Lucas 23
Marvin Vincent · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 23
Vincent on prophoneo - Compare Acts 21:40; 22:2. Always in the New Testament in the sense of to accost, whether an individual or a crowd. Prosphoneo - 7x in 7v - addressed(1), addressing(1), call(2), called(1), called...over(1), spoke(1). No uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint. Matt. 11:16; Lk. 6:13; Lk. 7:32; Lk. 13:12; Lk. 23:20; Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2 While Luke does not say, both Matthew and Mark tell us what Pilate said when he addressed them again... Matthew 27:22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all *said, “Crucify Him!” Mark 15:12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
Lucas 23
Vincent explains that theoreo "was more than simple seeing. The verb means looking steadfastly, as one who has an interest in the object, and with a view to search into and understand it: to look inquiringly and intently." Indeed, crucifixions were popular functions for spectators in Jesus' day. However, little did the onlookers comprehend that they were eyewitnesses with front row tickets to the final act in God's great drama of redemption, in which paradoxically the Hero dies that He might live to be the Redeemer of the world! It is intriguing that this same verb theoreo is found in the Septuagint translation of Ps 22:7 which says "All who see (Lxx = theoreo) me sneer at me." Indeed, Robert Stein suggests that "looking on" "may be an allusion to Ps 22:7." As discussed below the reference to sneering is clearly a Messianic prediction (cf Messianic Prophecy). It is not certain this first group, the people, is the same as that described by Matthew and Mark. They are not described as mocking or hurling abuse as are those who are passing by the scene of the crucifixion. Mark records people who were "passing by (and) were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” (Mark 15:29-30) And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying - Matthew 27:41 identifies the rulers as "the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders" the primary instigators of Jesus' crucifixion. One would have thought that now that the rulers had achieved their evil end, they might "back off," and even show an ounce of sympathy. But Luke tells us such was not to be the case as they continued to fan the flames of hatred and abuse! These evil doers would see their evil deed to the very end, to the very last agonizing breath of Jesus. There is a good word for this genre of behavior. It's call depravity! Sneering (1592)(ekmukterizo from ek = out + mukterizo = mock from mukter = nose, nostril) means literally they were holding up their nose at Jesus! They were ridiculing Him, sneering at Him, treating Him with disdain and contempt. This is repudiation in the most severe degree! In the only other NT use of this verb Luke writes "Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things (Read Lk 16:1-13+) and were scoffing (imperfect tense) at Him." (Lk 16:14+). Over a millennium earlier David had prophesied regarding the Messiah's unconscionable treatment by His fellow Jews writing... But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me sneer (Lxx = ekmukterizo) at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, 8 “Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” (Ps. 22:6-8+) Comment: See study of the deeper meaning of the incredible statement of Jesus - I am a worm. Just as in Lk 16:14, Luke again uses ekmukterizo in the imperfect tense signifying that the rulers were sneering a Jesus again and again, over and over. One can envision them watching His in agony on the cross, and casting one scoff after another! But oh my were they deceived, for unbeknownst to them they were perfectly fulfilling the 1000 year old prophecy of one of their heroes, King David! The irony deepens when one realizes that the word scoff means to laugh at with contempt and derision. The Greek Septuagint translation of sneer in Psalm 22:7 is the verb ekmukterizo and this same verb is also used in messianic Psalm 2:4 which says "He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs (ekmukterizo) at them." The may have scoffed at Jesus at Calvary, but woe to them, for God gets the last laugh (or the last "scoff"). God gets the last laugh so to speak! Indeed, Psalm 2 says "Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth (INCLUDING YOU SNEERING JEWISH RULERS!). Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (Psalm 2:10-12) (cf Messianic Prophecy) "He saved (sozo) others; let Him save (sozo) Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One" - Notice that they are not even willing to speak directly to Jesus, so great is their contempt and disdain for the King of Glory! The exhortation for Jesus to save Himself is the first of three similar taunts (also the soldiers in Lk 23:36-37 and one of the criminals in Lk 23:39), while the accounts in Matthew and Mark have only one similar statement. In Mt 27:42 they taunted Him saying " “He saved others; He cannot save Himself." Saved...save (sozo) means to rescue, liberate, bring out safely and as often used in the NT refers to rescue from God's judgment and eternal death. The wicked cry of these Jewish rulers shows their ignorance of their own Scriptures (cf Isa 53:1-12), which teach that the Messiah did not come to conquer Rome, but to conquer sin and Satan by drinking the full cup of God's holy wrath against sin. The last thing Jesus would do now is save Himself, for it was for this hour that He had come to earth. He had come to die in time, that others might live forever in eternity. This is one of the few correct things these evil men ever said about Jesus, because He did indeed "save others," performing many miracles in Israel, none of which they could deny. They persisted however in their refusal to believe He was God and therefore could not save Himself. Note that it is very doubtful that these sarcastic comment that "He saved others" is a reference to salvation of one's soul from eternal damnation, but referred to physical, temporal salvation. For a few of the examples of Jesus "saving" others in one form or another see Luke 7:50+; Lk 8:36+, 48, 50; Lk 17:19+; Lk 18:42+. There hypocritical taunt is ironic, almost prophetic, for it was by His death that He would save others spiritually and eternally! Glory! While the statement of the rulers about salvation is not a direct quote it clearly overlaps with the phrase "let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him." (Ps 22:8). Matthew in fact has the quote from Psalm 22:8 in Mt 27:43 (“HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”). In the Septuagint the Hebrew word for "rescue" is translated with the same Greek verb sozo used in their disdainful remarks. The upshot is that David was alluding to what they would say when they mocked Jesus a thousand years later. The irony of course is that in three days God would indeed "rescue" (save) His Son, raising Him from the dead! God's Chosen One would be supremely vindicated! Several years later Paul summed up the problem of these Jewish rulers (and of the nation in general) writing "we preach Christ crucified (stauroo), to Jews a stumbling block (skandalon - think "scandalized"!) and to Gentiles foolishness." (1Cor 1:23+)