Imagine you were standing at the foot of the cross, watching Jesus breathe his last. What would you feel? What would you believe? When we look at what the Bible tells us about the crucifixion, each of the participants had a different reaction to the death of Jesus. Their reactions mirror the ones we still see today. So let me ask you: What is your response to Jesus?
The Common People
“The people stood watching…” (Luke 23:35)
I have often wondered what the common people were thinking when they gazed up at the cross. The Bible doesn’t say specifically, but Jesus had a lot of followers, and I am sure they looked on with a variety of perspectives.
Some truly loved Jesus. They were heartbroken over this course of events. Can you imagine what it was like to watch his suffering?
Others were disappointed, even angry. They had invested in a political leader. They hoped Jesus would liberate them from the rule of the Roman Empire. Just a few days before they were calling out, “Hosanah,” meaning “Save us”. But now He hung seemingly helpless on a cross. Their hopes would be dashed with his death.
Still others may have remembered the miracles Jesus performed. Maybe they had been part of the 5,000 people fed and hoped Jesus would continue to make their lives easier. These people looked on with disappointment. His humanitarian efforts would never come to fruition.
If we only look at the cross in its physical sense, we see the dreams shattered and expectations unmet.
What about you? Are you looking for a political solution to America’s problems? Or are you looking for a God who will bring you health, wealth, and prosperity? Much like the crowds in Jesus’ day, we often present our own agendas to God and grow frustrated when they aren’t followed. But when we demand solutions to national problems, personal struggles, or injustices, we miss the deeper work of the cross. The cross was never about earthly comfort; instead, it was about creating a way for us to approach God directly and have a relationship with Him.
Even today, some people turn away from Jesus in disappointment, feeling He didn’t fix their problems. But if you take a closer look and believe He is the Son of God He claimed to be, He promises to make all things new, in this life and the next.
The Religious Rulers
“The rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” (Luke 23:35)
While the common people were confused or grieving, another group watched with a very different attitude–one of contempt. The religious leaders hated Jesus because He challenged their authority and control. Jesus called them “vipers” and “whitewashed tombs”. Only a few days before, Jesus shed light on their hypocrisy by overturning tables in the temple where they cheated the common people.
Blinded by hatred, the Scribes and Pharisees initiated the crucifixion (Luke 19:47). First, they bribed Judas, a disciple/“friend” of Jesus, to turn him in (Luke 22:4). When they discovered where He was, they marched into a garden with soldiers to capture him. Finally, they presented Jesus to a corrupt council in the middle of the night and listened to lies orchestrated to frame Him.
But Jesus went willingly into their courtroom, and He maintained his control and composure the entire time He faced his accusers in this legal charade. When He announced with authority that He was the Messiah, the religious leaders were horrified. They tore their clothes and yelled, “Guilty! He deserves to die.” These arrogant leaders of the people and keepers of God’s holy word lost their tempers. They beat him, spat on him, and demanded his execution.
When they stood at the foot of the cross, they saw a well-orchestrated take-down, their moment of glory. They didn’t realize that Jesus was doing exactly what He came to do. He wasn’t interested in saving Himself; He came to save us.
And what about you? Does the name of Jesus stir up anger in you? Do you resist the idea of surrendering to God’s authority? When confronted with sin in your own life, do you turn away or turn to Him?
Sin distorts how we think, act, and relate to others. If the Pharisees had looked into a mirror, they might have seen the crack in the glass that falsified their image. If they had searched the scriptures, they may have seen the prophecies that pointed out their “messiah”. Maybe they would have seen the cross from a different perspective.
The Criminals
“Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.” Luke 23:32-33
Two criminals were also raised on crosses, with Jesus in the center. They shared the same suffering and agony. Both were guilty. Both were dying. But their responses couldn’t have been more different.
One mocked Him with bitterness and sarcasm. “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” he said. Maybe he was angry at life, at God, at himself. Perhaps it was easier to join the crowd than face the weight of his own mistakes.
But the other criminal saw something more. He saw his own brokenness and Jesus’s innocence. The bible says the second criminal rebuked the first. “Don’t you fear God?” he asked. “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then the second thief turned to Jesus with one of the simplest, most beautiful acts of faith. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Luke 23:32-42.
This man had no time to fix his life. He had no good deeds to offer. Yet Jesus still forgave him and answered with grace, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
When we look at Jesus, we have one of two choices: acceptance or rejection. We can turn away in cynicism, pride, or anger. Or, like the second thief, we can turn to Him with humility and trust.
God doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up because He knows it is not humanly possible. Instead, He asks us to come honestly, just as we are, to the foot of the cross and trust the work that Jesus accomplished there.
Roman Soldiers
“The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was a written notice above him, which read: This is the King of the Jews.” Luke 23:36
Roman soldiers were overseeing the crucifixion. They had probably carried out this death sentence many times before. In their brutality, they beat Jesus and forced someone else to carry his cross when He couldn’t. When they arrived at the “Place of the Skull”, the soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross, raised it upright, and gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
Maybe it was while they were “casting lots” that some strange things began to happen, events they had never seen before and would never see again. The Bible says that at noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. They must have wondered what was going on when this should have been the brightest part of the day.
Then, when Jesus finally released his spirit, there was a giant earthquake. The book of Matthew says, “At that moment, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.” (Matthew 27:51-52)
The soldiers had seen countless crucifixions, but this one was different. Terrified, one of them exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).
The Story Wasn’t Over
Jesus died, but He didn’t stay in the grave. Three days later, He rose from the dead as He had promised that he would. This event changes everything. It proves that Jesus was who He said He was, God’s Son, and that His death was not a defeat but a victory. Through the cross, sin was paid for. Through the resurrection, death was conquered.
What About You?
Each person at the cross had a response: grief, anger, mockery, humility, awe.
So now it’s our turn to decide how we will respond to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Will we come to the cross with our own agenda, like the commoners? Or will we model hypocrisy and self-righteousness like the religious leaders? If we do, we miss out on the true message of God’s redeeming grace. But if we consider what Jesus did for us by making restitution between God and man, we can respond with trust like the thief and awe like the soldier.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.”
The invitation is open. How will you respond to Jesus?
