Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 27:38-40

"Then are there crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross." — Matthew 27:38-40 (ASV)

Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

That is the devil's old doctrine: "Save thyself; look out for yourselves; live for yourselves; be selfish." But Christ could never act like that; he came to live and die for others. "Save thyself," was not the doctrine that he either preached or practiced.

And this is another old taunt of Satan and those who follow him: "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe in thee." There are plenty who would be willing to believe in Christ, but not in Christ crucified. "He was a good man," say they, "a great prophet, no doubt, far in advance of his times," and so on.

But, if you talk like that, you are not on safe ground, for if Christ was not the Son of God, at any rate he professed to be, and he made people think he was; and if he was not, he was an impostor, and not a good man at all. You must either repudiate Christ altogether, or take him with his cross; it must be Christ crucified, or no Christ at all.