43 and Jesus said to him, `Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.'
He who is having an ear -- let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming -- I will give to him to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God.
for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,
stedfast `is' the word, and of all acceptation worthy, that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners -- first of whom I am; but because of this I found kindness, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern of those about to believe on him to life age-during:
we have courage, and are well pleased rather to be away from the home of the body, and to be at home with the Lord.
And law came in, that the offence might abound, and where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound, that even as the sin did reign in the death, so also the grace may reign, through righteousness, to life age-during, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Seek ye Jehovah, while He is found, Call ye Him, while He is near, Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon. For not My thoughts `are' your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, -- an affirmation of Jehovah, For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts.
Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be! If ye are willing, and have hearkened, The good of the land ye consume,
is it not lawful to me to do what I will in mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, and few chosen.'
Of the labour of his soul he seeth -- he is satisfied, Through his knowledge give righteousness Doth the righteous one, My servant, to many, And their iniquities he doth bear.
Who `is' a God like Thee? taking away iniquity, And passing by the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance, He hath not retained for ever His anger, Because He -- He delighteth `in' kindness.
And it hath come to pass, They do not yet call, and I answer, They are yet speaking, and I hear.
He looketh on men, and saith, `I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me. He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.' Lo, all these doth God work, Twice -- thrice with man, To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
`And having risen, he went unto his own father, and he being yet far distant, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and having ran he fell upon his neck and kissed him; and the son said to him, Father, I did sin -- to the heaven, and before thee, and no more am I worthy to be called thy son. `And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the first robe, and clothe him, and give a ring for his hand, and sandals for the feet; and having brought the fatted calf, kill `it', and having eaten, we may be merry, because this my son was dead, and did live again, and he was lost, and was found; and they began to be merry.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Luke 23
Commentary on Luke 23 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 23
This chapter carries on and concludes the history of Christ's sufferings and death. We have here,
Luk 23:1-12
Our Lord Jesus was condemned as a blasphemer in the spiritual court, but it was the most impotent malice that could be that this court was actuated by; for, when they had condemned him, they knew they could not put him to death, and therefore took another course.
Luk 23:13-25
We have here the blessed Jesus run down by the mob, and hurried to the cross in the storm of a popular noise and tumult, raised by the malice and artifice of the chief priests, as agents for the prince of the power of the air.
Luk 23:26-31
We have here the blessed Jesus, the Lamb of God, led as a lamb to the slaughter, to the sacrifice. It is strange with what expedition they went through his trial; how they could do so much work in such a little time, though they had so many great men to deal with, attendance on whom is usually a work of time. He was brought before the chief priests at break of day (ch. 22:66), after that to Pilate, then to Herod, then to Pilate again; and there seems to have been a long struggle between Pilate and the people about him. He was scourged, and crowned with thorns and contumeliously used, and all this was done in four or five hours' time, or six at most, for he was crucified between nine o'clock and twelve. Christ's persecutors resolve to lose no time, for fear lest his friends at the other end of the town should get notice of what they were doing, and should rise to rescue him. Never any one was so chased out of the world as Christ was, but so he himself said, Yet a little while and ye shall not see me; a very little while indeed. Now as they led him away to death we find,
Luk 23:32-43
In these verses we have,
Luk 23:44-49
In these verses we have three things:-
Luk 23:50-56
We have here an account of Christ's burial; for he must be brought not only to death, but to the dust of death (Ps. 22:15), according to the sentence (Gen. 3:19), To the dust thou shalt return. Observe,