When interpreting verses, we should also keep in mind a few facts about the bible, so that we do not make absurd and extreme interpretations. Firstly, the bible is about the story of God’s salvation to us, and essentially is about how God brings people to Him through different ways mentioned in the bible. We want to avoid making obviously wrong interpretations from just looking at single verses and drawing conclusions, but rather, in view of the whole theme of the bible (which in this case seems obvious that its God’s love and salvation for man). And always, in context of the chapter at least, and prevent asking questions like :”what is the passage trying to say?” but rather making as many observations as possible. Also, if possible, try to use more then one translations of the bible to cross reference.
First and foremost, pray to God for guidance and that the Holy Spirit uses God’s words to speak to us.
The bible passage here: Luke 23:32-43. I’ll be using my Chinese NIV bible and E-sword (a program that allows multiple versions of the bible). If not bible gateway allows you to have as many versions, also an online concordance might be useful in studying God’s Word.
Luke 23:32-43 (New International Version)
32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Footnotes:
1. Luke 23:34 Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.
2. Luke 23:42 Some manuscripts come with your kingly power
Some Observations made:
1) Who was/were present?
a) Jesus
b) 2 criminals
c) Father God
d) “the people”
e) “the rulers”
f) The soldiers
2) What was happening?/what happened?
a) Jesus was going to be crucified along with 2 criminals and there were the above mentioned people watching
b) People were watching his crucification
3) Why do you think the rulers sneered at Jesus? And said "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
a) They probably do not believe that He is the Messiah, and wants to see if He can save Himself If He really is the Christ as He claims.
4) Why do you think the soldiers also mocked Jesus asking to Him to save himself?
a) The soldiers are trained killers (executioners) and its impossible in their eyes that Jesus saves Himself.
5) Why do you think one of the Criminals asked Jesus to save himself and them too while hurling insults?
a) He is probably angry at Jesus as he hurls abuse and demanding Jesus do something to save him if He is the Christ. http://www.jesuswalk.com/lessons/23_39-43.htm
6) Why did Jesus pray for the soldiers who were executing him, asking the Father to forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing?
7) What is the significance of dividing Jesus’s garment, and casting lots?
a) Clothes were valuable in that day. Few people had more than one or maybe two sets of clothes.
The real significance though is that this was foretold by David in Psalm 22, 1000 years before it happened............
"Dogs (Gentiles) have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing. "
Psalm 22:16-18 NIV
8) What is wine vinegar and its use?
a) Wine mixed with Gall was bitter and probably used to make fun of Jesus which He refused to drink
b) http://www.carm.org/bible-difficulties/matthew-mark/was-vinegar-given-jesus-cross-mingled-gall-or-myrrh
9) Why did the other criminal rebuke the criminal hurling abuse at Jesus?
a) Apparently cos Jesus did nothing to save Himself
10) What is “today you will be with me in paradise."
11) This man (Jesus) has done no wrong
12) Why did they call Jesus the King of the Jews
13) Why did Jesus not retaliate/do anything to free Himself?
14) Cross reference to Isaiah 53
15) People seem to be asking Jesus to prove His identity as Christ by Him saving himself.
16) One criminal seemed repentant of his wrong doing and thinks he deserved his sentence of crucification, while the other seemed unrepentant.
17) Jesus told the criminal who was repentant He be with him in paradise today. Chinese phrase it as 乐园 is there a difference?
Intrepretation (with each intrepretation that we come up with, its best to check with concordance or commentaries that are easily available to us to verify whether the conclusions we draw are sound, and not come up with wild ideas):
It seems pretty much obvious that Jesus was mocked by the people (jeers, the gall mixed wine) who were going to crucify Him, and although He is the Christ, the messiah, who had the power to do something to prevent himself from dying, He died on the cross and as one of the criminals said “did nothing wrong”.
Being repentant on the cross was the only distinction apart from the responses people had. This came from a dying man, who was going to be crucified BUT recognised what he did was wrong and fully deserved his punishment. Yet, when others had failed to see the full glory of Jesus on the cross, he repented seeing on seeing Jesus.
This criminal, had not been baptised, nor likely to have attended any teachings by Jesus, in today's context will hardly be someone we consider to be "saved". This set me thinking. What is essence constitutes a person's salvation? Does it mean if you attend church for years you will be saved? This criminal certainly had not. Does it mean if you are baptised in church you are saved? What about those deathbed cases of people whom we have no idea if they accepted Christ at all? Are they saved? It is possible yet that a person attended church all his life and never understood nor repented before God....?
For it is said in the bible Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Going to church does not mean you are saved, but rather, was there true repentance behind that decision to get to God? It not only takes accepting that we are sinners, but rather also repentance, just like the 2 criminals on the cross. We can say that they have no choice but to accept their punishment as just and fair. Clearly, only one was repentant before Jesus.
And its Jesus's promise to this criminal that we can hope on. We may think we are better than the criminal, but its just that his wrongdoing was exposed before everyone. I'm sure each and everyone of us we have something deep we don't ever want people to know yet we can hope on Jesus's response to the criminal on the cross. If we truly repent in our sins, God forgives as stated in
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
This criminal is not named, but I think he must have great faith that day he repented before Jesus, not the Jesus that people saw, who was flogged badly, with wounds all over and nailed to the cross. But he must have saw something much deeper....
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
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