Supplemental Sermon Notes: Luke 23:32-38 (Page 994)

Supplemental Sermon Notes: Luke 23:32-38 (page 994)

He Made Himself Nothing

Introduction: Modern portrayals of Jesus’ crucifixion are quote graphic, focusing on His horrible suffering. The Gospel accounts downplay the horror and pain of it all.

Matthew 27:35: “And when they had crucified him…”
Mark 15:24: “And they crucified him…”
John 19:18: “There they crucified him…”
It’s possible original audience knew the horrible details, so they didn’t have to give them.
More likely - wanted readers to focus on the reason He suffered, not on the suffering.

I. The Crucifixion Fulfills Prophetic passages (on average, at least 7 – 1 for each verse!)

Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Crucified at “The Skull” (Aramaic “Golgotha;”, Latin “Calvaria” – “Calvary”)
Looked like a skull.
Just north and outside of Jerusalem.
vv 32-33 – Jesus is crucified between two criminals (“Lawless men”)

Isaiah 53:12- “…He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors”

Crucifixion is a terribly slow and painful death.

Isaiah 53:3–Messiah is “…a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces…”
Isaiah 52:14- “…his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—“
Psalm 22:14-17- “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws;you lay me in the dust of death. 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.”

V 34 Perk of being on a crucifixion detail: claiming the victim’s possessions.
Typical outfit for average Jew in 1st century –
Turban, inner tunic, outer robe, girdle, sandals.
Typical crucifixion detail – 4 soldiers.
Problem: 5 items of clothing to be divided by 4 soldiers.
Tunic is seamless, woven in one piece.
Rather than tear it, the soldiers cast lots for it (John 19:23-24)

Psalm 22:18: “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

vv 35-37 The crowd around Jesus
Some are sympathetic (John, Mary, etc.)
Some are curious
Many scorn Jesus.
Matthew 27:39-40“…Those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
Luke centers on the Jewish leaders (v 35)
Admit Jesus saved others.
Demand another sign: “Save yourself!”
Roman soldiers mock Jesus as a failed king without a kingdom.

Psalm 22:6-8: “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 69:21: “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”

Purpose of a passage like this:
Often used to prove the veracity & inspiration of Scripture.
2 Peter 2: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
But Luke is probably trying to do something more: complete the story of God’s plan of redemption for the world!
By mocking Jesus, the Jews and Romans prove Jesus to be the One the world desperately needs and is waiting for.

II. God’s Plan of Redemption.

The Problem: sin!
First man and first woman disobeyed God.
Sin entered the world.
They were driven out of the presence of a righteous God.
As their descendants, we inherited:

The guilt of the first man’s sin.
The propensity of the first man to sin – we’re born with a sinful nature.
Both have been imputed (placed upon) us.
We, then, are also subject to the penalty of sin
Death! Separated from God forever in hell.
Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

God loves us so much that he put a plan into motion to deal with our sin.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
This is the promise of a deliverer who will repair the damage done by sin.

Jesus – the promised deliverer.

Sin is expensive!
Philippians 2: 5-8:“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
To deal with our sin, Jesus, God incarnate, humbles himself.
Began at His birth, as God entered creation as a man.
As He nears the end, His life spirals into deeper levels of humiliation.
Though He’s innocent, according to the Father’s will…
He’s betrayed by one close to Him.
Submits to a humiliating arrest and trials.
Sentenced to death.
Forced to march to the execution site before the jeering mob.
The humiliation grows deeper toward the end.
Taken to “the Skull” – a public place near town where the worst of humanity are executed.
Executed as a lawbreaker between two lawbreakers.
Receives the punishment of sinners so He can represent sinners in the same way the 1st man represented mankind and made them sinners in the first place!
Clothing – His last personal possession - is removed
Dies in abject poverty while crucifiers gamble for everything He has left.
Mocked by the leaders, the crowd, and the soldiers.
They call for Him to “Save yourself!”
Mocked by Pilate’s sign
“INRI” – “Jesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” – Latin translation of John 19:19 – “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Luke summarizes it as “This is the King of the Jews.”
Pilate is mocking Jesus and the Jewish leaders.
The irony of it all.
What Pilate has written is true!
Jesus is the Promised One of Israel – the answer to the problem of sin.
He will live and reign forever and enable sinners to live forever.
In demanding that Jesus save Himself, the crowd is demanding the one thing that Jesus must not and cannot do!
On the Cross, He’s paying for our sin. Our sins are laid on Him!
As God, He doesn’t have our sinful nature.
As man, He can be our representative and stand in our place.
That’s what He did on the cross!
If He saves Himself from the cross, we can’t be forgiven!
1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”

The results of Jesus’ work on the Cross

Death - the penalty for the sin and guilt imputed to us from Adam…
Is paid by Jesus, as He humbles Himself on the Cross.
If we follow Him:
Our guilt is placed on Him and we are forgiven.
His righteousness is imputed to us!
We are reconciled to God and will live with Him forever in Heaven.
We are now free to live righteously, as God intended in the first place.

III. Applying this to us

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Jesus’ prayer.

I think Jesus is praying broadly, asking for forgiveness for those He is dying for.
I think Jesus is praying for sinners.
The love of God is made evident with the Cross and ON the Cross.

If you do not follow Jesus, please turn to Him now and be forgiven.

If you DO follow Jesus, note that Jesus is only practicing what He preached.

Humble yourself as He humbles Himself.
Matthew 20:28: “…even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28).
Forgive as He forgives.
Matthew 18, starting in verse 21 – “Seventy times seven.”
We who are forgiven much are to forgive as well.
Matthew 18:32-33: “Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’”