Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 53 

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 23:26-43

“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. And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’ Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments. 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!’ But the other rebuked him, 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.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:26–43, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

One way to describe Jesus’s incarnation and his messianic ministry on earth is as a descent. Jesus is the eternal Word or Son of God. He is the eternally begotten Son, of the same essence as the Father and the Spirit. He is God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth. He is the LORD who “looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth…” (Psalm 33:13–14, ESV). And yet, “for us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.” His souls descended to Sheol.  

To be clear, when the Son of God “became” incarnate, he did not cease to be God. He became what he was not without ceasing to be what he always was! Furthermore, the person of the eternal Son did not vacate heaven to “come down” to earth. The eternally begotten Son did not cease to proceed from the Father or to, with the Father, breathe forth the Spirit. No change whatsoever took place within the Godhead when the eternally generated Son of the Father “came down for us and for our salvation.” Dear friends, it is one of the most fundamental truths of our religion that in the Triune God, there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17). This is not the time to deliver to you detailed teaching on the immutability or unchangableness of God, but I will remind you that we confess it is true. God cannot change (see Second London Confession, 2.1). That fundamental truth must be remembered when we speak of the eternally begotten Son of God “becoming” incarnate and “coming down” for us and for our salvation. Whatever this means, it cannot mean that the Triune God changed.  

That said, we may speak of the incarnation of the Son as a descent. He descended (if you will) from on high. He assumed a human nature by being born of a woman, and that in a low condition. He suffered the miseries of this life. And at the end of his life, he was betrayed, apprehended, denied, falsely accused, mocked, beaten, and spat upon, before suffering the most horrendous of deaths—death via crucifixion. After death, his body descended to the grave and his soul to Sheol. And with this, his descent, for us and for our salvation, was complete. 

Today, we consider the last few steps of Jesus’ descent into the darkness of death. When you read Luke’s Gospel, it does feel like you are walking down steps—one, two, three, four, five. There is a rapid pace to this portion of Luke’s Gospel. Three times, Pilate declared that Jesus was innocent and not deserving of death. The Jews were insistent. They wanted Jesus dead, so “they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’” (Luke 23:21, ESV), until Pilate gave in to their demands and “delivered Jesus over to their will” (Luke 23:25, ESV). From here, Jesus is crucified, quickly completing his descent into the darkness of death. 

Here in our text, Luke presents us with several facts about Jesus’ crucifixion. They are presented in rapid-fire succession. I’m usually not one for alliteration, but five “P’s” did occur to me. In this text, we encounter a picture, a prophecy, a prayer, a placard, and a promise. 

The theme that ties these events together is that Jesus was numbered with the transgressors in his death. Jesus did not simply die. He did not die of old age. He did not die of illness. He did not die a violent death in isolation. No, he died the death of a vile sinner. He died, being numbered among criminals and transgressors. It had to be this way to fulfill prophecy. And this was a fitting way for him to die, for he died as a substitute for sinners, the righteous for the unrighteous. Not only did the Old Testament Scriptures predict this, but so did Jesus. In Luke 22:37, we heard him say, “For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.’” (Luke 22:37, ESV)

A Picture

First, we find a picture. In the story of Simon of Cyrene, we see a picture of the obligation (and privilege) that disciples of Jesus have to identify with Christ in his suffering and to take up their cross and follow him. 

Where were the twelve disciples of Jesus at this moment in time? They were nowhere to be found (at least they do not appear in the narrative as being closely aligned with Jesus). But when the Romans led Jesus away to crucify him, they seized a man named “Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus” (Luke 23:26, ESV).

The Romans would typically make their condemned criminals carry their own crosses to the place where they would be crucified. The point was to make a public spectacle of them to humiliate the criminal and to warn others that the same would happen to them should they commit the same crime. It was like a parade of sorts—a horrifyingly bloody parade. 

Jesus’ body was likely too exhausted from the beatings he had already endured. He had been brutally beaten and whipped by the soldiers of Herod and Pilate. So brutal was the treatment Jesus endured, he did not have the strength to carry his cross, at least not alone. And so this man (we do not know anything about him) was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross (or to help Jesus carry it). 

This is a picture of what those who follow Jesus must do. Where were the twelve disciples? They are not mentioned. Perhaps some of them were watching this spectacle from a distance. If they saw Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus with his cross, they must have thought, That should be me. Peter, it must be remembered, said that he was willing to go to prison or even to death with Jesus, but he betrayed him (Luke 22:31-34). It is not Simon Peter who carried Jesus’ cross, but a stranger— a man named Simon of Cyrene. What a shame. Especially given what Christ had said to his disciples earlier: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34, ESV). 

To be clear, Jesus’ disciples cannot carry the exact same cross that Jesus carried. We cannot walk the road that he walked or die the death that he died. Only he could die to atone for the sins of his people and to reconcile us to God, for he is the Son of God incarnate, and we are not. He is  the Savior God has anointed, and we are not.. But we must take up whatever cross Christ has for us and identify with Christ in his sufferings if we wish to follow after him. 

When Simon of Cyrene was forced to help Jesus carry his cross, it is a picture of that reality. 

A Prophesy

Secondly, we find a prophecy. In Luke 23:27, we read, “And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him” (Luke 23:27, ESV). This, by the way, was a very bold and courageous thing to do. The Romans would permit spectators to openly mourn over condemned criminals, but the Jews would allow no such thing (see John Gill’s commentary). The Jews would allow spectators to grieve inwardly, but not to mourn openly over the condemned, for such displays of grief would communicate dissatisfaction with the judgments of the rulers and with the sentence they pronounced. Notice, Luke tells us that the women were mourning. It was the women who drew near to Jesus in his suffering. It was the women who were courageous. 

The prophecy is found in verses 28-31. “But turning to them Jesus said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’” (Luke 23:28–31, ESV).

When Jesus spoke to the women of Jerusalem, saying, “Do not weep for me”, it was to indicate that he went to the cross willingly and for a purpose. Though it appeared otherwise, Jesus’ life was not taken from him. He laid it down willingly. This he clearly expressed, saying, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:17–18, ESV).

When Jesus spoke to the women of Jerusalem, saying, “but weep for yourselves and for your children”, etc., he spoke of the horrors that would soon come upon the city of Jerusalem. Jesus had already announced that the city and temple would be destroyed (Luke 21:5-9, 20-24). And we know that the city and temple were destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 AD in fulfillment of what Christ had said. The Jewish historian, Josephus, describes the horrors that took place within the city when the Romans besieged and conquered it. It is not difficult to see why Christ said that mothers would in those days wish they had never given birth, for that would have been better than to witness the suffering and death of their little ones.

When Jesus said, “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us’”, it was to indicate that in those days, the inhabitants of the city would rather have the mountains and hills fall on them to crush them rather than die at the hands of their enemies, the Romans. 

And finally, when Jesus said, “For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”, he meant, if the Romans treat an innocent man this way (a green tree is a symbol of a righteous man), how do you think they will treat those who are wicked and unruly? They will show no mercy. 

When Jesus went to the cross, his heart was for his people. He continued to warn them to flee from the wrath that was sure to come. Don’t weep for me, he said. Weep for yourselves, that is to say, for unbelieving Israel! For now that the Messiah had come and was soon to be crucified, and now that the New Covenant had come, and the Old was about to pass away, judgment was soon to fall upon Israel. The city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the temple would be torn to the ground, not one stone would be left standing upon another (see Luke 21:6). Notice the boldness of Jesus. Notice that he did not behave like a victim, but continued to declare the Word of God all the way to Calvary. And his prophetic words came true! 

We must listen to Jesus the Prophet, for his words are truth. 

A Prayer

Thirdly, we find a prayer. In verse 32, we read, “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:32–34, ESV)

Jesus did not die alone. Two criminals were crucified with him that day. Perhaps these two were associated with Barabus, the insurrectionist and murderer who was set free. Interestingly, Barabus’ name means son of the father. So then, in the providence of God, Barabus, the guilty son of the father, was set free, and Jesus, the innocent Son of the Father, was hung on the cross that was intended for him. As I have said, Jesus was numbered with the transgressors in fulfillment of ancient prophecy . He was numbered with the transgressors because he died in the place of sinners to make them righteous in God’s sight. As God said through the prophet Isaiah, “he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12, ESV).

Listen to what Jesus said when Roman soldiers drove the nails through his hands and feet to pin him to that tree of death, which is also the tree of life: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV). Do you see what Jesus did when he was numbered with the transgressors in his death? He made intercession for them. He prayed to the Father and requested that God would show them mercy. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Now, there is no reason to think that this was a prayer that God would save them from all their sins or that Jesus was here interceding for these Roman soldiers as their Savior and great High Priest. Who knows, perhaps these men did come to faith and repentance. Perhaps we will see them in heaven someday. Here is what we know for sure. As these soldiers drove the nails through the hands and feet of the person of the eternally begotten Son of God, he requested that the Father forgive them for this horrible deed, for they were ignorant of what it was they were doing. No doubt, these men had crucified many. It was their job (and what a terrible job it was). On this day, they thought they were simply doing their duty as soldiers under Pilate’s command. All sin is sin. But sins committed in ignorance are less heinous than sins committed knowingly and willingly. It was the Sanhedrin who had the greater sin (John 19:11), and so the wrath of God would soon be poured out on them (Luke 23:28-30).

What did Jesus do in the moment of his greatest suffering? What did he do in his agony? He interceded on behalf of others before God. And in this way, he showed what the cross really was. It was an instrument, not only of death, but of intercession and of life. It was through the cross that Jesus would bring sinners to God. It was through the cross that forgiveness of sins would be granted. It was through the cross that the mercy and grace of God would be extended to guilty, vile sinners. When Jesus interceded in prayer for those who drove the nails through his hands and feet, it was a demonstration of these precious truths. 

We must trust in Jesus the great High Priest if we wish to be reconciled to God through him. 

A Placard

Fourthly, we find a placard, that is to say, a sign.  In verse 34b, we read, “And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Luke 23:34, ESV). This means they played a game to see who would get his clothing. This was to fulfill Psalm 22:16-18 —a Psalm of King David, written a thousand years before the birth of Christ—which says, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:16–18, ESV).

In verse 35, we read, “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!’” (Luke 23:35, ESV). This was to fulfil Psalm 22:6-8, which says, “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!’” (Psalm 22:6–8, ESV).

In verse 36, we read, “The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23:36–37, ESV).” This was to fulfill another Psalm of David—Psalm 69:20-21—which says, “Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Psalm 69:20–21, ESV).

It’s in verse 38 that we find the placard: “There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews’” (Luke 23:38, ESV). It was Pilate who had that sign made and placed above the head of Jesus. It should not surprise us that crucified criminals would have signs like this hung above their heads to communicate what they had done to deserve death. It was true, Jesus was crucified because he claimed to be the king of the Jews. Pilate did not view Jesus as a threat, but he rulers of the Jews did, and so they insisted on his crucifixion. In John’s gospel, we learn that the Jews were upset with what Pilate had written. In John 19:21, we read, “So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written’” (John 19:22, ESV).

Perhaps the placard that was placed above the head of Jesus was meant to mock him. Perhaps it was meant to get under the skin of the Sanhedrin. One thing it was not intended to do was to communicate the truth concerning Jesus, and yet, ironically, that is what it did. Jesus Christ is the King of The Jews. He is the son who was promised to King David—a son whose kingdom will never come to an end (2 Samuel 7:12-14) . He is the son of David, who is also David’s Lord (Psalm 110). The sign spoke the truth! Jesus is the King of the Jews, the Messiah, the Lord’s Anointed One. More than this, Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16). 

We must bow the knee to King Jesus if we hope to be saved by him. 

A Promise

We have considered a picture, a prophecy, a prayer, and a placard. Now, let us consider a promise. In verse 39 we read, “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” This, friends, is what unregenerate men will do when they suffer affliction, and especially when they draw near to death. They will sometimes rail against God and Christ. Verse 40: “But the other rebuked him, 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.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” And here is the promise. “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:39–43, ESV). The promise is that all who come to Jesus in repentance and faith, as this poor sinner did, will have their sins forgiven and the sure hope of life everlasting.

Notice a few things about this text. 

One, this man was a heinous sinner, and Christ promised him life everlasting. No one is outside of God’s reach. No sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven by the blood of Jesus. “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21, ESV).

Two, this man repented and called out to Jesus in faith at the very end of his life—he would die only a short time after this—and yet he was saved by Jesus. Friends, do not be so foolish as to wait to turn from your sins and to Jesus. Who knows if God will grant you the opportunity to repent and believe in the last hour? But notice, men can be saved in the last hour of their lives. This is why we should visit those who are sick and dying and preach the Gospel to them. Who knows if God will show mercy?      

Three, notice that this man was not baptized, received into a church, or invited to the Lord’s Table, and yet he was saved. Ordinarily, those who repent and believe in Jesus will be baptized, received into a church, wherein they will be taught to observe all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), but it is Christ Jesus who saves, and not baptism, the church, or the Lord’s Supper, and this salvation is received by faith alone. 

Four, this guilty criminal made a wonderful profession of faith. He confessed Jesus as Lord and showed that he believed God would raise him from the dead (Romans 10:9). He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42, ESV). When he confessed that Jesus would soon come into his kingdom, he acknowledged, one, that Jesus is Lord or King of this kingdom, and two, that Jesus, though he would surely die on that cross, would live again to rule and reign within it. I do wonder who this criminal was and how he knew these things, but one thing is sure: he made a wonderful profession of faith as he hung on that cross. 

Five, Jesus promised the man that he would be with him in paradise on that very day. Paradise was the place of comfort within Sheol or Hades. It is sometimes called Abraham’s bosom. Once Jesus died, his body would be put in the grave, and his soul would descend to paradise (within Sheol or Hades), and the soul of this thief would be there too to be comforted by Christ Jesus the Lord. On the third day, Jesus would be raised from the dead bodily, and he would lead the host of captives from paradise to usher them into the heavenly Holy of Holies. Think of it. The soul of this thief on the cross is there even to this present day. There, he enjoys the blessed presence of God and the fellowship of all the saints made perfect through the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. That thief on the cross had a front row seat to the accomplishment of our redemption through the cross of Christ. 

Conclusion

The eternal Son of God descended for us and for our salvation. He took to himself a true human nature, body, and soul. And being numbered with the transgressors, he suffered and died for us to bear the sins of many. Friends, Jesus is a wonderful Savior. But he will not benefit you at all if you are not united to him by faith. You must turn from your sins, trust in him, confess him as Lord, believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead. If you are united to Christ by faith, then you may rest assured that Christ died for you and in your place. But if you are not united to Christ by faith, you are still in your sins, and you will pay the penalty yourself. “For the wages of sin is death”, the Scriptures say, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). May the Lord grant you repentance and faith today. If you are united to Christ by faith, may he strengthen then the faith you have.