Jesus died alone. Oh, this passage makes plain that there were lots of people around Him, but none of them really knew Who He was or agreed with what He was doing. Simon carried His cross for Him, but had to be compelled to do so. The soldiers who crucified Him were so callous that they rolled dice to see who would get to take His clothes home with them.

And Matthew intentionally highlights Jesus’ isolation. Luke tells the story of how one of the thieves who was crucified with Him eventually came to faith in Him, but Matthew leaves that part out, concentrating instead on how, at the beginning, both thieves were cursing him.

So, why were they so upset with Someone Who was suffering the same thing they did? Really for the same reason that everyone else was insulting Him. Everyone knew He was a mighty miracle worker – raising the dead, and feeding 5000 families with five dinner rolls and a couple of sardines. So, everyone who was watching Him insisted that He do just one more miracle. If He could cause the nails to come out of His hands and feet, if He could come down from the cross, they said they would believe in Him.

Yes, if He could save His own life, they would follow Him, because that was all any of them were interested in – preserving their lives on earth. And so many of us look at Jesus in the same way, only interested in what He can do for us here and now, only caring about the material blessings we want in this world.

But if Jesus had given them what they wanted, if Jesus had displayed His power in such a self-serving way, He would have had to abandon the reason for which He had been born. For He had come to earth, not to transform the material circumstances of our lives, but to restore us to a right relationship with God. He had come, not to get power and glory for Himself, but to lay down His life for all His people, paying the penalty that all our sins deserve. In short, He had come, not to save Himself, but to save us. And the only way He could save us was to stay on that cross.

But that’s the best news of all. For as Matthew makes clear, there was no one around Jesus who understood what He was doing. And none of them wanted Him to go through with His sacrifice. In short, none of them was worthy of being saved – but He died for them anyway. He died, not for righteous people who loved Him, but for spiteful sinners who hated Him. As Paul says in Romans 5:8, God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

So, you don’t have to clean yourself up in order to come to Jesus – on the cross He shed His blood to wash you of your sins. It’s those who know they are sinners, those who know they need a Savior – those are the ones Jesus loves. Those are the ones for whom Jesus died. Isn’t He worthy of our trust and our love?

Matthew 27:32-44 (ESV)

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),
34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.'”
44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.