Amy C Walters

The Crucifixion | Luke 23:26-43 

There are a lot of different characters in this story: the religious rulers, the soldiers, the criminals crucified with Jesus, Simon of Cyrene. Who stands to benefit from Jesus’ death? Many of these characters certainly think they have something to gain. But ultimately, anyone who trusts in Jesus for salvation receives the greatest benefit.

There are a lot of different people in this story, some of which are barely mentioned in the rest of the Bible. It can be interesting to look at them and ask who stands to benefit from Jesus’ death, who thinks that they’re coming out on top. 

The rulers certainly do. These religious leaders have pushed for this execution to take place, ignoring the truth, ignoring Pilate, ignoring the law, and their own consciences in order to secure it. The fact that the religious leaders stick around to sneer at Jesus, that getting him killed wasn’t enough, reveals their hearts. It wasn’t about the law, it was personal.

What do they stand to gain from getting rid of Jesus? Power. They secure their spot as the top authority on religion and the law.

Jesus had been challenging their authority, making people question them. He was drawing people away from them. They were losing followers.

So by getting rid of Jesus, they eliminate the threat. Who would dare challenge them now? 

The soldiers also benefit from Jesus’ death. Beyond just the sick enjoyment of insulting him, the soldiers divvy up his clothes. That was part of their pay. The clothing of those who were being executed would be divided among the soldiers.

But this also fulfilled prophecy. In Psalm 22:18, it says, “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 

Simon of Cyrene, whom we meet at the beginning of this story, seems to get the opposite of a benefit from Jesus’ death. For him, this is really a huge inconvenience. He’s coming into Jerusalem from the country, probably has his own agenda and schedule for that day. But the soldiers conscript him to carry the cross for Jesus.

How might that have felt? Frustrating! We just mentioned that he probably had his own plans, and this is a major interruption to what he was planning to do. 

It would be uncomfortable. No one wants to draw the attention of the Roman soldiers. Who knows what else they’ll make you do? 

There may even be a sense of shame with it. You wouldn’t want to be associated with someone who’s being crucified. That kind of notoriety is unwelcome. 

In fact, it’s probably also scary to walk through the streets of Jerusalem with a condemned man while people shout at him and spit on him and throw things at him. You are going to get hit by some of that, too. 

But maybe there’s more to Simon’s part of the story than just the inconvenience and the shame and the fear of it. When Mark mentions Simon of Cyrene in Mark 15:21, he also calls him “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” like Mark knows him. Simon’s kids, Alexander and Rufus, seem to be known to the people of the church. Maybe as part of the church themselves. Maybe God allowed this scary, inconvenient situation for Simon to encounter Jesus. 

Let’s not forget about Barabbas. He benefited big time. Jesus took his place. Barabbas should have been the one hanging on the cross between the two other criminals, but he gets off free. 

And speaking of the two criminals, they both seek to benefit from Jesus’ death. One criminal joins in mocking Jesus. It seems absurd to me. He’s in no place to throw stones as he is also hanging there. 

But maybe he mocks Jesus as an attempt to distract himself from his own misery. How often do we get ourselves in trouble in pursuit of distraction from our frustrations, from our sadness, from boredom? 

This criminal is also looking for an escape from his situation, and he says something that skeptics throughout the ages have echoed. “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The modern paraphrase is, “If you really are God, then get me out of this mess.” 

Maybe even you, reader, have said this before. 

This criminal shows no remorse or repentance, but he still expects that he should be rescued. Jesus doesn’t even respond to him. He’s not going to play the game on the criminal’s terms. 

But the other criminal, the second one, does respond. He rebukes the first criminal. Maybe the fact that he’s got nothing to lose gives him courage. He says, “Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence?” Basically, you are about to die and face God. Shouldn’t you be dealing with that? Judgment is coming. 

Carl Truman says, “The second thief knows that death is the least of his worries at that moment. Facing God is.” 

Unlike the first criminal, the second one admits that he is wrong and he accepts justice. Very few people have the courage and honesty to admit that they are getting what they deserve. But that’s what we see from this second criminal. 

He acknowledges too that Jesus has not done anything wrong. He is innocent. He does not deserve this death. 

But then this criminal goes a step further. He asks Jesus to remember him. What does he mean by this? Throughout Scripture, when God is said to “remember” his people, it means that he acts on their behalf. So this criminal is asking Jesus to include him in what comes next.

This is audacious, that a criminal would expect a reward! But Jesus is his only hope, and he is not going to waste this opportunity. 

And how does Jesus respond to this crazy request? “Truly, I tell you, today, you will be with me in paradise.”

Now that is a benefit. Same day access to heaven for the guilty, and being in the very presence of God. Imagine that, a condemned man able to be with God.

Everyone else in this story has missed what Jesus truly has to offer. Not power, not feeling good about yourself, not an easier life, not an escape route, but salvation, and God himself. 

And for those of us who have admitted like that second criminal, that we are guilty and we deserve punishment, but we have turned to Jesus for help, we too benefit from Jesus’ death.

That’s our key truth for today. We benefit from Jesus’ death. 

Not only that, we are complicit in it. The question of who stands to benefit can lead answers of who is responsible. Just like in a police drama, the detective is going to look at who took out the life insurance policy before the person died, who got the payout, and that might point to guilt. We are both the perpetrators and the beneficiaries.

This could sound a little bit icky, right, like we’re profiting off the misfortune of someone else. But as Mark 10:45 tells us, Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many. That was his purpose. 

Today as you go, I hope you have the audacity of that second criminal to know you’re guilty, but to ask Jesus to remember you anyway. That’s what Jesus came for. To reject that gift is to treat it with contempt. So instead, accept it. Because we benefit from Jesus’ death.