Verse 27
And with him they crucify, two robbers, one on his right hand, and one on his left.
Someone has observed that upon the crosses there appeared both the best of men and the worst of men, society always having that paradoxical quality of crucifying both its saints and its sinners. This association of Jesus with the vilest of criminals was an added stigma of his crucifixion; but God overruled it in making it the fulfillment of this prophecy:
And they made his grave with the wicked (plural) and with a rich man (singular) in his death (Isaiah 53:9).
The fulfillment of this is usually allowed to be the actual crucifixion between two thieves (or robbers) and the provision of the tomb by Joseph of Aramathaea. However, it is quite clear that two graves are actually required for the complete fulfillment of this prophecy. It may be assumed that the soldiers dug shallow graves on Golgotha for all three condemned men, long before they knew that anyone would claim the body of Christ. See article, The Two Graves of Jesus in my Commentary on John, parallel account.
Be the first to react on this!