Luke 23:46 Komentář

This chapter carries on and concludes the history of Christ's sufferings and death. We have here, I. His arraignment before Pilate the Roman governor (Luk 23:1-5). II. His examination before Herod, who was tetrarch of Galilee, under the Romans likewise (Luk 23:6-12). III. Pilate's struggle with the people to release Jesus, his repeated testimonies concerning his innocency, but his yielding at length to their importunity and condemning him to be crucified (Luk 23:13-25). IV. An account of what passed as they led him to be crucified, and his discourse to the people that followed (Luk 23:26-31). V. An account of what passed at the place of execution, and the indignities done him there (Luk 23:32-38). VI. The conversion of one of the thieves, as Christ was hanging on the cross (Luk 23:39-43). VII. The death of Christ, and the prodigies that attended it (Luk 23:44-49). VIII. His burial (Luk 23:50-56).

And the whole multitude of them,.... Of the chief priests, Scribes, and elders; the whole of the sanhedrim, excepting Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, having in their court condemned Christ to death: arose; from the council chamber, where they sat in judgment upon him: and led him unto Pilate, the Roman governor, and into the praetorium, or judgment hall, where causes were tried by him; hither they brought Jesus, having bound him as a prisoner and a malefactor, that their sentence might be confirmed by civil authority, and that he might be put to the death of the cross, which was a Roman punishment.

This man went unto Pilate,.... Mark says, he went "boldly" to him; See Gill on Mar 15:43. and begged the body of Jesus; knowing he was dead; that he might bury it, as the Ethiopic version adds, and prevent its being inferred with the two malefactors, or abused by the mob.

For when Christ was giving up His spirit on the cross, He said, 'Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit,' as I have learned also from the memoirs.

With what constancy has He also, in Psalms 30., laboured to present to us the very Christ! He calls with a loud voice to the Father, "Into Thine hands I commend my spirit," that even when dying He might expend His last breath in fulfilling the prophets. Having said this, He gave up the ghost." Who? Did the spirit give itself up; or the flesh the spirit? But the spirit could not have breathed itself out.

We have, moreover, in that other Gospel a clear revelation, i.e. of the Son's distinction from the Father, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken me? " and again, (in the third Gospel, ) "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." But even if (we had not these passages, we meet with satisfactory evidence) after His resurrection and glorious victory over death.

He commends His spirit into the hands of the Father. After His resurrection He promises in a pledge to His disciples that He will send them the promise of His Father; and lastly, He commands them to baptize into the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, not into a unipersonal God.

(de Incar. et cout. Ar.) For He commends to His Father through Himself all mankind quickened in Him; for we are His members; as the Apostle says, Ye are all one in Christ. (Gal. 3:28.)

(Orat. i. de Res.) But it becomes us to enquire how our Lord distributes Himself into three parts at once; into the bowels of the earth, as He told the Pharisees; into the Paradise of God, as He told the thief; into the hands of the Father, as it is said here. To those however who rightly consider, it is scarcely worthy of question, for He who by His divine power is in every place, is present in any particular place. (ut sup.) There is another explanation, that at the time of His Passion, His Divinity being once united to His humanity, left neither part of His humanity, but of its own accord separated the soul from the body, yet showed itself abiding in each. For through the body in which He suffered death He vanquished the power of death, but through the soul He prepared for the thief an entrance into Paradise. Now Isaiah says of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is no other than Paradise, Upon my hands I have painted thy walls; (Is. 49:16. ap. LXX.) whence it is clear, that he who is in Paradise dwelleth in the hands of the Father.

The flesh dies that the Spirit may rise again. The Spirit is commended to the Father, that heavenly things also may be loosed from the chain of iniquity, and peace be made in heaven, which earthly things should follow. His spirit then is commended to God, but though He is above He yet gives light to the parts below the earth, that all things may be redeemed. For Christ is all things, and in Christ are all things. He gave up His Spirit, because He did not lose it as one unwilling; for what a man sends forth is voluntary, what he loses, compulsory.

And he handed over well, who did not unwillingly breathe out his spirit. Finally Matthew says: He breathed out his spirit; for what is breathed out is voluntary: what is lost is necessary. Therefore he added: With a loud voice. In which either there is a glorious declaration that he descended for our sins even to death (so, should I be ashamed to confess what Christ was not ashamed to proclaim with a loud voice), or there is a clear manifestation of God testifying to the separation of divinity and body.

Now this voice teaches us, that the souls of the saints are not henceforth shut up in hell as before, but are with God, Christ being made the beginning of this change.

Now his and our Master, Jesus the Lord, was smitten for our sake: He underwent reproaches and revilings with long-suffering. He was spit upon, He was smitten on the face, He was buffeted; and when He had been scourged, He was nailed to the cross. He had vinegar and gall to drink; and when He had fulfilled all things that were written, He said to His God and Father, "Into Thy hands I commend my spirit." Wherefore let him that desires to be His disciple earnestly follow His conflicts: let him imitate His patience, knowing that, although he be burned in the fire by men, he will suffer nothing, like the three children; or if he does suffer anything, he shall receive a reward from the Lord, believing in the one and the only true God and Father, through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest, and Redeemer of our souls, and rewarder of our sufferings. To whom be glory for ever. Amen.

...but the other rebuked the ignorance of his fellow, and turning to the Lord, as being enlightened by Him, and acknowledging who He was that suffered, he prayed that He would remember him in His kingdom hereafter. He then presently granted him the forgiveness of his former sins, and brought him into paradise to enjoy the mystical good things; who also cried out about the ninth hour, and said to His Father: "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken me?" And a little afterward, when He had cried with a loud voice, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," and had added, "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit," He gave up the ghost, and was buried before sunset in a new sepulchre.

And crying out with a loud voice, Jesus said: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and saying this, he expired. By invoking the Father, he declares himself to be the Son of God. By commending his spirit, he does not suggest the weakness of his power, but demonstrates the confidence of the same authority as the Father. For he loves to give glory to the Father, so that he might instruct us to give glory to the Creator. Therefore, he commends his spirit to the Father, in accord with the words spoken with a joyful heart and lips exulting with the hope of resurrection, in another psalm: "For you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor let your holy one see corruption" (Psalm 16).

By invoking the Father He declares Himself to be the Son of God, but by commending His Spirit, He signifies not the weakness of His strength, but His confidence in the same power with the Father.

(Hom. de Sabb. San.) Or to speak more expressly, In respect of His body, He was in the grave, in respect of His soul, He was in hell, and with the thief in Paradise; but as God, on the throne with His Father and the Holy Spirit.

Having cried out with a loud voice, Jesus gives up His spirit. For He had the power to lay down His life, and "to take it again" (John 10:18).

But crying with a loud voice He gives up the ghost, because He had in Himself the power of laying down His life and taking it up again.

Christ is led to Pilate, and accused by the Jews, Luk 23:1, Luk 23:2. Pilate examines, and pronounces him innocent, Luk 23:3, Luk 23:4. The Jews virulently accuse him, Luk 23:5. Pilate, understanding that he was of Galilee, sends him to Herod, by whom he is examined, Luk 23:6-9. The chief priests and scribes vehemently accuse him, and Herod and his soldiers mock him, Luk 23:10, Luk 23:11. Pilate and Herod become friends, Luk 23:12. Pilate, before the chief priests, rulers, and people, pronounces Christ to be innocent, and offers to release him, Luk 23:13-20. The Jews clamor for his condemnation, and Pilate gives him up to their will, Luk 23:21-25. Simon bears his cross, Luk 23:26. The people bewail him, and he foretells the destruction of the Jewish state, Luk 23:27-31. He and two malefactors are brought to Calvary, and are crucified, Luk 23:32, Luk 23:33. He prays for his crucifiers, Luk 23:34. He is derided, mocked, and insulted by the rulers, and by the soldiers, Luk 23:35-37. The superscription on the cross, Luk 23:38. The conduct of the two malefactors, to one of whom he promises paradise, Luk 23:39-43. The great darkness, Luk 23:44, Luk 23:45. He gives up the ghost, Luk 23:46. The centurion and many others are greatly affected at his death, Luk 23:47-49. Joseph of Arimathea begs the body, and puts it in his own new tomb, Luk 23:50-53. The women prepare spices and ointments to embalm him, Luk 23:54-56.

Into thy hands I commend my spirit - Or, I will commit my spirit - I deposit my soul in thy hands. Another proof of the immateriality of the soul, and of its separate existence when the body is dead.

JESUS BEFORE HEROD. (Luk 23:6-12) sent him to Herod--hoping thus to escape the dilemma of an unjust condemnation or an unpopular release. at Jerusalem . . . at that time--to keep the passover.