Introduction
One might look at the complex world we live in, with its diverse cultures and religions, and conclude that there are many types of people and various ways to reach the Kingdom of God. What is certain is that all humans have a body of flesh, a soul, and a spirit, and one day the body of flesh will return to the ground (Genesis 3:19). However, everyone should ponder the fate of their soul and spirit after death. Some may assert that every soul goes to heaven, which has some truth in it, but no human can definitively say where each human soul will ultimately reside for eternity, only God knows. But God the Father sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to reconcile the world to Himself. And because of that, in the eyes of God Almighty, there are only two types of people: those who believe in Him and love His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and those who do not believe in Him and do not love His Son. In the Gospels, we see that people witnessed the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, performing many miracles with their own eyes. Yet, they still did not believe in Him as the Son of God or as part of the Holy Trinity. Instead, they condemned Him to death on the cross. In this blog, we will explore the final days of the Son of God on earth and note that, even then, many did not believe in Him. Today, we encounter similar individuals; whether they witness miracles performed in the name of the Lord Jesus or read the Bible, some choose to believe, while others do not.
We Must Think of Paradise and How to Reach There
In Matthew 27, we read about the condemnation of the Lord Jesus to death, His trial, the mocking He endured, His crucifixion, His death on the cross, and His burial. In this section, we will comment on the passage that details the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus as described in Matthew 27:32-45.
Matthew 27:32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, named Simon. They compelled him that he might bear His cross.
Comments Matthew 27:32. There are many, many guesses about this man. However, we must take only what the Word tells us here about this man, no further details. Many people make a story out of this, but this is all that is written. Just remember, his name has been written down in the Holy Bible, and he has received appreciation through that (see Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26).
33 And having come to a place called Golgotha, which is called, The place of a skull,
34 they gave Him to drink wine mingled with gall; and having tasted, He was not willing to drink it.
Comments Matthew 27:34. They gave this drink not to cut down the thirst; it was a type of torture; when you drink this drink, it will make your throat hurt, and that is why they gave it to Him to drink it, as a torture.
35 Now having crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots; [that it might be fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet, They divided My garments among themselves, and for My clothing they cast a lot;]
36 and sitting down, they were guarding Him there.
Comments Matthew 27:35-36. What they are doing here is to fulfil what has been written in the Word of God (see Psalms 22:18).
37 And they put up over His head His accusation written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Comments Matthew 27:37. This verse has been fulfilled: the Lord Jesus is the King of the world, not just of the Jews alone. It is fulfilled: the Lord Jesus is the King of all.
38 At that time were crucified with Him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left.
Comments Matthew 27:38. As the Bible has written, He was counted among the criminals (see Luke 22:37, Isaiah 53:12). The Lamb of God has been counted with the sinners of the world; they put Him in the middle of the criminals. The meaning behind their actions is that He is one of them, not the Savior, but a criminal. That is the way they want His name to be told to discourage all the disciples: He is a criminal. Do not follow a criminal was their hidden message, and that’s why: to discourage His disciples and make the work of the Lord stop. If His followers believe this, the case will be closed, and no one will talk about it any further. And the leaders will not have to feel guilty anymore, because nobody will come to write up that the Lord Jesus is innocent when He died between the criminals.
39 And those passing by railed on Him, wagging their heads,
40 and saying, Thou who destroys the temple, and builds it in three days, save Thyself! If Thou are the Son of God, come down from the cross!
Comments Matthew 27:39-40. This is what people talk about Him, and it links to a verse before (see Matthew 26:61). However, He never says to destroy the temple, but rather that He can rebuild it in three days (see John 2:19, and Comments Matthew 26:61).
41 In like manner also the chief priests, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; Himself He cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
43 He trusts on God; let Him deliver Him now, if He wants Him; for He said that I am the Son of God.
Comments Matthew 27:41-43. The leaders here want to justify their actions, but these verses have also condemned them. By themselves, they condemn themselves: they know who the Lord Jesus is, but they ignore Him. Their ears have heard, but they did not listen; here is the support for this. They heard that the Lord Jesus saves people; they should have thought about who He is. By their own words, they have condemned themselves. What they are accusing Him of, they themselves are the ones who are not able to do, because they cannot save themselves and give eternal life, but the Lord Jesus can.
44 And likewise even the robbers, that were crucified with Him threw upon Him the same reproach.
Comments Matthew 27:44. There are two criminals: one mocking, the other accepting the Lord (see Luke 23:39-43). This clearly shows how the world is. There are only two types of people: those who believe in the Lord Jesus and those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus. The ones who do not believe are the mockers; the ones who believe are those who have acknowledged the Lord Jesus and have become believers. One of the criminals, even at the point of death, and even seeing the Lord being condemned alongside them, yet he had a heart for the Lord; regardless of what happened to the Lord, he believed. Humans should learn from this one and take notice of what the Lord has said to this person: “Truly I say to you, Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (see Luke 23:43). He has conquered and gained eternal life as a true believer.
45 Now, from the sixth hour, was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
Comments Matthew 27:45. “From the sixth hour ... until the ninth hour.” This darkness lasted from noon until 3:00 pm, depending on which part of the country they were in. In the upper part of the country, and in the lower part of the country, the time will be shifted. But by tradition, they offer the daily sacrifice at the ninth hour. The daily sacrifice: a small amount each family would offer; they would set aside a portion for the daily sacrifice and also a portion for the family separately, which was done by tradition. Each village would have elders; the people would bring small portions to the elders; the elders would perform the sacrifice; it was a tradition. (See Numbers 28:1-8; Exodus 29:38-46; Numbers 7:1-11, Leviticus 4:15; Deuteronomy 19:12; Deuteronomy 21:1-6; Deuteronomy 21:19-20; Exodus 12:21).
“Was darkness over all the land.” What had happened had been clearly shown to humans. When the Son of God was to the point of losing His life on earth, even the sun couldn’t shine the light out; that is how the sadness of the light would be. This act shows plain anger from the Father at what humans are doing on earth: even the sun couldn’t shine its light. And this was not an eclipse; it is just the hand of the Father blocking the light of the sun.
Conclusions
In this passage of Scripture, we see that many mocked the Lord Jesus even in the final hours of His life on earth. Leaders, soldiers, passersby, and even the criminals alongside Him mocked Him. Yet, one of the criminals crucified alongside the Lord Jesus believed in Him and asked for mercy, requesting that He take him to Paradise. The Lord Jesus died for all of humanity—not only for those who believe in Him but also for those who mocked and crucified Him. He also died for all those who mock Him today and ridicule the Word of God. Despite Him being despised by many in the world, He patiently waits for everyone to come to Him so that He can take them with Him to Paradise.
In this passage of Scripture, the other criminal who went to death while mocking the Lord Jesus illustrates a sad reality about humanity. Some individuals may grow old but never change, even in their final moments. These robbers were aware that they were dying, yet one of them still did not turn to the Lord for help to find eternal life.
This passage brings to mind Revelation 22:10-13, which states:
“And he says to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand. He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still; and he that is filthy, let him still be filthy; and he that is righteous, let him still do righteousness; and he that is holy, let him still be holy. Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each man according as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
The Lord God Almighty created humans and granted them the freedom to choose their own way of living on this earth. However, as genuine followers of the Lord Jesus, we should commit ourselves to the path of holiness and righteousness. We are called to share the good news about the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for all humanity. Through Him, salvation is available to everyone who humbly comes to the foot of the cross to worship the Trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit).
Meditation Tasks
- Let us humbly come to the foot of the cross of the Lord Jesus and pray for the salvation of our souls, and pray for the unsaved.
- To gain a deeper understanding of human spiritual needs, we invite all readers to consult our article, “Body, Soul, and Spirit: A Biblical Perspective.”