Jesus Crucified and Reviled. His Three Sayings During First Three Hours.

  ^a 39 And they that passed by [Jesus was evidently crucified near the highway] railed on him, wagging their heads,

  40 and saying, ^b Ha! Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

  30 save thyself, ^a if thou art the Son of God, ^b and come down from the cross.

  31 In like manner also the chief priests ^c And the rulers also scoffed at him, ^b mocking him among themselves with the scribes ^a and elders, said,

{^c saying,} He saved others; ^b himself he cannot save. ^c let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen. ^a He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.

  ^b 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe.

  ^a 43 He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

  ^c 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, offering him vinegar,

  37 and saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself.

[Thus one and all unite in mocking Jesus, using both word and gesture. They bring forth echoes from the trial of Jesus and take other incidents from his life, little dreaming the deep significance of what they utter. They reminded Jesus of his words about destroying the temple, when they were committing that very act. They speak of his building it again when Jesus was about to die that he might rise. They taunt him with saving others, yet being unable to save himself, was then making. They promised to believe if he will come down from the cross, yet his being lifted upon the cross was the very act which would convince them-- John 8:28 .]

  40 and saying, ^b Ha! Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

  30 save thyself, ^a if thou art the Son of God, ^b and come down from the cross.

  31 In like manner also the chief priests ^c And the rulers also scoffed at him, ^b mocking him among themselves with the scribes ^a and elders, said,

{^c saying,} He saved others; ^b himself he cannot save. ^c let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen. ^a He is the King of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on him.

  ^b 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe.

  ^a 43 He trusteth on God; let him deliver him now, if he desireth him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

  ^c 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, offering him vinegar,

  37 and saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself.

  ^a 44 And the robbers also that were crucified with him ^b reproached him. ^a cast upon him the same reproach.

  ^c 39 And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.

  40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 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.

  42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.

  43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

[It seems that at first both robbers reviled Christ, but one repenting spoke in his favor and prayed to him. It is not likely that this robber had any conception of the spiritual kingdom of Jesus, but he somehow arrived at the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah, and would come into his kingdom despite his crucifixion. Jesus answered his prayer by a solemn promise that they would, that day, be together in that portion of the invisible world where those who are accepted of God await the resurrection. Many thoughtlessly make this dying robber the model of death-bed repentance, arguing that others may also be saved in this irregular manner. But Christ had not yet died, and the new testament or covenant was not sealed. Jesus then could change its terms to suit the occasion. It is therefore no evidence whatever that after his death and in his present glorified state our Lord will in any way change the covenant so as to do away with a single one of the terms required for obtaining remission of sins ( Hebrews 9:15-18 ). Moreover, the example of the penitent robber is a difficult one to follow; he professed faith in Christ and his kingdom when there was no other voice in the whole wide world willing to do such a thing. Any one having such a death.] ^d But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [For comment on these four women, see note on Section 41.]

  ^c 39 And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.

  40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 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.

  42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.

  43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

  26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

  27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home.

[By using the title "woman" Jesus addressed his mother at the end of his ministry with the same word which he had used at its beginning ( John 2:4 ). Thus he cut her off from all parental authority over him. In this last hour our Lord bestows upon his helpless mother the disciple whom he loved, who was then in the flower of his manhood. All of Christ's disciples are thus appointed by him protectors of the helpless, but few recognize the behest as John did.]

  27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home.