ACC ~ Luke 23 v44 - 49

OVERVIEW:

Luke reports an extraordinary, cosmic sign that the creation is anguished: darkness. Creation suffers with Christ in his suffering (EPHREM THE SYRIAN) and mourns for its Lord (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). The darkness that God allowed to usurp authority over the world at Jesus’ arrest worked death and chaos, and yet it obscures from everyone the deadly wickedness placed upon Jesus. By the darkness, Christ’s enemies can now see him as he truly is: the Son of God (EPHREM THE SYRIAN).

The rending of the curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies demonstrates the division now between the two peoples—those who are in Christ and those who are not (AMBROSE). For Luke, the darkness in creation and the torn curtain in the temple are signs of judgment against the religious leaders who called for Jesus’ death. The Spirit who rends the curtain in the temple comes forth from the temple to open the graves (EPHREM THE SYRIAN).

Jesus cries out with a loud voice, for he is acknowledging with his death the separation of God and humanity. The Synoptic Gospels record that at the moment of death, a Gentile centurion testifies who Jesus is (AMBROSE). Jesus by his cross draws this centurion to himself so that a Gentile is the first to declare his innocence after Jesus had breathed his last (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). Jesus’ followers witness the crucifixion “at a distance” in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled (EPHREM THE SYRIAN).

23:44-46 | Jesus’ Death

CREATION SUFFERS WITH CHRIST

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: God was victorious over the Egyptians, and he lit up the way for the Hebrews with the pillar of fire in the month of Nisan. [1] The sun became dark over them because they had returned evil for goodness. Just as God split the sea, the Spirit split the curtain in half, since they rejected and unjustly crucified the King of glory on the Skull. [2] The curtain of the temple was torn in two for this reason. Created beings suffered with him in his suffering. The sun hid its face so as not to see him when he was crucified. It retracted its light back into itself to die with him. There was darkness for three hours. The sun shined again, proclaiming that its Lord would rise from Sheol on the third day. The mountains trembled, the tombs were opened, and the curtain was torn, [3] as though grieving in mourning over the impending destruction of the place. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 21.5. [4]

[1] See Ex 13:4, 21-22.

[2] i.e., Golgotha; see Mt 27:33.

[3] See Mt 27:51-52. The Greek text reads “earth,” whereas Ephrem the Syrian has “mountains.”

[4] ECTD 319-20**.

CREATION MOURNS FOR ITS LORD

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: When they fastened to the cross the Lord of all, the sun over their heads withdrew and the light at midday was wrapped in darkness, as the divine Amos had foretold. “There was darkness from the sixth hour until the ninth hour.” [1] This was a plain sign to the Jews that the minds of those who crucified him were wrapped in spiritual darkness, for blindness in part has happened to Israel. [2] In his love for God, David even curses them, saying, “Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.” [3]

Creation itself mourned its Lord. The sun was darkened, and the rocks were split, and the temple put on the mourners’ clothes. Its veil was split from the top to the bottom. This is what God signified to us by the voice of Isaiah, saying, “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering.” [4] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 153. [5]

[1] Amos 5:18.

[2] Cf. Rom 11:25.

[3] Ps 69:23.

[4] Is 50:3.

[5] CGSL 610-11**.

PERHAPS HIS ENEMIES RECOGNIZE HIM IN THE DARKNESS

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: If he had been the son of a foreign god, the sun would not have been eclipsed when the Lord was raised on his cross. The Creator would have spread out a more intense light, because his enemy would have been withdrawn from his sight. He would have caused his light to shine on the Jews, because they would have been doing his will. He would have clothed the temple with a curtain of glory, because its enemy’s death would have purified its sad impurities, and the breaker of its law would have gone out from it. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 21.3. [1]

[1] ECTD 318**.

SEPARATION BETWEEN THE TWO PEOPLES

AMBROSE: The veil is torn. This declared the division of the two peoples or the profanation of the mysteries of the synagogue. The old veil is torn, [1] so that the church may hang the new veils of its faith. The veil of the synagogue is taken away, so that we may see the inner mysteries of religion with unveiled eyes of the mind. [2] Even the centurion confesses the Son of God whom he had crucified. [3] EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.128. [4]

[1] Mt 27:51; Mk 15:38.

[2] See 2 Cor 3:14.

[3] Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39.

[4] EHG 430**.

THE SPIRIT COMES FROM THE TEMPLE

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: Perhaps the Spirit, when he saw the Son hanging naked, lifted himself up [1] and tore in two the clothing. Perhaps the symbols, when they saw the Lamb of symbols, tore the curtain apart and went out to meet him. Perhaps the spirit of prophecy, which was dwelling in the temple and had come down to herald his coming to humanity, flew away at that very instant to announce in the heights concerning our Lord’s ascent into heaven. “The tombs split apart,” [2] so that he might show that he could have torn the wood of the cross apart. He did not tear apart the cross through which the kingdom would be torn from Israel. He did not shatter the cross through which sin would be chased out from the middle of the Gentiles. Instead, the Spirit tore the curtain apart. To show that the Spirit had came out from the temple, it summoned the righteous that came out of the tombs [3] as witnesses to his going out from the temple. These two departures were proclaiming each other mutually. The Spirit anointed and sanctified the kingship and the priesthood. The Spirit, wellspring of these two offices, therefore went out from there, so that it would be known that both of them had been cut off by him who had taken on both of them.

Although we know that by amputation of our finger there is healing for the person who is totally diseased, we still are unwilling to do what we know we should do. God however knew that there would be salvation for humanity through the killing of his Son, and so he did not turn away from doing this. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 21.6. [4]

[1] From its dwelling in the Holy of Holies.

[2] Mt 27:51.

[3] Mt 27:52-53.

[4] ECTD 320**.

SEPARATION OF GODHEAD AND THE FLESH

AMBROSE: “Saying this, he gave up his Spirit.” He suitably “gave up” the Spirit, because he willingly gave him up. Matthew says “yielded up his Spirit,” [1] because what is yielded is spontaneous, but what is lost is unavoidable. Since this is true, he added, “with a loud voice.” [2] He did this with a glorious declaration that he descended to death for our sins. I do not blush to confess what Christ did not blush to proclaim in a loud voice. This was a clear revelation of God witnessing to the separation of the Godhead and the flesh. EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 10.127. [3]

[1] Mt 27:50.

[2] Mt 27:50.

[3] EHG 429**.

23:47 | The Centurion Declares Jesus’ Innocence

A GENTILE STRANGER RECOGNIZES JESUS’ INNOCENCE

AMBROSE: The person who crucified the author of his salvation and afterward did not beg for forgiveness is not free from sin. Granted, he did not know previously whom he was persecuting. Nevertheless he should have recognized that the one placed on the cross was the Lord of all the elements. All the elements trembled beneath him. The sky was darkened. The sun fled away. The earth split apart. The tombs of the dead lay open, and the dead regained the company of the living. For this reason also the centurion said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” The centurion recognizes a stranger, but the Levite does not know his own. The Gentile worships him, but the Hebrew denies him. It was reasonable that the pillars of the world moved when the chief priests did not believe. [1] THE PRAYER OF JOB AND DAVID 1.5.13. [2]

[1] See Mt 26:60-68.

[2] FC 65:336**.

JESUS DRAWS THE CENTURION TO HIMSELF

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: When the centurion saw what happened, he glorified God. He said, “Truly this man was righteous.” Please observe that immediately after Christ endured the passion on the cross for us, he began to win many to the knowledge of the truth. It says, “When he saw what happened, the centurion glorified God saying, ‘Truly this man was righteous.’” Certain Jews also beat their chests, because their consciences doubtlessly pricked them. Their mind’s eye looked up to the Lord. Perhaps they tried to clear themselves of their impious conduct against Christ by shouting against those who crucified him, although they dared not do this openly because of their rulers’ impiety. Our Lord spoke the truth, saying, “When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself.” [1] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 153. [2]

[1] Jn 7:32.

[2] CGSL 611**.

JESUS’ RELATIVES STAND AT A DISTANCE IN FULFILLMENT OF SCRIPTURE

EPHREM THE SYRIAN: Jesus’ kinsfolk stood far off so that [the word of the psalmist] might be fulfilled: “My neighbors stood far off.” [1] They killed him before the sabbath, while there was opportunity for death, and before the sabbath they buried him, while there was place for mourning. For the sabbath itself is the boundary mark for toil, and on it all distress must remain [hidden] within. There is no place for suffering on it, and neither has it any share in corruption. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 21.8. [2]

[1] Ps 38:11 (37:12 LXX).

[2] ECTD 321.