Luke 23:26 - 43
26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”[b] And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[c] “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[d] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. v29 - When did / are those days coming?
2. v34 - Did they really not know what they were doing?
3. v43 - What did Jesus mean by the thief will be in paradise with him today? Was Jesus in paradise that day?
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/04/mark-1521-32-21-certain-man-from-cyrene.html?view=flipcard says:
ReplyDeleteThe English word "gall," in the New Testament, comes from the Greek word chole (Strong's Concordance #G5521) which literally means poison. All the Old Testament verses that use this word (Lamentations 3:5, 3:19, Jeremiah 8:14, 9:15, 23:15 and so on) have a common definition of something that tastes bitter and is (many times) poisonous.
A mixture of wine and gall was commonly given to criminals before their execution in order to ease some of their suffering. He did not want to die from poisoning or have his senses numbed while on the cross. He knew that He had to shed his blood in order for Him to become the supreme sacrifice for the sins of all man, and He refused to take the easy way out of it.
The offering of this concoction by the Romans, however, was a fulfillment of a prophecy given by King David. While in the depths of a painful trial David cried out to the Eternal that his enemies gave him only something bitter to quench his thirst (Psalm 69:16 - 21).
Although refusing what the Roman guards initially offered him when he arrived at Golgotha, Jesus later did take some sour wine when he was on the cross (Matthew 27:48). This was acceptable for his thirst because, though it had a sour taste, he knew that it was not poisonous.
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When Jesus said that he wouldn’t drink again of this fruit of the vine, was he saying that he wouldn’t drink grape juice or wine again until heaven? I think many would answer yes.
This interpretation of Jesus’ words results in some confusion when, only a chapter later, Jesus is given a sponge filled with sour wine to drink (Matthew 27:48). Note that this is NOT the wine mixed with gall that Jesus refused to drink a few verses earlier in Matthew 27:34. This time, Matthew makes no mention of whether or not Jesus drank the proffered wine. But John’s language in his account of the same incident suggests that Jesus did consume the sour wine: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished.'” (John 19:30)
So, if Jesus’ statement was NOT saying that he would not consume any more liquid derived from grapes until paradise, in what way did Jesus mean his statement “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom”?
I believe that Jesus was referring specifically to the Four Cups of the Seder–and that he was announcing that this was not his ultimate (last) Seder, but his penultimate (next-to-last) Seder. Jesus stopped with the third cup, the cup whose symbolism He would fulfill the very next day. He announced the meaning of the cup of redemption and stopped there, for his disciples to meditate on its meaning as they watched the events of the next few days unfold.
The fourth cup, the cup of rejoicing, Jesus saved for later–for the final feast, where the final promise of Exodus 6:6-7 would be fulfilled:
“I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/04/mark-1521-32-21-certain-man-from-cyrene.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteCyrene was situated in modern-day Libya, on the northern coast of the African continent. Settled by the Greeks in 630 B.C. and later infused with a significant Jewish population, Cyrene was the capital of the Roman district of Cyrenaica at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. By then, Cyrene was home to a large number of Greek-speaking, or Hellenistic, Jews.
Many Jews from Cyrene had returned to their native Israel and were part of a community in Jerusalem called the Synagogue of the Freedmen comprising Jews from many other provinces including Alexandria (Egypt), Cilicia and Asia (Acts 6:9). Luke records men from Cyrene being among those converted at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). After the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7), believers from Cyrene were among the first to be scattered by the persecution in Jerusalem; arriving in Antioch, they preached to the Gentiles there (Acts 11:20). These believers were instrumental in the formation of the church at Antioch, where, for the first time, “the disciples were called Christians” (Acts 11:26).
Mark, uncharacteristically, provides the most information about Simon, adding that he was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21), men obviously well known to Mark’s readers. It is speculated that the Rufus mentioned here may be the same man Paul greets in his letter to Rome, whom he calls “chosen in the Lord” and whose mother “has been a mother to me, too” (Romans 16:13). Paul’s knowledge of Rufus’s family indicates that at some point they lived further east.
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The Name Skull Hill Has An Unknown Origin
The exact reason why it is called "skull hill" is unknown. A number of possible explanations have been put forward. They include the following.
1. It Was The Place Of Execution
It has been suggested that this was the place of public execution and skulls were left lying around after people had been executed. This does not seem very likely when the Jewish practice of burial of the dead is considered.
2. The Hill Was Shaped Like A Skull
It has been argued that the name "skull hill" was derived from the shape of the hill - it looked like a human skull. The fact that executions took place on this hill was merely coincidental.
The exact site of Christ's crucifixion is a matter of debate. The two most prominent candidates are the church of the Holy Sepulcher and Gordon's Calvary. Gordon's Calvary is on a hill that looks like a skull yet no one can be certain as to the exact location of Jesus' death.
We do know that Jesus was taken outside the city of Jerusalem to be executed.
The site of the crucifixion was also near a public road.
https://hartmangroupdevotionsmark.blogspot.com/2019/04/mark-1521-32-21-certain-man-from-cyrene.html?view=flipcard continued:
ReplyDeleteWilliam Lane explains,
According to an old tradition, respected women of Jerusalem provided a narcotic drink to those condemned to death in order to decrease their sensitivity to the excruciating pain . . . . When Jesus arrived at Golgotha he was offered . . . wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it, choosing to endure with full consciousness the sufferings appointed for him (The Gospel of Mark, p. 564)
A sour wine vinegar is mentioned in the OT as a refreshing drink (Numbers 6:13; Ruth 2:14), and in Greek and Roman literature as well it is a common beverage appreciated by laborers and soldiers because it relieved thirst more effectively than water and was inexpensive . . . . There are no examples of its use as a hostile gesture. The thought, then, is not of a corrosive vinegar offered as a cruel jest, but of a sour wine of the people. While the words “let us see if Elijah will come” express a doubtful expectation, the offer of the sip of wine was intended to keep Jesus conscious for as long as possible”
So the first wine (mixed with myrrh) was designed to dull Jesus’ pain, to keep him from having to endure the cross with full consciousness. This wine he refused.
And the second (sour) wine was given to keep him “conscious for as long as possible,” and thus have the effect of prolonging his pain. This is the wine Jesus drank.
Other condemned criminals would have taken the first (to ease their torment) and passed on the second (so as not to prolong their horrific pain). But Jesus would take no shortcuts on the way to our redemption.
At the cross, he drank the wine of his Father’s wrath down to its very dregs, and he did so for us—that we might enjoy the wine of his Father’s love, join him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and live redeemed forever in the glorious presence of the one who took no shortcuts in saving us.
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As He neared death, Jesus said, I thirst (John 19:28). One of the prominent effects of crucifixion was overpowering thirst because of the loss of body fluids through open body wounds and perspiration.
Being at the point of death, Jesus wished to say His final words. His parched lips and throat needed moisture, so he accepted the vinegar.
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Let the Christ… descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe: It is precisely because He would not come down that we believe in Him. Jesus did something greater than come down from the cross – He rose from the dead. Yet they did not believe even then. But many of the priests did eventually believe: A great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)
He saved others: “That was a fact which even they could not deny. Everywhere, in Jerusalem, in all the towns and villages and hamlets through the countryside, were those whom He had saved.”
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-23/ says:
ReplyDeleteEven before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.
The weight of the entire cross was typically 300 pounds. The victim only carried the crossbar, which weighed anywhere from 75 to 125 pounds. When the victim carried the crossbar, he was usually stripped naked, and his hands were often tied to the wood.
The upright beams of a cross were usually permanently fixed in a visible place outside of the city walls, beside a major road. It is likely that on many occasions, Jesus passed by the very upright He would later be crucified upon.
No doubt, Simon was visiting Jerusalem as a Passover pilgrim from his native land (some 800 miles or 1300 kilometers away). He knew little if anything about this Jesus and had no desire to be associated with this Man who was condemned to die as a criminal. There is some evidence to suggest that his sons became leaders among the early Christians (Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13).
According to the customs of crucifixion, a Roman guard led with a sign that carried the man’s name and crime, calling out the name and the crime along the way to the place of crucifixion. They usually didn’t take the shortest way so as many people as possible could see how the Roman Empire treated its enemies.
Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Blessed are the barren: “Normally, Jewish custom did just the opposite, praised motherhood and stigmatized the barren. But the days of the fall of Jerusalem would be so severe that women would far prefer not to have children, rather than have them go through the ordeal that awaited the city.
Calvary means, “place of a skull,” and it was the place where criminals were crucified.
the fourteen stations of the cross, though certainly sentimental in appeal, seem to have no historical basis.
Not uncommonly, insects would light upon or burrow into the open wounds or the eyes, ears, and nose of the dying and helpless victim, and birds of prey would tear at these sites. Moreover, it was customary to leave the corpse on the cross to be devoured by predatory animals.
The most significant thing about Jesus’ suffering was that He was not, in any sense, the victim of circumstances. He was in control. Jesus said of His life in John 10:18, no one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. It is terrible to be forced to endure such torture, but to freely choose it out of love is remarkable.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/23-34.htm says:
ReplyDeleteFather, forgive them - This is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12; "He made intercession for the transgressors." The prayer was offered for those who were guilty of putting him to death. It is not quite certain whether he referred to the "Jews" or "to the Roman soldiers." Perhaps he referred to both. The Romans knew not what they did, as they were really ignorant that he was the Son of God, and as they were merely obeying the command of their rulers. The Jews knew, indeed, that he was "innocent," and they had evidence, if they would have looked at it, that he was the Messiah; but they did not know what would be the effect of their guilt; they did not know what judgments and calamities they were bringing down upon their country. It may be added, also, that, though they had abundant evidence, if they would look at it, that he was the Messiah, and enough to leave then without excuse, yet they did not, "in fact," believe that he was the Saviour promised by the prophets, and had not, "in fact," any proper sense of his rank and dignity as "the Lord of glory." If they had had, they would not have crucified him, as we cannot suppose that they would knowingly put to death their own Messiah, the hope of the nation, and him who had been so long promised to the fathers. See the notes at 1 Corinthians 2:8. We may learn from this prayer:
1. The duty of praying for our enemies, even when they are endeavoring most to injure us.
2. The thing for which we should pray for them is that "God" would pardon them and give them better minds.
3. The power and excellence of the Christian religion. No other religion "teaches" people to pray for the forgiveness of enemies; no other "disposes" them to do it. Men of the world seek for "revenge;" the Christian bears reproaches and persecutions with patience, and prays that God would pardon those who injure them, and save them from their sins.
4. The greatest sinners, through the intercession of Jesus, may obtain pardon. God heard him, and still hears him "always," and there is no reason to doubt that many of his enemies and murderers obtained forgiveness and life. Compare Acts 2:37, Acts 2:42-43; Acts 6:7; Acts 14:1.
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But as we say in philosophy, corruptio optimi est pessima; so we shall find it true, that men who are employed in sacred things, if the true fear of God be not in them, to make them the best, they are certainly the vilest and worst of men.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-23-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteAnd of women who were mourning and lamenting Him - Some consider that these women were likely professional mourners
Hughes - These women are not to be confused with his devoted followers who had traveled from Galilee and would stay with him to the bitter end (cf. Luke 24:49). Rather, these were devout women of Jerusalem who had come to bewail the death of a young man, local women who regularly turned out to witness executions and provide opiates and drugs to ease the pain (M. Sanhedrin 43a). Some were acting out the part of professional mourners as they literally “were beating themselves and bewailing him.”9 These daughters of Jerusalem were well-intentioned, sympathetic, kind souls.
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Jesus sets us all such an incredible example - here even in his last words, He is not complaining about the gross injustice and unfair torture He has received, but is thinking of others. This is the supreme example of selfless love we are charged to imitate (1 Cor 11:1+, 1 Jn 2:6+), but dare not try to do this in your own natural power for such love is only possible as it is "infused" through us by the Holy Spirit in us (Gal 5:22+).
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-23-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteWhen James and John asked Jesus for the places of honor next to him in his kingdom, he told them that they didn't know what they were asking (Mark 10:35-39). Here, as Jesus was preparing to inaugurate his kingdom through his death, the places on his right and on his left were taken by dying men—criminals. As Jesus explained to his two position-conscious disciples, a person who wants to be close to Jesus must be prepared to suffer and die. The way to the kingdom is the way of the cross.
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But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." The verb for saying is in the imperfect tense which means that Jesus was saying these wonderful words not just once, but over and over!
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The Septuagint also uses paradeisos in reference to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8). Furthermore, as the Jews recognized the truth of a general resurrection from the dead, they surmised that the abode of the righteous after their resurrection would be the Garden of Eden, or paradise. In contrast, the wicked would be sent to Gehenna (see 1060). By the time of Christ, speculation arose concerning the state of the dead prior to the resurrection. Some, then, divided Sheol (the location of the shadowy postdeath existence) into two compartments: in one were the souls of the wicked, in the other—named paradise—were the righteous. MacArthur summarizes the development of the concept and use of the word paradise in Israel’s history as follows: (1) it referred to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2–3); (2) it described the abode of the righteous dead prior to resurrection; and (3) it referred to the eternal home of the righteous (“Paradise,” Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 3:655). The location of paradise was sometimes called the third heaven. This forms the background for the word’s usage in reference to the idea of perfection in Revelation 2:7 (also compare with the description in Revelation 21– 22 of paradise). The idea of paredeisos as an eternal home for the saints is seen in the conversation between Jesus and the robber who repented (Luke 23:43).
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-23-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteLuke 23:44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
The "sixth hour" reckoned according to Hebrew time would be 12 o'clock noon. A strange darkness engulfs the land. A natural eclipse, unlikely at Passover, does not completely explain the phenomenon.
Don't be confused by John's account that says it was "about the sixth hour" when Pilate sentenced Jesus to be crucified (Jn 19:14). John used the Roman method of reckoning time, which counted the hours from midnight. Thus John's "sixth hour" would have been about 6:00 A M. three hours before the actual crucifixion.
MacArthur - according to the Babylonian Talmud many rabbis had long taught that darkening of the sun was a judgment of God on the world for an unusually heinous sin.
https://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-go-to-hell.html says:
ReplyDeleteDid Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?
There is a great deal of confusion regarding this question. The concept that Jesus went to hell after His death on the cross comes primarily from the Apostles’ Creed, which states, “He descended into hell.” There are also a few Scripture passages that, depending on how they are translated, describe Jesus going to “hell.”
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. It simply means “the place of the dead” or “the place of departed souls/spirits.” The New Testament Greek equivalent of sheol is hades, which also refers to “the place of the dead.” Other passages in the New Testament indicate that sheol/hades is a temporary place, where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection and judgment. Revelation 20:11–15 gives a clear distinction between hades and the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the permanent and final place of judgment for the lost. Hades, then, is a temporary place. Many people refer to both hades and the lake of fire as “hell,” and this causes confusion. Jesus did not go to a place of torment after His death, but He did go to hades.
Sheol/hades is a realm with two divisions—a place of blessing and a place of judgment (Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27–31). The abodes of the saved and the lost are both generally called “hades” in the Bible. The abode of the saved is also called “Abraham’s bosom” (KJV) or “Abraham’s side” (NIV) in Luke 16:22 and “paradise” in Luke 23:43. The abodes of the saved and the lost are separated by a “great chasm” (Luke 16:26). When Jesus died, He went to the blessed side of sheol, or paradise. (Some believe, based on a particular interpretation of Ephesians 4:8–10, that Jesus took believers with Him from sheol to another place of bliss that we now call heaven. More likely, Ephesians 4 refers to the ascension of Christ.) All the unbelieving dead go to the cursed side of hades to await the final judgment. All the believing dead go to the blessed side of hades to await the resurrection. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes, according to Jesus’ own words, He went to the blessed region of sheol.
Some have the viewpoint that Jesus went to “hell” or the suffering side of sheol/hades in order to further be punished for our sins. This idea is completely unbiblical. It was the death of Jesus on the cross that sufficiently provided for our redemption. It was His shed blood that effected our own cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7–9). As He hung there on the cross, He took the sin burden of the whole human race upon Himself. He became sin for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This imputation of sin helps us understand Christ’s struggle in the garden of Gethsemane with the cup of sin that He asked to pass from Him (Matthew 26:39).
As Jesus neared death, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). His suffering in our place was completed. His soul/spirit went to hades (the place of the dead). Jesus did not go to “hell” or the suffering side of hades; He went to “Abraham’s side” or the blessed side of hades. Jesus’ suffering ended the moment He died. The payment for sin was paid. He then awaited the resurrection of His body and His return to glory in His ascension. Did Jesus go to hell? No. Did Jesus go to sheol/hades? Yes.
(My 2 cents: I shared the above because it is the majority view. I think that it's not clear at all and that there are multiple ways you could look at those scriptures).
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/72985/is-there-another-explanation-for-the-contradiction-on-luke-2343-john-2017-i says:
ReplyDeleteLuke 23:43 states: Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.
John 20:17 states: Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
In Luke 23:43, Jesus clearly tells the thief that he(the thief) will be with him(Jesus) in paradise today, and by "today" we automatically assume Jesus is talking about the "current 24-hour period of rotation on the Earth's axis." And in John 20:17, Jesus unequivocally states that HE had not been with the Father yet.
there is another valid explanation(other than moving the punctuation mark) that reconciles the two verses. All we need to do is prove that the dead are totally unconscious; we can do this quite easily.
Ecclesiastes 9:5; 10 "For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten."; "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going."
Psalm 146:4 "His spirit goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, In that day have his thoughts perished."
Isaiah 38:18-19 "For Sheol cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: They that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: The father to the children shall make known thy truth."
Yes, these scriptures make it entirely evident that the dead of totally unaware of themselves and their surroundings; unable to think, to have any knowledge or wisdom whatsoever, or even so much as hope for the truth of God. And that at the moment of their death, they return from whence they came(the dust), their spirit returns from whence it came(God), and all their thoughts perish entirely. But there is more to support this view; the fact that Jesus, Paul, and Luke referred to death as "sleeping."
John 11:11-13 "These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep."
Acts 7:59-60 "While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep."
1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6 "For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number are asleep."; "After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep."
https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/72985/is-there-another-explanation-for-the-contradiction-on-luke-2343-john-2017-i continued:
ReplyDeleteThere are two points Jesus is trying to make with the metaphor;
(1) The dead are unconscious; unaware of their surroundings, just as people in deep sleep are.
(2) The dead will awaken from their state of unconsciousness in the resurrection, just as living people are awoken from their state of sleep.
The power and beauty of these notions are diminished greatly(effectively to the point of nonsense) when you take "asleep" to mean either "being tortured day and night in hell" or "being in total bliss in a heavenly paradise." As Ecclesiastes states: The state of the dead is the same for all, as there is no knowledge, thought, or wisdom of any kind whatsoever for anyone at all.
Now that we have proved that the dead are totally unconscious of everything, we can see what Jesus was saying to the thief at Luke 23:43 in a different light, without having to alter the placement of the punctuation mark; a light that, I feel, shines a whole lot brighter.
So, did Jesus really mean that the thief would be with him in paradise that very day? Yes, and no!
For my first point: The word "day" doesn't always mean, "a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next, corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis." It's a pretty flexible term.
So, what's my interpretation? Well, I think that Jesus was speaking from the point of view of the criminal. What do I mean by that? Well, remember when we proved that the dead are totally unconscious? Well, then, at the exact moment of the thief's death, he would have blacked out entirely. And sometime in the future, many hundreds of thousands of days later, he would be resurrected. But guess what? From his point of view, but an instant would have passed.
Jesus didn’t have the time nor the energy to explain all the intricacies of life, death, and the resurrection to the repentant man dying next to him. In one short sentence, Jesus told the criminal all he needed to know to put his mind at rest. From his point of view, the time between his last breath on the cross and his first breath in paradise would be instantaneous.
I certainly don't know that it's true. I just wanted to answer the question(of reconciling the two scriptures given) with a valid alternative to fixing an "incorrect translation", as you put it(and you can certainly make a very strong case for altering the punctuation mark. I'm not saying that you cannot. I'm just looking at it through another possible approach). Either way, whether you decide to alter the position of the punctuation mark or not, there is a way to reconcile John 20:17 and Luke 23:43.
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. v29 - When did / are those days coming?
One (and probably the main) fulfillment was 70 A.D. It's possible that there will be a future fulfillment also.
2. v34 - Did they really not know what they were doing?
Yes and no. They were given over to evil and fully intended to do everything they did to Jesus. But, their minds were clouded so that they really couldn't do anything else except what they did. Jesus chose to forgive them even though they deserved His full judgement. And so it is with us - this is the Gospel.
3. v43 - What did Jesus mean by the thief will be in paradise with him today? Was Jesus in paradise that day?
There's different views on this. While I don't buy the argument that the comma is in the wrong place, I also don't believe that it's necessary to make this verse mean that the thief entered paradise that very day - although I think it does mean that from the thief's perspective, there was no delay between his death and him entering paradise.
If the thief was in paradise that day, one question I have is how to reconcile the dead coming to life and being judged on the Last Day. The other question I have is whether Jesus went to paradise that day.
It comes down to what you understand / believe happens between death and Judgement Day. Is there an intermediate state (in which souls remain conscious in Hades and are aware of the passage of time on earth)? Do souls sleep (or don't even exist) during this time? Are souls even bound to time after they leave the body? (I think that if souls are not bound to time, it explains a lot and eliminates the need for an intermediate state - however, that doesn't mean that this is the case). For a more thorough treatment of this, see http://soulguardian.info/bible/Bible%20Study/Afterdeath.pdf