Luke 23:35

35 And the people were looking on. And the rulers made sport of him, saying, He was a saviour of others; let him do something for himself, if he is the Christ, the man of God's selection.

Luke 23:35 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 23:35

And the people stood beholding
This dismal and affecting sight; insulting and reviling him, and wagging their heads at him, as did also those that passed by: and the rulers also with them derided him; the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, the members of the sanhedrim, whose characters should have restrained them from such an inhuman conduct. The phrase, "with them", is wanting in the Oriental versions, and in one of Beza's copies: saying,

he saved others;
by healing their diseases, or raising them from the dead:

let him save himself;
from death, by unnailing himself, and coming down from the cross; (See Gill on Matthew 27:42)

if he be Christ;
the Messiah, he and his followers give out he is; even the chosen of God, referring to ( Isaiah 42:1 ) . The Arabic version reads, "the chosen Son of God", very wrongly; for Christ was not chosen to be the Son of God; he was so by nature; but he was chosen to be a servant, as the text cited shows, to be a Mediator between God and man, and the Saviour of his people.

Luke 23:35 In-Context

33 And when they came to the place which is named Golgotha, they put him on the cross, and the evil-doers, one on the right side, and the other on the left.

34 And Jesus said, Father, let them have forgiveness, for they have no knowledge of what they are doing. And they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance.

35 And the people were looking on. And the rulers made sport of him, saying, He was a saviour of others; let him do something for himself, if he is the Christ, the man of God's selection.

36 And the men of the army made sport of him, coming to him and giving him bitter wine

37 And saying, If you are the King of the Jews, get yourself free.