Conclusion Of Agony On The Stake

"Others he saved; himself he cannot save!" The chief priests and their religious cronies chime in. "He is King of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake and we will believe on him. He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, 'I am Son of God.' "

Caught up in the spirit, the soldiers too make fun of Jesus. They mockingly offer him sour wine, apparently holding it just beyond his parched lips. "If you are the king of the Jews," they taunt, "save yourself." Even the robbers-one impaled to Jesus' right, and the other to his left-ridicule him. Think of it! The greatest man who ever lived, yes, the one who shared with Jehovah God in creating all things, resolutely suffers all this abuse!

The soldiers take Jesus' outer garments and divide them into four parts. They cast lots to see whose these will become. The inner garment, however, is without a seam, being of superior quality. So the soldiers say to one another: "Let us not tear it, but let us determine by lots over whose it will be." Thus, unwittingly, they fulfill the scripture that says: "They apportioned my outer garments among themselves, and upon my apparel they cast lots."

In time, one of the robbers comes to appreciate that Jesus truly must be a king. Therefore, rebuking his companion, he says: "Do you not fear God at all, now that you are in the same judgment? And we, indeed, justly so, for we are receiving in full what we deserve for things we did; but this man did nothing out of the way." Then he addresses Jesus, with the petition: "Remember me when you get into your kingdom.

"Truly I tell you today," Jesus replies, "You will be with me in Paradise." This promise will be fulfilled when Jesus rules as King in heaven and resurrects this repentant evildoer to life on earth in the Paradise that Armageddon survivors and their companions will have the privilege of cultivating. Matthew 27:33-34; Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:27, 32-43; John 19:17-24.

Next time:"Certainly This Was God's Son"

The Greatest Man Who Ever lived, 1991