salvation of one soul who trusted Him.

 

b.   Immediate Salvation Without Delay: “Sēmeron” (σήμερον)

 

Meaning in the original language: “Today.”

 

Specific meaning: The criminal asked Jesus to remember him “when You come into Your kingdom” (v. 42), referring to some future day. But Jesus’ answer was, “Today (sēmeron).”

 

Lesson for meditation: This shows that salvation is not postponed to some distant future or that the believer must endure a long period of waiting after death.  This criminal would physically die within a few hours after his legs were broken, but Jesus declared that on that very “day (today),” the moment his physical life ended, his soul would immediately open its eyes and encounter the Lord.  This is the timeline of immediate salvation that Jesus proclaimed.

 

c.   Eternal Union as the Essence of Salvation: “Met’ emou esē” (μετ’ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ)

 

Meaning in the original language: “You will be with Me.”

 

Specific meaning: The most essential definition of heaven and salvation is contained in this short phrase. Heaven is heaven not because it has golden streets or magnificent jewels, but because Jesus Christ, who saved us, is with us.

 

Lesson for meditation: A notorious criminal who had been condemned and despised by the world was invited, because of a single confession of repentance on the cross, to become the closest companion and eternal dwelling companion of the Lord, the King of the universe.  Salvation is perfect and eternal union with the Lord, without separation.

 

d.   Restored Eden and Intimacy with God: “En tō paradeisō” (ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ)

 

Meaning in the original language: “In paradise.”

 

Specific meaning: Paradeisos originally comes from the Persian word paridaiza, meaning a “king’s garden” or a beautifully cultivated orchard.  In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word was used to refer to the “Garden of Eden.”

 

Lesson for meditation: Jesus declared that the place of perfect fellowship with God—the joy and peace of Eden from which humanity had been expelled because of sin—had been completely restored through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  On a miserable instrument of execution, He declared to a dying criminal that the gates of the King’s secret garden—paradise—had been opened wide. This is the climax of the gospel.

 

Summary for Our Meditation:

 

This criminal could offer no religious merit, good works, or works of the Law.  He had only repentance, acknowledging that he was a sinner, and a confession of faith in Jesus.

 

Jesus did not ask about his past. He did not tell him to go and first pay the full price for the sins he had committed during his life.  Rather, at the very moment he confessed Jesus Christ as King, Jesus freely gave him perfect salvation: “Amen” (certainty), “today” (immediacy), “with Me” (union), “you will be in paradise” (restoration).

 

This is precisely the grace we have received and the reality of the undeserved gospel of the cross proclaimed by Christianity (Internet).

 

(i)     Here I became interested in understanding “paradise” [τῷ παραδείσῳ (tō paradeisō)] more specifically. The reason is that the terms with which we are more familiar through the Bible are “heaven” or “the kingdom of God.”

 

1.   The Origin of the Word: “The Secret Garden Owned by the King”

 

“Paradeisos” is originally a loanword derived from the ancient Persian paridaiza.  It referred to a “king’s private garden” or a “royal hunting ground” enclosed on all sides by walls or fences.

 

It carried the nuance of a beautiful and secure garden into which anyone could not simply enter, but where only those whom the king permitted, or those who possessed the privilege of intimate fellowship with the king, could be invited to walk with him.

 

2.   Meaning in the Old Testament (the Septuagint): “The Restored Garden of Eden”

 

When the authors of the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Old Testament, translated the “Garden of Eden” in Genesis, they chose this very word (paradeisos). Therefore, for Jews, “paradise” was a word that expressed the hope of returning someday through the Messiah to the original Eden, where there had once been perfect fellowship with God but from which humanity had been expelled when its gates were closed because of sin.

 

3.  The Intermediate-State Meaning of “Paradise” in the New Testament (Paradise vs. Heaven/the Kingdom of God)

 

In the New Testament, if “the kingdom of God” and “heaven” are broad theological concepts encompassing God’s sovereignty and reign, “paradise” specifically refers to the place of rest where the souls of believers who have died in faith in Jesus remain with the Lord until the final resurrection and judgment—the intermediate state.

 

The repentant criminal asked for the distant future, for the visible and vast Messianic realm that would one day be completed, saying, “Your kingdom.”  But Jesus promised that today, when he would undergo physical death, his soul would immediately enter and awaken to rest in the specific place called “paradise,” the King’s garden.

 

The word “paradise” is used only three times in the entire New Testament, and its usage makes its meaning clearer:

 

Luke 23:43 (today’s passage): The place where, immediately after death, the believer encounters the Lord in spirit and enjoys comfort and rest.

 

2 Corinthians 12:4: The “third heaven,” the place of God, to which the Apostle Paul was caught up in a vision, is called “paradise.”

 

Revelation 2:7: “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God,” describing the complete restoration of the Tree of Life from Eden in paradise (Internet).

 

·        Then, What Is the Difference Between the “Paradise” Jesus Spoke About and the “Purgatory” of Catholicism?

 

-        The “Paradise” spoken of by Jesus and “Purgatory” in Catholic doctrine are theologically and biblically different concepts concerning the state of the soul after death.  The most decisive difference is whether the soul is already in perfect salvation and rest, or whether it is undergoing punishment and a process of purification to cleanse remaining sin.

 

a.  Paradise in the New Testament and Protestant Theology vs. Purgatory in Catholic Doctrine

 

According to the New Testament and Protestant theology, “paradise” is the place of perfect rest and comfort where the souls of believers who die trusting in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ immediately dwell with the Lord, without any suffering or punishment, until the final resurrection.

By contrast, “purgatory” in Catholic doctrine refers to the intermediate state and place after death in which a soul that dies in God’s grace but has not yet satisfied the temporal consequences of sins committed during earthly life undergoes purification, involving suffering likened to fire, in order to be cleansed of remaining sin before entering heaven.

 

b. The Decisive Difference Seen Through Today’s Passage (the Repentant Criminal)

 

The event in Luke 23:43, the story of the repentant criminal, provides a biblical point of comparison that sharply distinguishes “paradise” from “purgatory.”

 

From a Catholic understanding of purgatory: This criminal had lived a life of serious sin, had not been baptized, and had no opportunity to perform good works or to perform acts of satisfaction or penance for his sins through the church.  Therefore, according to the Catholic concepts of satisfaction and purgatory, one might conclude that after death this criminal would enter purgatory and undergo an extended period of intense purification.

 

Jesus’ declaration of paradise: Yet Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”  He did not tell the criminal, “You have not yet paid enough for your sins, so go to purgatory, undergo purification, and then return.”  The criminal did nothing except believe that Jesus was King and ask for mercy.  Because the blood of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice completely and once-for-all cleansed all his sins, he could immediately enter paradise that very day—the place of perfect rest without suffering.

 

c.   Difference in Doctrinal Background

 

Paradise (Scripture alone): This is an explicitly stated New Testament term, grounded in the gospel promise of “by grace alone, through faith alone,” according to which our sins have been completely removed through the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:14).

Purgatory (church tradition and the Deuterocanonical books): Purgatory does not appear as a doctrine in the canonical 66 books of the Protestant Bible.  The concept is based on passages such as 2 Maccabees 12, which is accepted within the Catholic canon, together with long-standing church tradition.  It was developed in more concrete form in the sixth century, during the time of Pope Gregory I, and was formally defined as doctrine through the Council of Florence in the fifteenth century and the Council of Trent.  This doctrine also developed into the teaching that the period of suffering for souls in purgatory can be shortened through the prayers and Masses offered by the living, including Masses offered for the dead.

 

Concluding Meditation for All of Us:

 

The paradise proclaimed by Jesus is the “place of the perfect victory of Jesus Christ,” where there is no room for human merit or postmortem efforts at purification.

 

The reason we can have no fear of what comes after death is that we believe that, rather than an uncertain and painful gateway of purification called purgatory awaiting us, our entire record of sin has already been completely erased by the Lord’s blood.  Therefore, on the very day—“today,” immediately—when we breathe our last, we will open our eyes in paradise, in the Lord’s embrace.   This is the true peace of the gospel given to the repentant criminal and to us today (Internet).