Luke 23
23
Governor Pilate Questions Jesus
1Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to Pilate.# Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from 26 to 36. 2They began to accuse Jesus. They told Pilate, “We caught this man telling things that were confusing our people. He says that we should not pay taxes to Caesar. He calls himself the Christ, a king.”
3Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, that is right.”
4Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, “I find nothing wrong with this man.”
5They said again and again, “But Jesus is making trouble with the people! He teaches 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. 7If so, Jesus was under Herod’s authority. Herod was in Jerusalem at that time; so Pilate sent Jesus to him. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. He had heard about Jesus and had wanted to meet him for a long time. Herod 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. They were shouting things against Jesus. 11Then Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus. They dressed him in a kingly robe and then 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 all the people together with the leading priests and the Jewish leaders. 14He said to them, “You brought this man to me. You said that he was making trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of the things 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.” 17[Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.]# Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.
18But all the people shouted, “Kill him! Let Barabbas go free!” 19(Barabbas was a man who was in prison because he started a riot in the city. He was guilty of murder.)
20Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free. So he told this to the crowd. 21But they shouted again, “Kill him! Kill him on a cross!”
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. They demanded that Jesus be killed on the cross. Their yelling became so loud that 24Pilate decided to give them what they wanted. 25They wanted Barabbas to go free, the man who was in jail for starting a riot and for murder. Pilate let Barabbas go free and gave Jesus to them to be killed.
Jesus Is Killed on a Cross
26The soldiers led Jesus away. At that time, there was a man coming into the city from the fields. His name was Simon, and he was from the city of Cyrene. The soldiers forced Simon to carry Jesus’ cross and walk behind him.
27A large crowd of people was following Jesus. Some of the women were sad and crying. 28But Jesus turned and said to them, “Women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children too! 29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Happy are the women who cannot have children! Happy are the women 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?”# Literally, “If they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?”
32There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be killed. 33Jesus and the two criminals were taken to a place called the Skull. There the soldiers nailed Jesus to his cross. They also nailed the criminals to their crosses, one beside Jesus on the right and the other beside Jesus on the left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”# Some Greek copies do not have this part of verse 34.
The soldiers threw lots to decide who would get his clothes. 35The people stood there watching. The leaders made fun of Jesus. They said, “If he is God’s Chosen One, the Christ, then let him save himself. He saved other people, didn’t he?”
36Even the soldiers made fun of him. They came to Jesus and offered him some vinegar. 37They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38(At the top of the cross these words were written: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”)
39One of the criminals began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the Christ? Then save yourself! And save us too!”
40But the other criminal stopped him. He said, “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment as he is. 41We are punished justly; we should die. But this man has done nothing wrong!” 42Then this criminal said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!”
43Then Jesus said to him, “Listen! What I say is true: Today you will be with me in paradise!”# A place where good people go when they die.
Jesus Dies
44It was about noon, and the whole land became dark until three o’clock in the afternoon. 45There was no sun! The curtain in the Temple# A curtain divided the Most Holy Place from the other part of the Temple. This was the special building in Jerusalem where God commanded the Jews to worship him. was torn into two pieces. 46Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, I give you my life.” After Jesus said this, he died.
47The army officer there saw what happened. He praised God, saying, “I know this was a good man!”
48Many people had gathered there to watch this thing. When they saw what happened, they returned home. They beat their chests because they were so sad. 49Those who were close friends of Jesus were there. Some were women who had followed Jesus from Galilee. They all stood far away from the cross and watched.
Joseph of Arimathea
50-51A man from the Jewish town of Arimathea was there, too. His name was Joseph. He was a good, religious man. He wanted the kingdom of God to come. Joseph was a member of the Jewish council, but he had not agreed when the other leaders decided to kill Jesus. 52Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. 53So Joseph took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in cloth. Then he put Jesus’ body in a tomb that was cut in a wall of rock. This tomb had never been used before. 54This was late on Preparation Day. When the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.
55The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and saw inside where the body of Jesus was laid. 56Then the women left to prepare perfumes and spices.
On the Sabbath day they rested, as the law of Moses commanded.
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Luke 23: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Luke 23
23
1 And the entire multitude of them, rising up, led him to Pilate.
2 Then they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this one subverting our nation, and prohibiting giving tribute to Caesar, and saying that he is Christ the king."
3 And Pilate questioned him, saying: "You are the king of the Jews?" But in response, he said: "You are saying it."
4 Then Pilate said to the leaders of the priests and to the crowds, "I find no case against this man."
5 But they continued more intensely, saying: "He has stirred up the people, teaching throughout all of Judea, beginning from Galilee, even to this place."
6 But Pilate, upon hearing Galilee, asked if the man were of Galilee.
7 And when he realized that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him away to Herod, who was himself also at Jerusalem in those days.
8 Then Herod, upon seeing Jesus, was very glad. For he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard so many things about him, and he was hoping to see some kind of sign wrought by him.
9 Then he questioned him with many words. But he gave him no response at all.
10 And the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, stood firm in persistently accusing him.
11 Then Herod, with his soldiers, scorned him. And he ridiculed him, clothing him in a white garment. And he sent him back to Pilate.
12 And Herod and Pilate became friends on that day. For previously they were enemies to one another.
13 And Pilate, calling together the leaders of the priests, and the magistrates, and the people,
14 said to them: "You have brought before me this man, as one who disturbs the people. And behold, having questioned him before you, I find no case against this man, in those things about which you accuse him.
15 And neither did Herod. For I sent you all to him, and behold, nothing deserving of death was recorded about him.
16 Therefore, I will chastise him and release him."
17 Now he was required to release one person for them on the feast day.
18 But the entire crowd exclaimed together, saying: "Take this one, and release to us Barabbas!"
19 Now he had been cast into prison because of a certain sedition that occurred in the city and for murder.
20 Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus.
21 But they shouted in response, saying: "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
22 Then he said to them a third time: "Why? What evil has he done? I find no case against him for death. Therefore, I will chastise him and release him."
23 But they persisted, with loud voices, in demanding that he be crucified. And their voices increased in intensity.
24 And so Pilate issued a judgment granting their petition.
25 Then he released for them the one who had been cast into prison for murder and sedition, whom they were requesting. Yet truly, Jesus he handed over to their will.
26 And as they were leading him away, they apprehended a certain one, Simon of Cyrene, as he was returning from the countryside. And they imposed the cross on him to carry after Jesus.
27 Then a great crowd of people followed him, with women who were mourning and lamenting him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said: "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep over me. Instead, weep over yourselves and over your children.
29 For behold, the days will arrive in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not borne, and the breasts that have not nursed.'
30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall over us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.'
31 For if they do these things with green wood, what will be done with the dry?"
32 Now they also led out two other criminals with him, in order to execute them.
33 And when they arrived at the place that is called Calvary, they crucified him there, with the robbers, one to the right and the other to the left.
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." And truly, dividing his garments, they cast lots.
35 And people were standing near, watching. And the leaders among them derided him, saying: "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this one is the Christ, the elect of God."
36 And the soldiers also ridiculed him, approaching him and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 Now there was also an inscription written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of those robbers who were hanging blasphemed him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us."
40 But the other responded by rebuking him, saying: "Do you have no fear of God, since you are under the same condemnation?
41 And indeed, it is just for us. For we are receiving what our deeds deserve. But truly, this one has done nothing wrong."
42 And he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 And Jesus said to him, "Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise."
44 Now it was nearly the sixth hour, and a darkness occurred over the entire earth, until the ninth hour.
45 And the sun was obscured. And the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." And upon saying this, he expired.
47 Now, the centurion, seeing what had happened, glorified God, saying, "Truly, this man was the Just One."
48 And the entire crowd of those who came together to see this spectacle also saw what had happened, and they returned, striking their breasts.
49 Now all those who knew him, and the women who had followed him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, watching these things.
50 And behold, there was a man named Joseph, who was a councilman, a good and just man,
51 (for he had not consented to their decision or their actions). He was from Arimathea, a city of Judea. And he was himself also anticipating the kingdom of God.
52 This man approached Pilate and petitioned for the body of Jesus.
53 And taking him down, he wrapped him in a fine linen cloth, and he placed him in a tomb hewn from rock, in which no one had ever been placed.
54 And it was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.
55 Now the women who had come with him from Galilee, by following, saw the tomb and the manner in which his body was placed.
56 And upon returning, they prepared aromatic spices and ointments. But on the Sabbath, indeed, they rested, according to the commandment.
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