Luke 23:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They divided My garments among themselves, and upon My clothing they cast lots.’ Moreover, ‘They offered Me gall for food, and for My thirst, they gave Me vinegar.’ As you claim to be familiar with the law, how have you overlooked the prophecies that were foretold regarding these events? You ought to have sought to understand who uttered these words; about whose identity, I mean, should these verses have pointed. You have heard your esteemed leader Moses forewarn you of the harshness of your actions: he said, ‘you shall see your life hanging in suspense,’ referring to Him who is the source of life itself, hung upon a tree. How have you disregarded the prophecies of Moses, in whom you take such pride? After all, you have openly declared, ‘We are followers of Moses.’ Tell me, what do you intend when you shake your head in His direction? Is it the gentle resilience of the One who suffers that you scorn? Or is it to reveal the hardness of your heart? Do you wish to subject the Prince of life to the death of the body? Why do you concern yourselves with sacred matters? Why convene a council that you cannot fulfill? ‘He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them, and the Lord shall have them in derision,’ as is written.

Their scornful remarks were the only way to respond to Pilate's cleverness, which sought to mock them through the inscription. However, the chief priests harbored motives far more significant than the inscription, compelling them to partake in such despicable mockery. It was now clear to all that they were the primary instigators behind Jesus’ brutal execution, while Pilate had hesitated to condemn Him for a long time. They needed to defend their villainy before the people and manipulate public sentiment so that the foreign Jews, gathered from various regions for the festival, would not spread tales that the Sanhedrin had, out of small-minded ambition, condemned a righteous man—one who was hardly the Messiah—to a disgraceful death. History has shown that even the most esteemed individuals lose their standing once subjected to ridicule. The hypocrites, as was their custom, donned the guise of the most devoted servants of the God of Israel, the most zealous adherents of the law, addressing the people with, ‘Look, He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! Did we assure you falsely that nothing good could come from this Man? That the companion of tax collectors and sinners would eventually find His place among wrongdoers? That the violation of the Sabbath would not bring divine retribution? You did not heed our warnings, believing Him to be holy; now the situation reveals whether we told the truth or He! Who does not yearn for the Messiah? We would sacrifice everything for His arrival. But must we truly believe in the Messiah on the cross? And is much proof necessary? If He is indeed the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross now, and we will instantly place our faith in Him’ (Mark 15:32). ‘Indeed,’ scoffed the other elders, ‘this is hardly the throne of a king. Now witness what the Son of God is like and what His miracles entail. Would the Father abandon His own Son to such a fate? He relied on God; now let God rescue Him if He desires’ (Matt. 27:39-43; Mk. 15:29-32; Lk. 23:35). The final insults echoed those that David, in the aforementioned psalm, placed upon the lips of the foes of the righteous man he described. The prophecies were fulfilled so precisely through the deeds—albeit unconsciously—of those who enacted them. With such audacious mockery echoed by the Jewish authorities, it is hardly surprising that even the rough soldiers stationed there jeered at Jesus Christ, asking, ‘If You are the king of the Jews, why do You not save Yourself?’ Such derision from the Roman soldiers could only stem from sheer mindless imitation. When a Jew expressed this sentiment, the phrase ‘King of Israel, why will You not save Yourself?’ had significance and weight, for in his view, the Messiah had to be a miracle-worker, capable of aiding Himself in every circumstance; conversely, the Gentile interpreter regarded the king of the Jews as an ordinary man, which did not imply he could extricate himself from the cross. Yet the brutish soldiers showed no concern for the implication of their words, mindlessly echoing what they had heard. St. Luke further notes (Luke 23:36) that the soldiers offered Jesus Christ a vinegar drink, likely the same one they quenched their thirst with during the midday heat. Thus, amid their jeering, they did not forget to display a semblance of compassion towards the crucified, who must have been thirsting more intensely than they due to His suffering—a common blend of kindness with cruelty found in rough men.

The evangelist associates the rulers not directly with the crowd, but rather with others standing alongside them. Who are these others? Previously, the evangelist alluded to the uncouth soldiers (v. 34). The foremost figures of the Jewish nation, God's chosen people, thus allied themselves with the executioners and the Gentiles for the purpose of ridiculing the suffering Son of Man. What does this reveal about those in high esteem? The Sanhedrin appeared to have succeeded in their intentions: Jesus was on the cross, condemned among the villains—what more could they desire? Yet they were unsettled by an underlying fear, provoked by something deeper. What was this? The involuntary recognition of Jesus' greatness troubled Caiaphas. Pilate's inscription added to this distress. This proclamation was a source of bitterness for the Sanhedrin, as they feared the Passover crowd might disseminate the notion that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and that the Sanhedrin only delivered Him to the governor for their own motives. The inscription stirred these thoughts among the populace. What consequences would arise from it? Would the multitude not turn their resentment towards the Sanhedrin? No, the resolution against the despised Nazarene teacher must be swift. The ignorant masses must be enlightened. Thus, the Sanhedrin commenced its “sermon” against Jesus! They, along with scribes and Pharisees, exclaimed, ‘He saved others, He cannot save Himself; if He is the Christ, the chosen Son of God’ (Matthew 27:42). If He is indeed the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him (Matt. 27:42). They positioned themselves, honorable members of the Sanhedrin, as if scholars speaking from knowledge. The Chosen One of God, referred to as the Messiah by the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1), is discredited by the very intellect stirred by passions that malign in one instance and carelessly misinterprets in another. They err grievously by equating the Son of God with an elect figure, having previously acknowledged His divine standing. Their blunder emerges in expecting the King of Israel to perform a miracle. Pilate’s inscription muddled the thoughts of these learned men, who appeared to assert that if He is the King-Messiah indicated by that inscription, He should descend from the cross to prove His messiahship. However, the Sanhedrin sought to convince the crowd that Jesus was not the Messiah, whom they could hardly accept. Who, they might have asked, regards the Messiah? The Sanhedrin only thinks of Him; they are poised to embrace Him among all first! Yet, does Jesus truly embody the Messiah? How does the Sanhedrin demonstrate to the people that Jesus is not the Messiah? The Nazarene Teacher validated His divine mission with miracles. The Sanhedrin ridicules the miracles of Jesus Christ. He saves others, they retort. But does mockery truly serve as evidence? No, such derision in matters of significance signifies frivolity, and malicious laughter is far worse. Or does the Sanhedrin wish to indicate, as they have previously claimed, that Jesus' miracles stemmed from Beelzebub? Yet it was already shown to them that such assertions reveal base ignorance. The Sanhedrin demands its own proof regarding Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. What evidence do they seek? Let Him come down from the cross, they insist. Yet the Sanhedrin remains utterly uncomprehending. What did David foretold concerning the Messiah? His Psalm 21 has long been accepted in Jewish tradition as a hymn about the Messiah. ‘This entire psalm refers to the Messiah,’ noted an ancient rabbi. In this psalm, the Sufferer declares, ‘My hands and my feet have been pierced’ (Psalm 21:17). The method of crucifixion was unknown in David's time. It is increasingly clear that, in prophetic spirit, David envisioned the fate of the Messiah from afar, seeing what was wrought upon Jesus at the hands of the Sanhedrin. How, then, can the Sanhedrin demand that Jesus descend from the cross? If the Messiah was destined to suffer for the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53; Daniel 9), would His coming down from the cross not imply that He was not the Messiah? Is the Sanhedrin really expecting a miracle from Jesus? Is this not akin to Satan tempting Jesus, saying, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down? Indeed, the Sanhedrin tests God by demanding miracles after witnessing countless ones already, while mocking the miraculous. ‘To rise from the grave is far more significant than to come down from the cross’; yet, Caiaphas remained unyielding.

Additionally, Luke uniquely notes that the soldiers, eager to appease the crowd and the authorities, derided Christ, offering Him sour wine and challenging Him with the taunt, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself." Regarding the sign affixed to the cross, Luke indicates that its inscription was in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. He alone specifies that among the criminals executed alongside Jesus, one hurled insults at Him, while the other defended the Lord and approached Him with a heartfelt request, demonstrating remarkable faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Sovereign. Recognizing his faith, the Lord replied, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise."

We told the people consistently that the Sabbath-breaker, the companion of tax collectors and sinners, could never be the Messiah or the King of Israel; we cautioned them against being deceived by the miracles He performed through Beelzebub’s power. Many dismissed our warnings, and what is the outcome? He who claims to be the Son of God now faces crucifixion among criminals! Some may argue that our actions stem from personal grievances, but do we not hope for the true Messiah, the rightful King of Israel? Would we not follow Him? Yet how can we accept Him as the Messiah while He hangs on that cross? The law of Moses states, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. If He is indeed the King of Israel, let Him come down from the cross now, and we will be the first to believe in Him. Why does He not come down? He who entrusted Himself to God, calling Him His Father? If He truly could not descend from the cross, and if He was in fact pleasing to God, then let God save Him from such disgraceful execution...? These words of ridicule seemed to resonate with the people; Luke tells us that the crowd stood and observed as the rulers joined in the mockery. This can be interpreted as follows: initially, the crowd, struck by Jesus' humility and His prayer for those executing Him, watched in stunned silence. However, when the rulers began to scorn Jesus, their audacious jeers ignited a similar response from the assembled crowd. Those passing by hurled insults, shaking their heads and saying, ‘Oh, you who destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ Were not these the false witnesses who eagerly testified against Him at the night session of the Sanhedrin? Their mockery, echoing the promise to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, reinforces the idea that they were indeed those witnesses.

It raises the question: Why did Christ not come down from the cross? Had He done so, He would have demonstrated His divine authority, compelling all to believe in Him. Such inquiries persist among modern unbelievers. How should we respond? The One whose command prompted demons, winds, and waves to obey, who healed the sick even from afar, could have certainly descended from the cross if He chose. Thus, His refusal to do so indicates that significant reasons existed. These reasons remain known only to God, and we, as sinful beings, may not grasp them. Nevertheless, we can draw insights from Christ’s own words. The Gospel reveals that Christ positioned Himself as the model of perfection attainable by us. He urged us to emulate Him and to live as He did. For Him to serve as this pattern, He could not exercise His divine powers for personal relief; otherwise, He would exemplify an unattainable ideal, making His commandments seem impossible to fulfill. This would ultimately thwart the purpose of His incarnation. We affirm that He never utilized His divine authority to ease His human suffering. As a Man, He experienced fatigue, hunger, and thirst, enduring the full range of human emotions, including sorrow which often manifested in tears. He faced temptations as any man would, yet He overcame them not through His divine nature but by submitting to the Father’s will—a submission He imparted to us as a crucial means for overcoming our own temptations. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He trembled at the prospect of suffering; pleading with the Father for a reprieve, He finally triumphed over this trial by resigning to the Father’s will: ‘Not My will, but Thy will be done’ (Luke 22:42). While He hung on the cross, His dreadful physical pain elicited His anguished cry: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46). This cry raises the question of why His divine power did not alleviate His suffering at such a critical moment. The reason, perhaps, lies in the fact that if Christ had come down from the cross or made His suffering bearable, He could not have been the ultimate example of what true humanity should be. Consequently, His mission on earth would have remained unfulfilled. However, He succeeded in His mission precisely because He refrained from using His divine powers to relieve His human struggles. As a genuine man, He observed His own commandments, setting an unyielding standard for us. His actions were always consistent with His teachings, and He did not use His divine authority to lessen the weight of His commandments. Therefore, He remains an enduring example for us, and we are called to live as He did, which is entirely possible for us.