Luke 23
23
Pilate Questions Jesus
1Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to Pilate. 2They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We caught this man telling things that mislead our people. He says that we should not pay taxes to Caesar, and he calls himself the Christ, a king.”
3Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Those are your words.”
4Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, “I find nothing against this man.”
5They were insisting, saying, “But Jesus makes trouble with the people, teaching all around Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here.”
Pilate Sends Jesus to Herod
6Pilate heard this and asked if Jesus was from Galilee. 7Since Jesus was under Herod’s authority, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, because he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to meet him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus work a miracle. 9Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus said nothing. 10The leading priests and teachers of the law were standing there, strongly accusing Jesus. 11After Herod and his soldiers had made fun of Jesus, they dressed him in a kingly robe and sent him back to Pilate. 12In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been enemies, but on that day they became friends.
Jesus Must Die
13Pilate called the people together with the leading priests and the rulers. 14He said to them, “You brought this man to me, saying he makes trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of what you say. 15Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die. 16So, after I punish him, I will let him go free.” [17Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.]
18But the people shouted together, “Take this man away! Let Barabbas go free!” 19(Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part in a riot in the city and for murder.)
20Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and told this to the crowd. 21But they shouted again, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and set him free.”
23But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be crucified. Their yelling became so loud that 24Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. 25He set free the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, and he handed Jesus over to them to do with him as they wished.
Jesus Is Crucified
26As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene, was coming in from the fields. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and to walk behind him.
27A large crowd of people was following Jesus, including some women who were sad and crying for him. 28But Jesus turned and said to them, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. 29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who cannot have children and who have no babies to nurse.’ 30Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And they will say to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31If they act like this now when life is good, what will happen when bad times come?”
32There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be put to death. 33When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.”
The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes. 35The people stood there watching. And the leaders made fun of Jesus, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is God’s Chosen One, the Christ.”
36The soldiers also made fun of him, coming to Jesus and offering him some vinegar. 37They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38At the top of the cross these words were written: this is the king of the jews.
39One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.”
40But the other criminal stopped him and said, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. 41We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus Dies
44It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o’clock in the afternoon, 45because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the Temple was torn in two. 46Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, I give you my life.” After Jesus said this, he died.
47When the army officer there saw what happened, he praised God, saying, “Surely this was a good man!”
48When all the people who had gathered there to watch saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests because they were so sad. 49But those who were close friends of Jesus, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched.
Joseph Takes Jesus’ Body
50There was a good and religious man named Joseph who was a member of the council. 51But he had not agreed to the other leaders’ plans and actions against Jesus. He was from the town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. 52Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. 53He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before. 54This was late on Preparation Day, and when the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.
55The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid. 56Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes.
On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.
Currently Selected:
Luke 23: NCV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Luke 23
23
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Mark 15.1-5; John 18.28-38)
1Everyone in the council got up and led Jesus off to Pilate. 2They started accusing him and said, “We caught this man trying to get our people to riot and to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims that he is the Messiah, our king.”
3Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.
4Pilate told the chief priests and the crowd, “I don't find him guilty of anything.”
5But they all kept on saying, “He has been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has now come all the way here.”
Jesus Is Brought before Herod
6When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man from Galilee?” 7After Pilate learned that Jesus came from the region ruled by Herod,#23.7 Herod: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great. he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.
8For a long time Herod had wanted to see Jesus and was very happy because he finally had this chance. He had heard many things about Jesus and hoped to see him work a miracle.
9Herod asked him a lot of questions, but Jesus did not answer. 10Then the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses stood up and accused him of all kinds of bad things.
11Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and insulted him. They put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12That same day Herod and Pilate became friends, even though they had been enemies before this.
The Death Sentence
(Matthew 27.15-26; Mark 15.6-15; John 18.39—19.16)
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people. 14He told them, “You brought Jesus to me and said he was a troublemaker. But I have questioned him here in front of you, and I have not found him guilty of anything that you say he has done. 15Herod didn't find him guilty either and sent him back. This man doesn't deserve to be put to death! 16-17I will just have him beaten with a whip and set free.”#23.16,17 set free: Some manuscripts add, “Pilate said this, because at every Passover he was supposed to set one prisoner free for the Jewish people.”
18But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!” 19Now Barabbas was in jail because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.
20Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he spoke again to the crowds. 21But they kept shouting, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”
22Pilate spoke to them a third time, “But what crime has he done? I have not found him guilty of anything for which he should be put to death. I will have him beaten with a whip and set free.”
23The people kept on shouting as loud as they could for Jesus to be put to death. 24Finally, Pilate gave in. 25He freed the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, because he was the one the crowd wanted to be set free. Then Pilate handed Jesus over for them to do what they wanted with him.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
(Matthew 27.31-44; Mark 15.21-32; John 19.17-27)
26As Jesus was being led away, some soldiers grabbed hold of a man named Simon who was from Cyrene. He was coming in from the fields, but they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him. 28Jesus turned to the women and said:
Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me! Cry for yourselves and for your children. 29Someday people will say, “Women who never had children are really fortunate!” 30#Ho 10.8; Rev 6.16. At that time everyone will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” They will say to the hills, “Hide us!” 31If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry?#23.31 If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry: This saying probably means, “If this can happen to an innocent person, what do you think will happen to one who is guilty?”
32Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. 33When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,”#23.33 “The Skull”: The place was probably given this name because it was near a large rock in the shape of a human skull. they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.
34-35 #
Ps 22.18;
Ps 22.7. Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing.”#23.34,35 Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing”: These words are not in some manuscripts.
While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God's chosen Messiah!”
36 #
Ps 69.21. The soldiers made fun of Jesus and brought him some wine. 37They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
38Above him was a sign that said, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and save us!”
40But the other criminal told the first one off, “Don't you fear God? Aren't you getting the same punishment as this man? 41We got what was coming to us, but he didn't do anything wrong.” 42Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into power!”
43Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.”#23.43 paradise: In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, this word is used for the Garden of Eden. In New Testament times it was sometimes used for the place where God's people are happy and at rest, as they wait for the final judgment.
The Death of Jesus
(Matthew 27.45-56; Mark 15.33-41; John 19.28-30)
44Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. 45#Ex 26.31-33. The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple#23.45 curtain in the temple: There were two curtains in the temple. One was at the entrance, and the other separated the holy place from the most holy place that the Jewish people thought of as God's home on earth. The second curtain is probably the one which is meant. split down the middle. 46#Ps 31.5. Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.
47When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Jesus must really have been a good man!”
48A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home. 49#Lk 8.2,3. All of Jesus' close friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched.
Jesus Is Buried
(Matthew 27.57-61; Mark 15.42-47; John 19.38-42)
50-51There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God's kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.
52Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. 54It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.#23.54 the Sabbath was about to begin: The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. 56#Ex 20.10; Dt 5.14. Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.