#194 Lu. 23:47-49  THE PEOPLE AT THE CRUCIFIXION

Introduction:

	In last Sunday's text Luke called attention to the darkness
which came upon the land and the rending of the veil of the
temple at the crucifixion of Jesus.  He also called attention to
the moment of death when Jesus released His Spirit into the hands
of God the Father.
    Today Luke turns our attention to some of the people who were
present at the crucifixion scene.

I.  The centurion

    Luke speaks first of the centurion who was in charge of the
crucifixion.  V. 47, "Now when the centurion saw what was
done..."  In the Roman army a centurion was in charge of one-
hundred men.  This particular centurion was also in charge of the
crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves.
    This centurion was a man of intelligence and good judgment.
He could not have risen to the high rank of centurion if this
were not so.  He was also an man of experience.  He had witnessed
death before.  He had even witnessed death by crucifixion before.
He knew very well what to do and how to go about it.
	He had, no doubt, witnessed the death on the battle field.
He had witness the death of the enemy and he had witness the
death of his fellow Roman soldiers.  He had seen men face death
with fear and he had seen men face death with bravery.  But he
had never witnessed a man face death as calmly and as
submissively as Jesus did.
	Even though he was not an Israelite we can be sure that he
had heard of Jesus before.  It would have been impossible to be
in the land of Israel for any length of time and not hear of
Jesus.  The great miracles which Jesus had performed had made Him
the most talked about man in all the nation.  The most recent
miracle had been out at Bethany when Jesus called Lazarus from
the grave.  The news of that event most surely had reached his
ears and claimed his most earnest attention.
    The whole event of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus had
made a great impact on this man.  He had been present when Jesus
was brought before Pilate by the Jewish leaders and had heard the
accusations then made against Jesus.  He had been in charge of
keeping the prisoner secure when Pilate had questioned Jesus
inside the judgment hall.
    He had heard Pilate ask Jesus if He were a king and he had
heard Jesus tell Pilate that He was not a king of an earthly sort
-- at least not at this time.  He had heard Jesus explain that He
was, however a King.  He had heard Jesus say that one day He
would return to this world in the clouds and that eventually even
Pilate would see Him sit upon the throne of God and rule.
    He had heard Pilate ask Jesus if He is the Son of God, and he
heard Jesus answer, "Yes" to that question.  He had heard Pilate
declare Jesus to be "Not guilty" of the charges made against Him
and he knew that Pilate should have set Jesus free.  Yet upon
Pilate's orders, he had delivered Jesus, whom he knew should be
set free, to Herod for further questioning.  He probably was not
present when Herod also pronounced Jesus "Not guilty," but he was
well aware that this was the verdict which Herod had reached.
    This centurion had been in charge of the soldiers who had
mocked and tortured Jesus just for the sport of it.  Then when
Pilate ordered that Jesus be scourged, he in charge of the
scourging.
	When Jesus became too weak to carry His cross up Golgotha's
Hill, it was he who ordered Simon the Cyrenian to carry the cross
for Jesus.  As the officer in charge, he witnessed as his
soldiers drove the nails into the hands and feet of Jesus.  He
heard the prayer of Jesus when Jesus prayed and said, "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do."
	I am sure that it must have been with some apprehension and
fear that he saw the darkness come upon the land at mid-day when
the sun should have been at its brightest.   It was not until
Jesus died that the light of the sun began to shine through
again.  That darkness made him think that something was unusual
about the death of Jesus.  There was something unusual about
Jesus Himself.
    The centurion listened as one of the thieves cried out unto
Jesus and said, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom."   He heard Jesus inform that man that he would be with
Jesus in the kingdom before this day is over.
	He listened again as Jesus cried out toward heaven and said,
"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."  Then he watched as
Jesus bowed His head and died.
	At that time he probably knew nothing about the veil of the
temple being torn, but he probably had the daylights almost
scared out of him by the earthquake that tore the veil.  I've
never been in an earthquake and it would suit me well if it stays
that way.  But I am sure that he took great notice of the
earthquake.
    All of this combined to have a great impact on the thinking
of the centurion toward Jesus.  (V. 47), "...he glorified God,
saying, Certainly this was a righteous man."  He was now
convinced that Pilate was right.  This man was most certainly not
guilty of any crime.  He was not guilty of any kind of wrong
doing.  He was a righteous man.
    Luke does not record a statement that the centurion made as
recorded by Matthew and Mark.  According to Matthew and Mark he
also said, "This man was the Son of God."  Being a Roman he had
been brought up to believe in the existence of many gods and that
those gods may have sons.  But he did not say, "This man was a
son of one of the gods," talking about one of the heathen gods.
Rather he said that Jesus is the Son of God.  He was talking
about the real God and he had come to believe that Jesus is the
Son of real God, the God which the Jews worshipped.
	He had heard Jesus tell Pilate that He is the Son of God.  He
had heard Jesus say that at His return He would sit upon the
throne of the highest, meaning He would sit upon the throne of
God.  He had heard Jesus pray, "Father, forgive them for they
know not what they do."  He had heard Jesus say, "Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit."  He had, indeed come to believe
that Jesus was a righteous man.  He had come to believe that what
Pilate, himself, said about Jesus was true.  Jesus was not guilty
of the charges made against Him.  But there was more!  He had
also come to believe that Jesus is the very Son of God!
    There is nothing said about him believing in Jesus as the
Christ.  Nor is there anything said about him believing in Jesus
as his Savior.  But I am persuaded that he did trust in Jesus as
the Christ and as the Savior.  I am persuaded that he believed
that Jesus had saved the thief and had accepted that thief into
His kingdom, just as Jesus had promised to do.  I am persuaded
that he trusted Jesus to accept him, also, into His kingdom as He
had accepted the thief.  He had heard Jesus say to the repentant
thief, "This day you will be with me in paradise."
    Maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part, but I believe
that I will see that man in heaven.  I think he trusted in Jesus
to take him into heaven and I believe he will be there.  At the
very least, he praised God and made a great tribute to Jesus.

II.  The crowd

    V. 48, "And all the people that came together to that sight,
beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and
returned."  Luke says that the events of that day likewise had a
great impact upon the great masses of people who came out to the
crucifixion scene.  They smote upon their breasts and went away
in great sorrow.
	You will, of course, need to keep in mind that this statement
speaks of the people as a whole and is not intended to express
the attitude of every individual.  It most certainly does not
express the attitude of the Jewish leaders who had demanded the
crucifixion of Jesus.  I find nothing in this passage or any
Scripture to indicate that there was any remorse on their part.
They had demanded the crucifixion of Jesus and they were glad
that He was dead.
	But Luke says that the great masses of people were not glad.
Jesus had been their hero for the last three years.  They had
thrilled to the stories of the great miracles He had performed.
Many of them had been in the crowd that had hailed Him as the
Messiah King as He rode into Jerusalem on the afternoon of His
arrival.  Many of them had cheered Jesus on as He contended daily
in the temple and had victory after victory over the scribes and
Pharisees.
	Earlier in the day when they had arrived at Pilate's hall,
many of them had allowed themselves to be hoodwinked by the
Jewish leaders and had joined in the crowd crying, "Crucify Him!
Crucify Him!"  But now that Jesus had been crucified, they were
not at all happy about it.  Like the centurion, they had been
affected by the darkness that came on the land.  Also like the
centurion, they had been shook up by the earthquake.  But
chiefly, they were profoundly affected by the great character of
Jesus Himself.  He had suffered without protest.  He had gone as
a lamb to the slaughter.  He had prayed for their forgiveness.
	Then there was the matter of death, itself.  Death always
makes an impression on people.  Now that their hero was dead they
were grieved by it.  They must have been especially grieved that
they had a hand in His death.  They had helped to persuade Pilate
to crucify Him.  They were not proud of what they had done.  They
were saddened by the whole event.  The excitement of it was over
and sadness had set in.  The sadness of personal guilt had
combined with the horror of death and they felt very badly about
the whole event.  They went away smiting themselves upon their
breasts.
	This same spirit of sadness and guilt would still prevail
fifty days from that time when many of them would listen to the
preaching of the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost.  After
hearing Peter preach they would have the spirit of penance as
they cry out and say, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"  On
that day ABOUT 2,000 of them would repent and place their faith
in Jesus and be saved.  Still later another 5,000 would get saved
and some would be saved daily.

III.  The Christians

    V. 49, "And all his acquaintance..."  Luke here speaks of
those who were believers in Jesus.  They are here called "his
acquaintance."  Included in this group must have been Lazarus,
whom Jesus had raised from the dead at Bethany.  Included also
must have been Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.  Included
must have been the man who was the owner of the colt, the foal of
an ass, that Jesus had used to ride into Jerusalem.  When he was
told "The master hath need of him" that is all he needed to hear.
He willingly turned the animal over to the disciples for the
Master's use.  Also, the owner of the home in which Jesus and His
disciples had eaten the Passover Supper together must have been
in this group.  Included must have been the woman who at Bethany
had anointed Jesus with an alabaster box of ointment.  Jesus said
that she had anointed Him for His burial.  There were probably
many others which we have no way of identifying at this time.
These acquaintances of Jesus were somewhat at a distance, but
they were as close as they dared to be.
	The Apostles are not mentioned specifically by Luke, but we
know that they were somewhere in the crowd.  In the Book of First
John they are said to be "eyewitnesses" to the things that befell
Jesus.  They were eyewitnesses to the crucifixion.
	I can imagine Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus into the
hands of the chief priests and elders.  Surely he must have
watched with great anguish at the terrible treatment of One who
had never done anything but good to him.  I think that if Judas
came near to any of the other disciples, he very quickly moved
away into the crowd hoping that they would not see him.
	By the time of the death of Jesus the Apostle John was gone.
He had already taken Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the suggestion
of Jesus and left the scene.
	I feel sure that the Apostle Peter and all the other apostles
would not leave until it was all over with.  I know that Thomas
had a good look at the crucifixion scene.  It made such a vivid
impression on him that later when he heard that Jesus was risen
from the grave he said, "I will not believe it until I can thrust
my fingers into the nail holes and thrust my hand into the hole
in His side which was left by the spear."  These apostles and all
the other disciples present were devastated.  Their world had
collapsed.  They were grieved beyond measure.
    (V. 49), "...and the women that followed him from Galilee,
stood afar off, beholding these things."  These women had
followed Jesus from Galilee.  They had ministered to Him and His
apostles along the way by providing food for them along the way.
I can imagine their faces twisted with grief.  I can see their
eyes streaming with tears and their hands twitching nervously.  T
heir very souls torn with agonizing sorrow.  Some of these women
would show up at the tomb on the next Sunday morning thinking He
would still be in the grave.
	Let me tell you that one way or other the crucifixion and
death of Jesus had an impact upon the people who witnessed that
terrible event.  It had an impact upon the Roman centurion which
caused him to wake up to just who Jesus really is.  He is a
righteous man.  He is the very Son of God who lived in human
flesh without sin.  He is the Christ of God, the Son of God.  He
is the Savior of men.
	The crucifixion and death of Jesus had an impact upon that
great crowd of people who were gathered there.  It caused them to
be remorseful that their hero was dead and that they had actually
contributed to His death.
	The crucifixion and death of Jesus had an impact on the
disciples.  Right at that time it simply devastated them.  Later
it would challenge them on to faithful service to the Lord who
died for them.

Conclusion:

	What kind of impact has the crucifixion had on you.  A well
known hymn asks the question, "Were you there when they crucified
my Lord?"  The answer to that question is, "No.  I was not there
when He was crucified.  At least I was not there literally."  But
in a sense I was there.  Through the record of God's Holy Book, I
was there.  I have seen; I have heard; I have felt.  I have been
devastated by my own guilt of sin for which Jesus died.  I am
fully persuaded that He died for my sins as well as their's.  I
am fully persuaded that Jesus is the Son of God.  I am fully
persuaded that Jesus is the Savior of men.  I am fully persuaded
that Jesus saved that thief on the cross and that He saved that
centurion who crucified Him.  But even more important to me, I am
fully persuaded that Jesus saved me.  I know that He loved me and
died for me.  I know also that I love Him and want to live for
Him.
	Let me ask again:  What impact has Jesus had on you?  What
change has He made in your eternal destiny?  What change has He
made in your life?  If Jesus has not already changed your
eternity and changed your life, then come today and call upon
Him.  Put your faith in Him as your Savior and submit your life
to Him as your Lord and Master.