And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying: Vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days buildest it up again:
και οι παραπορευομενοι εβλασφημουν αυτον κινουντες τας κεφαλας αυτων και λεγοντες ουα ο καταλυων τον ναον και εν τρισιν ημεραις οικοδομων
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The Evangelist notes that those who traveled along the path of the Lord's crucifixion mocked Him, deriding Him as a fraud. Despite the Lord having performed many miracles to bring salvation to numerous individuals, the bishops, akin to those who taunted Him, questioned, "He saved others; cannot He save Himself?" Their words were a mockery of His miraculous works, dismissing them as mere illusions.
The term "Wah" signifies scorn and ridicule. It was directed at Him in a manner that suggested He was deceitful.
As the Jews walked by, they shook their heads in derision at the one who was crucified, thus bringing to fulfillment the words recorded in Scripture: When they see me, they nod their heads (Psalm 108:25).
He resembles a target for various arrows aimed at Him: 'Set Me as a target for shooting' (Lamentations 3:12). Just as numerous arrows have been launched against Him, so have countless insults been directed His way. 'Ah! Destroyer of the temple.’ Moreover, He Himself declares, 'All who see Me ridicule Me, speaking with their mouths and shaking their heads' (Psalm 21:8). 'And they afflicted Him as a prized land; they did not trust His words' (Psalm 105:24). 'They shake their heads at all who walk by' (Lamentations 2:15).
Let us pause, as Christians, at the summit of the cross and gaze upon Christ, who was nailed to it for our transgressions, and witness the ongoing suffering inflicted upon our Savior. It is evident that evil is not content with such brutal and savage torment, but seeks to intensify it further. We hear the words of the afflicted and crucified One, whose spirit is pierced by venomous words like arrows. Those who walk by utter blasphemies against the Innocent and deride Him who endures such harsh suffering. The Evangelist reminds us, “Those who passed by blasphemed Him, nodding their heads and saying, ‘Eh! He who destroys the temple and in three days builds it! save Himself and come down from the Cross’” (Mark 15:29-30).
Similarly, the chief priests and scribes jeered among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. Christ, the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the Cross, that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:31-32). In this context, the Lord Himself, through the prophet, addresses His heavenly Father, stating: “All who saw me mocked me, nodding their heads, saying with their lips: ‘He trusted in the Lord; let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, if it pleases Him.’” He continues, “A multitude of bulls surrounded me, strong bulls encircled me; they opened their mouths against me, like a lion tearing its prey and roaring.” Furthermore, “A pack of dogs has encircled me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet, I can count all my bones; they gaze and stare at me” (Psalm 21:8-9, 13-14, 17-18). Our conscience is wounded by this profound indignity. The suffering ‘Son of the living God’ (Matt. 16:16) bears such scornful insults on our behalf. We deserve the harsh taunts and derision of the enemy for having defiled the temple of God—our very bodies—through our sins and transgressed His holy law. Thus, we should be handed over to the unending mockery and disdain of the devil and his minions, our adversaries. However, the Son of God, our Defender, stands in our stead, enduring these venomous darts of scorn for our sake, paying the price of His unimaginable dishonor and humiliation to rescue us from eternal derision and shame. Hear the mockery, “Eh! He who destroys the temple,” so that He may transform us into temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). Listen to the derision, “Save Thyself” (Matt. 27:40), so that He may grant us everlasting salvation. Consider their taunt, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the Cross” (Matt. 27:40)—that we might receive adoption (Gal. 4:5) and become “sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).
Is it not challenging to identify the source of that voice emerging from the throng of onlookers? It resonates with the same audacity that once condemned Jesus Christ before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:58). Thus, the former agents of the Sanhedrin are actively engaged here, representing the authority of the Sanhedrin itself. Clearly, it would not be prudent for him to voicing blasphemies against Jesus openly. It suits him far better to have others utter slander on his behalf, individuals who stand to lose nothing. These individuals are driven by desperation, willing to do anything for mere sustenance. The prophet illustrates their nature and actions in this manner: their mouths are opened against Me, like a lion roaring fiercely (Psalm 21:14).
It is hardly surprising that other idle supporters of Pharisaical teachings align themselves with this wrongdoing. It is so straightforward, so pervasive, and yet it precisely fulfills what the Messiah declared through the Prophet, ‘All them that see Me shall quarrel, they shall speak with their mouths, they shall mourn with their heads’ (Psalm 21:14). ‘Come down from the Cross’ – see Mark 15:32.
When the Savior was established upon the cross, the senseless multitude and wicked adversaries were not content with their mockery and scorn directed at the Holy Messiah, particularly upon seeing the inscription placed above Him: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Yet He did not plead with His Father to avenge the wrongs inflicted upon Him by those who repaid His goodness with malice; instead, He offered a prayer of divine compassion, saying, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,' as some are blinded by their passions while others suffer from ignorance.
In recounting the narrative of the Lord's agony on the cross, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark highlight the individuals who derided and scorned Christ. These include: 1) those who were passing by, 2) the chief priests along with the scribes, elders, and Pharisees, and 3) the criminals who were crucified beside Him.
The scorn directed at the crucified Christ drew onlookers as they observed the unfolding scene. The chief priests and the other members of the Sanhedrin could not overlook the people's silence. Was this silence born out of compassion or sorrow for the one being crucified, especially after inciting cries for His execution had filled the air? "What might this crowd do? They lack understanding of the law, they are condemned (John 7:49); we must enlighten them." This line of thinking likely motivated the chief priests and their allies to break the dangerous quiet. As recounted by Mark, they spoke amongst themselves, yet loudly enough for all to hear, proclaiming, "He saved others, but He cannot save Himself (Mark 15:31).
We continually informed the people that one who violates the Sabbath and associates with tax collectors and sinners could not truly be the Messiah, the King of Israel; we cautioned them against being swayed by His miracles, which we claimed were performed through the power of Beelzebub. He who dares to call Himself the Son of God now hangs among wrongdoers! Some assumed our persecution stemmed from self-interest, yet do we not await the Messiah, the genuine King of Israel? Would we not follow Him? However, we cannot acknowledge the Messiah in one who is crucified, given that the law of Moses states, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’ If He is indeed the King of Israel, let Him descend from the cross now, and we shall be the first to accept Him. Let Him come down! But why does He not come down from the cross? He who relied on God and addressed Him as His Father? If He is unable to descend and truly found favor with God, then let God rescue Him from this disgraceful fate! Yet God does not intervene..." Such blasphemous declarations seemed to sway the onlookers; in fact, Luke notes that the rulers joined in the mockery (Luke 23:35). This might be interpreted as the crowd, initially struck by Jesus' meekness and His prayers for those executing Him, stood in stunned silence. However, when the rulers began their disdainful commentary, the crowd echoed their insolent jeers. Those passing by taunted Him, shaking 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." Were these not the same false witnesses who had eagerly testified against Jesus at the nocturnal Sanhedrin session? Their mockery of His claim to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, along with their repetition of previously stated accusations, suggests they were the same individuals, certainly echoed by many.
Why did Christ not descend from the cross? For by doing so, He would have definitively demonstrated His divine authority, leading all to believe in Him. Such inquiries persist among many skeptics today. What can we say in response? The One whose commands silenced demons and calmed storms, the healer of all ailments even from a distance, could certainly have stepped down from the cross, if it had been deemed necessary. Thus, His refusal to do so indicates profound reasons hidden in the divine will, known only to God. While we, as sinful beings, might not grasp them fully, we can derive insights from the Lord's teachings. The Gospel reveals that Christ, in His humanity, positioned Himself as an exemplar of attainable perfection. He called us to emulate Him, to take cues from His life. For Him to serve as a model of achievable perfection, He must have refrained from utilizing His divine powers for personal gain; otherwise, He would set standards that appear impossible for us to meet, undermining the very purpose of His mission. We understand that He never utilized His divine attributes to ease His human hardships and tribulations. As a man, He experienced weariness, requiring sustenance and rest; He faced hunger and thirst; His emotions swelled as He experienced joy and sorrow, often weeping in His grief. He was tempted as any man but consistently triumphed—not through the divine power that belonged to Him as the Son of God, but through steadfast submission to the Father’s will, which He commanded us to adopt as a potent means for overcoming our struggles with temptation. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He trembled at the prospect of suffering, beseeching the Father for a reprieve; yet, even in this trial, He submitted in faith, stating, "Not My will, but Thy will be done" (Luke 22:42). This submission became evident during the agonizing physical suffering on the cross when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). In this moment, the question arises: why did the divine power always accompanying Christ not alleviate His unwarranted anguish? It seems that the very purpose of His coming would falter if He had descended from the cross or rendered His suffering void; He would not embody the ideal human example we aspire to become. His obedience to divine authority equipped Him to fulfill His mission as a genuine model for humanity; His life was characterized by a perfect alignment of word and deed. He never eased the burden of His own teachings but lived as He asked us to live—truly embodying the call to follow in His footsteps, which remains possible for us.
The scene was truly distressing. Many onlookers appeared to be silently observing the crosses; however, some who passed by, perhaps including false witnesses and other offenders from the previous night, continued to deride Jesus with scornful shouts and jeers, implying that He should descend from the cross and save Himself if He truly had the power to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. The chief priests, scribes, and elders, lacking the shame and compassion displayed by the crowd, shamelessly mocked Him, exacerbating the already unbearable suffering of the Divine Redeemer. They gathered near the cross, taunting one another: "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.
If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." The crowd and the soldiers echoed their derision, creating an atmosphere of cruel triumph around the One who was suffering. Yet, Christ stood above the wretched humanity, who were thoughtlessly reveling in the execution of their Savior, remaining silent. This holy silence spoke volumes to some hearts, more impactful than any sermon could be. One of the criminals, in particular, was moved; he not only silenced the mockery of his fellow offenders but also chastised his companion for his inappropriate language. A profound transformation occurred within him. According to tradition, this 'penitent thief' had once been instrumental in preserving the life of the Holy Child and the Virgin Mary during their flight to Egypt, and he likely knew much about the Galilean Teacher who welcomed sinners and tax collectors. Upon seeing the infinitely compassionate and forgiving countenance of the Crucified, the goodness within him surged forth, and he turned to Jesus exclaiming with heartfelt plea: "Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom." To this earnest prayer from the repentant sinner, the previously silent Christ responded immediately: "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in paradise."
It was closer to the sixth hour than the third, according to Jewish timekeeping, or around our eleventh hour when the event at Golgotha occurred, and the body of the Savior was laid bare before the throngs in Jerusalem. A large and varied multitude, moving to and from the city, included the keepers of justice—members of the Sanhedrin, coarse Roman soldiers, and even those condemned for robbery—who openly celebrated their perceived triumph. This crowd mercilessly derided the crucified Divine Afflicter as they passed by.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 21 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS