Luke 23:35-46 - Saving Others By Not Saving Himself
Rulers, soldiers, and malefactors all heaped their insults on the dying Lord, little realizing that they were all included in the great love which was pouring itself out as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. It may be that we shall have to share the same opprobrium, if we drink of His cup and are baptized with His baptism. But God will do for us as He did for Jesus; He will not leave our soul in the grave nor suffer His own to see corruption, Psalms 16:10.
The signs of renewal, wrought in the heart of the penitent thief, showed the sure work of the Holy Spirit. These were the fear of God, the sense of justice in His suffering, the confession of evil deeds, the recognition of our Lord's sinlessness and dignity, and the anticipation of His coming Kingdom. We may begin a day under the dull skies of earth and close it where there is no need of sun or moon. See Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:6. For the rent veil, see Hebrews 10:20. Dying saints have often passed home with our Lord's last words on their lips, Psalms 31:5; Acts 7:59. [source]
Chapter Summary: Luke 23
1Jesus is accused before Pilate, and sent to Herod 8Herod mocks him 12Herod and Pilate become friends 13Barabbas is desired of the people, 24and is released by Pilate, and Jesus is given to be crucified 26He tells the women, that lament him, the destruction of Jerusalem; 34prays for his enemies 39Two criminals are crucified with him 46His death 50His burial
Greek Commentary for Luke 23:45
The sun‘s light failing [του ηλιου εκλειποντος] Genitive absolute of the present active participle of εκλειπω ekleipō an old verb, to leave out, omit, pass by, to fail, to die. The word was used also of the eclipse of the sun or moon. But this was impossible at this time because the moon was full at the passover. Hence many documents change this correct text to “the sun was darkened” (εσκοτιστη ο ηλιος eskotisthē ho hēlios) to obviate the difficulty about the technical eclipse. But the sun can be darkened in other ways. In a London fog at noon the street lights are often turned on. The Revised Version translates it correctly, “the sun‘s light failing.” Leave the darkness unexplained. [source]
Matthew 27:45From the sixth hour [απο εκτης ωρας] Curiously enough McNeile takes this to mean the trial before Pilate (John 18:14). But clearly John uses Roman time, writing at the close of the century when Jewish time was no longer in vogue. It was six o‘clock in the morning Roman time when the trial occurred before Pilate. The crucifixion began at the third hour (Mark 15:25) Jewish time or nine a.m. The darkness began at noon, the sixth hour Jewish time and lasted till 3 p.m. Roman time, the ninth hour Jewish time (Mark 15:33; Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44). The dense darkness for three hours could not be an eclipse of the sun and Luke (Luke 23:45) does not so say, only “the sun‘s light failing.” Darkness sometimes precedes earthquakes and one came at this time or dense masses of clouds may have obscured the sun‘s light. One need not be disturbed if nature showed its sympathy with the tragedy of the dying of the Creator on the Cross (Romans 8:22), groaning and travailing until now. [source]
Matthew 27:51Was rent [εσχιστη] Both Mark (Mark 15:38) and Luke (Luke 23:45) mention also this fact. Matthew connects it with the earthquake, “the earth did quake” Josephus (War VI. 299) tells of a quaking in the temple before the destruction and the Talmud tells of a quaking forty years before the destruction of the temple. Allen suggests that “a cleavage in the masonry of the porch, which rent the outer veil and left the Holy Place open to view, would account for the language of the Gospels, of Josephus, and of the Talmud.” This veil was a most elaborately woven fabric of seventy-two twisted plaits of twenty-four threads each and the veil was sixty feet long and thirty wide. The rending of the veil signified the removal of the separation between God and the people (Gould). [source]
Hebrews 1:12A mantle [περιβολαιον] Old word for covering from παριβαλλω pariballō to fling around, as a veil in 1 Corinthians 11:15, nowhere else in N.T. Shalt thou roll up Future active of ελισσω helissō late form for ειλισσω heilissō in N.T. only here and Revelation 6:14, to fold together. As a garment lxx repeats from Hebrews 1:11. They shall be changed Second future passive of αλλασσω allassō old verb, to change. Shall not fail Future active of εκλειπω ekleipō to leave out, to fail, used of the sun in Luke 23:45. “Nature is at his mercy, not he at nature‘s” (Moffatt). [source]
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ναός
Sense: used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure).
Greek Commentary for Luke 23:45
Genitive absolute of the present active participle of εκλειπω ekleipō an old verb, to leave out, omit, pass by, to fail, to die. The word was used also of the eclipse of the sun or moon. But this was impossible at this time because the moon was full at the passover. Hence many documents change this correct text to “the sun was darkened” (εσκοτιστη ο ηλιος eskotisthē ho hēlios) to obviate the difficulty about the technical eclipse. But the sun can be darkened in other ways. In a London fog at noon the street lights are often turned on. The Revised Version translates it correctly, “the sun‘s light failing.” Leave the darkness unexplained. [source]
In the middle. Mark 15:38; Matthew 27:51 have “in two” (εις δυο eis duo). [source]
See on Matthew 27:51. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 23:45
Curiously enough McNeile takes this to mean the trial before Pilate (John 18:14). But clearly John uses Roman time, writing at the close of the century when Jewish time was no longer in vogue. It was six o‘clock in the morning Roman time when the trial occurred before Pilate. The crucifixion began at the third hour (Mark 15:25) Jewish time or nine a.m. The darkness began at noon, the sixth hour Jewish time and lasted till 3 p.m. Roman time, the ninth hour Jewish time (Mark 15:33; Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44). The dense darkness for three hours could not be an eclipse of the sun and Luke (Luke 23:45) does not so say, only “the sun‘s light failing.” Darkness sometimes precedes earthquakes and one came at this time or dense masses of clouds may have obscured the sun‘s light. One need not be disturbed if nature showed its sympathy with the tragedy of the dying of the Creator on the Cross (Romans 8:22), groaning and travailing until now. [source]
Both Mark (Mark 15:38) and Luke (Luke 23:45) mention also this fact. Matthew connects it with the earthquake, “the earth did quake” Josephus (War VI. 299) tells of a quaking in the temple before the destruction and the Talmud tells of a quaking forty years before the destruction of the temple. Allen suggests that “a cleavage in the masonry of the porch, which rent the outer veil and left the Holy Place open to view, would account for the language of the Gospels, of Josephus, and of the Talmud.” This veil was a most elaborately woven fabric of seventy-two twisted plaits of twenty-four threads each and the veil was sixty feet long and thirty wide. The rending of the veil signified the removal of the separation between God and the people (Gould). [source]
Shall not be ended. With this exception the verb only in Luke's Gospel. See Luke 16:9; Luke 22:32; Luke 23:45. Very frequent in lxx. [source]
Old word for covering from παριβαλλω pariballō to fling around, as a veil in 1 Corinthians 11:15, nowhere else in N.T. Shalt thou roll up Future active of ελισσω helissō late form for ειλισσω heilissō in N.T. only here and Revelation 6:14, to fold together. As a garment lxx repeats from Hebrews 1:11. They shall be changed Second future passive of αλλασσω allassō old verb, to change. Shall not fail Future active of εκλειπω ekleipō to leave out, to fail, used of the sun in Luke 23:45. “Nature is at his mercy, not he at nature‘s” (Moffatt). [source]