Our studies in Luke thus far have brought us to the point of considering the crucifixion and the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That the Messiah would suffer by crucifixion was clearly revealed in Psalm 22:1-21. A casual reading of this portion of the psalm shows the Messiah in an elevated position, with His body in contortions, while He is surrounded by vicious characters whom the prophet compares to bellowing bulls and howling dogs. The Lord Jesus, during the last six months of His personal ministry, repeatedly told His disciples how He would go to Jerusalem, be mistreated by the leaders of the Jews, and would finally be executed. He also revealed the fact that on the third day He would rise again from the dead. For some reason or other the Apostles could never take in the significance of His prediction. Hence, when He was interred in Joseph's new tomb their hopes of salvation and of deliverance by Him were buried with Him.

According to John 19:17 the Lord Jesus started out bearing the cross as He was being led to the location known as the place of "The skull," which in Hebrew is called Golgotha--a little mound or hill north of the city of Jerusalem. Not only did Jesus bear the cross Himself, but Simon of Cyrene was impressed into service and bore it the latter part of the way.

As the procession was slowly moving along, the throngs of people and the women burst forth into lamentations and wailings because of the fate that was overtaking Jesus. But turning to them the Lord said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the breasts that never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" (Luke 23:28-31). Little did the multitudes and those friends of Jesus realize the import of the language which He was speaking. He knew that sin never pays. One's sin will always find him out. People reap what they sow. The leaders of Israel, in rejecting Christ, sowed a wind, but they reaped a whirlwind in the calamity of A.D. 70, the thing to which Jesus here refers--the downfall and overthrow of the Jewish race in A.D. 70.

At the same time there were two malefactors who were crucified along with Jesus, as we learn in Luke 23:32.

In Luke 23:33-38 we see the actual crucifixion. Jesus was put upon the cross. On each side of Him was crucified one of the two thieves. Forgetful of self and thoughtful of others, our Lord as usual was concerned with the interest and welfare of others. He prayed to God to forgive those who had executed Him, saying: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Had the rulers of this world realized the import and the gravity of their actions, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory (I Cor. 2:8). According to Luke 23:35 the rulers scoffed at Jesus, saying: "He saved others; let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen." Also the soldiers mocked Him, saying: "If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself." Above His head was the inscription; "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS," written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

At first both of the thieves, together with the leaders of the Jews, threw insults into the face of Jesus (Matt. 27:33-44). Finally, one of the thieves said: "Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us." But the other rebuked him, saying; "Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss" (Luke 23:40, 41). He had seen the folly of his actions prior to this time and thus was taking a sane, sensible view of life in his present situation. Then, in simple faith and deep contrition, he said to the Lord Jesus: "Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom." He realized that Jesus was a King, and that He had a kingdom. The kingdom of which He was speaking was a spiritual kingdom, for Jesus at His first advent came to establish such a regime upon the earth, as is learned from numerous prophecies of the Old Testament and from a number of predictions in the New. Jesus replied to this penitent thief: "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise" (23:43).

The place to which all who went upon death from Adam to Christ's crucifixion was called, in the Old Testament, Sheol, but in the New Testament, Hades. This place of departed spirits was divided into two sections, separated by a vast gulf (Luke, chap. 16). To one of these apartments the lost went; the other, the saved entered. In this latter compartment Abraham and Lazarus, and all the redeemed were gathered. Jesus knew that, when He died, He would make His descent to Sheol--going there for a definite, specific purpose. He assured the penitent thief that, because of his having turned to Him, the Saviour of the world, as he had done by faith and in genuine repentance, he would go to that apartment of Hades where Abraham was, known as Paradise. From the language of Jesus we see that He assured the penitent thief that he would be saved throughout all eternity.

What a wonderful provision God has made for those who turn, even in extreme emergencies, and look to Him for peace and pardon! We praise God that He has put salvation upon the basis of sovereign grace, which is appropriated by faith on the part of the penitent believer.

In Luke 23:44-49 we have the account of our Lord's death. When we look at all the accounts we see that He was nailed to the cross around nine o'clock in the morning. He hung there until the sixth hour, which was twelve o'clock, noon. At that time darkness came over the whole land. The sun's light failed. This pall of darkness, symbolic of the events which were transpiring, fell upon the earth for three hours--until three o'clock in the afternoon. At that time the veil of the Temple was rent, the one separating the holy place from the most holy. This was a significant act, which symbolized, as we see from the Book of Hebrews, the rending of the veil between earth and heaven, and the opening up of the new and living way, whereby men may approach God in worship with full assurance and confidence.

Finally, at the ninth hour, Jesus with a loud voice cried, saying: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." "... and having said this, he gave up the ghost," and the spirit departed from the body.

When the centurion, who was in charge of the execution, and those with him saw what was transpiring, and the things that were done, they "feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54). The multitudes who had come out to see what was going on, when they beheld all these things, "returned smiting their breasts" (Luke 23:48). All His acquaintances and the women who had followed from Galilee stood afar off, observing these unusual and breath-taking events (23:49).

There are recorded by the Evangelists seven utterances of our Lord upon the cross. It is impossible for anyone to make out the chronological order of these marvelous utterances; he can only note what was said. Volumes are contained in these statements. The sayings are as follows: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34); "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46); "Verily I say unto thee, Today shall thou be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:48); "Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!" (John 19:26,27); "I thirst" (John 19:28); "It is finished" (John 19:30); "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46).

These utterances of our Lord are of the utmost importance, because in them are reflected the profoundest truths concerning our redemption.