Narrative insights into the crucifixion of Jesus in Luke

In the crucifixion account, Luke 23: 33-43, Luke tells the story of a first-century man from Nazareth through whom God has chosen to make known the power of God to establish God's rule over the world and to call into question the power of the earthly rulers, both religious and political. Who really has power in this world? How is that power manifested? Do the rulers of the world have power over my life? Can I trust this Jesus who is telling me that the power of God is greater?

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By the time the first hearers encountered the story of the crucifixion, they had traveled a long road with Jesus, a road that brought them to Jerusalem, where earthly power, both religious and political, was centered, a road that led to Jesus' arrest, sentencing, and now his crucifixion on the hill called the Skull. Along that road, they had "witnessed" Jesus calling disciples to follow him, breaking the laws of the Sabbath in front of the religious officials by working and healing on the Sabbath, performing miracles among the people of Israel and the Gentiles, and hearing Jesus preach, teach, and proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God. Now they stand at the foot of the cross, seeing Jesus hanging there between two criminals, and wonder how all that had been said and done before could be true. Has the power of the world finally overcome the power of God? Is Jesus really the anointed one?

The answer to these questions begins to be revealed in the episode of the crucifixion through the most unlikely of sources: the soldiers and the evildoers who surround Jesus. Although they do not know that they are speaking the truth and do not intend to be speaking the truth, the truth about Jesus' identity is ironically revealed in the voices of these characters.

In his narrative Luke shows that, through the crucifixion of Jesus, God turns the human understanding of power on its head. For Luke, the crucifixion of Jesus is not a payment for people's sins. He omits Mark's famous quotation "For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (10:45). Rather, Jesus' healings and offers of forgiveness are a proclamation of God's reign and God's comprehensive saving purpose. (1) Salvation is restoration of God's people through the forgiveness of sins. (2) Jesus' death was the opportunity though which God's authority would be manifest.

Through Jesus' ability to forgive and offer salvation, even at the time when Jesus appears to be powerless, Luke shows us that in the midst of apparent vulnerability and lack of power God continues to exercise authority in the world through Jesus.

The question of forgiveness

For whom is Jesus asking for giveness? As hearers enter this scene they are told that Jesus is crucified with two evildoers, one on his right and one on his left. Jesus takes the opportunity on the cross to ask God to forgive those who are executing him because they do not know what they are doing. Is he asking forgiveness for the Jewish leaders who have asked for his crucifixion? for the Roman soldiers who have carried out the death sentence? for the crowd who surrounds him but does not know what to say about the events that have transpired?

Jesus has taught forgiveness and offered forgiveness throughout the journey of this story. In fact, it was forgiveness that first caused the Pharisees to question who Jesus was: "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (5:21). Jesus had taught the disciples that if another disciple sinned against them they must forgive that disciple if that disciple repented, and if that disciple sinned seven times and repented seven times the disciples were to forgive seven times (17:34). At the crucifixion, however, Jesus asks God to forgive people when there is no sign of repentance. Those who are crucifying Jesus show no faith in Jesus, which has rendered forgiveness for others (5:20; 7:47), and they are definitely not showing any remorse for what they are doing.

Forgiveness for the crowd. It is precisely because of the ignorance of the people that Jesus asks God for forgiveness. If the people had known who Jesus was, they would have repented. However, they neither heeded John's teaching to bear fruits worthy of repentance (3:8) nor understood that Jesus was the one of whom John had spoken when he said "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (3:16-17).

Because they did not understand this teaching or who Jesus was, Jesus had to ask for their forgiveness. In the book of Acts, the apostles continue to preach and teach those whom Jesus classified as ignorant. The ignorant are given opportunities to see how God used the crucifixion to further God's plan, to repent, and to turn to God (Acts 2:22-36; 3:17-26), much like the remorse that the crowd who viewed the crucifixion expressed as "they returned home, beating their breasts" (23:48).