Luke 23
23
Jesus Before Pilate.#Mt 27:1–2, 11–14; Mk 15:1–5; Jn 18:28–38. 1#23:1–5, 13–25] Twice Jesus is brought before Pilate in Luke’s account, and each time Pilate explicitly declares Jesus innocent of any wrongdoing (Lk 23:4, 14, 22). This stress on the innocence of Jesus before the Roman authorities is also characteristic of John’s gospel (Jn 18:38; 19:4, 6). Luke presents the Jerusalem Jewish leaders as the ones who force the hand of the Roman authorities (Lk 23:1–2, 5, 10, 13, 18, 21, 23–25). Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2They brought charges against him, saying, “We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king.”#20:22–25; Acts 17:7; 24:5. 3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in reply, “You say so.”#22:70; 1 Tm 6:13. 4Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, “I find this man not guilty.” 5But they were adamant and said, “He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here.”#23:14, 22, 41; Mt 27:24; Jn 19:4, 6; Acts 13:28.
Jesus Before Herod. 6#The appearance of Jesus before Herod is found only in this gospel. Herod has been an important figure in Luke (Lk 9:7–9; 13:31–33) and has been presented as someone who has been curious about Jesus for a long time. His curiosity goes unrewarded. It is faith in Jesus, not curiosity, that is rewarded (Lk 7:50; 8:48, 50; 17:19). On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; 7and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time.#3:1; 9:7. 8Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign.#9:9; Acts 4:27–28. 9He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer.#Mk 15:5. 10The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly.#Mt 27:12; Mk 15:3. 11[Even] Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate.#Mt 27:28–30; Mk 15:17–19; Jn 19:2–3. 12Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly. 13Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him,#23:4, 22, 41. 15nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. 16#23:22; Jn 19:12–14. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” [17]#This verse, “He was obliged to release one prisoner for them at the festival,” is not part of the original text of Luke. It is an explanatory gloss from Mk 15:6 (also Mt 27:15) and is not found in many early and important Greek manuscripts. On its historical background, see notes on Mt 27:15–26.
The Sentence of Death.#Mt 27:20–26; Mk 15:6–7, 11–15; Jn 18:38b–40; 19:14–16; Acts 3:13–14. 18But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” 19(Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.) 20Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, 21but they continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” 23With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. 24The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. 25So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.
The Way of the Cross.#An important Lucan theme throughout the gospel has been the need for the Christian disciple to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Here this theme comes to the fore with the story of Simon of Cyrene who takes up the cross and follows Jesus (see Lk 9:23; 14:27) and with the large crowd who likewise follow Jesus on the way of the cross. See also note on Mk 15:21. 26#Mt 27:32, 38; Mk 15:21, 27; Jn 19:17. As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. 28#19:41–44; 21:23–24. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, 29for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.’ 30At that time people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall upon us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’#Hos 10:8; Rev 6:16. 31for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?” 32Now two others, both criminals, were led away with him to be executed.
The Crucifixion.#Mt 27:33–44; Mk 15:22–32; Jn 19:17–24. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left.#22:37; Is 53:12. 34[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”]#[Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”]: this portion of Lk 23:34 does not occur in the oldest papyrus manuscript of Luke and in other early Greek manuscripts and ancient versions of wide geographical distribution. They divided his garments by casting lots.#Nm 15:27–31; Ps 22:19; Mt 5:44; Acts 7:60. 35The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said,#Ps 22:8–9. “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.”#4:23. 36Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine#Ps 69:22; Mt 27:48; Mk 15:36. 37they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” 38Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39#This episode is recounted only in this gospel. The penitent sinner receives salvation through the crucified Jesus. Jesus’ words to the penitent thief reveal Luke’s understanding that the destiny of the Christian is “to be with Jesus.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” 40The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? 41And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.”#23:4, 14, 22. 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”#9:27; 23:2, 3, 38. 43He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”#2 Cor 12:3; Rev 2:7.
The Death of Jesus.#Mt 27:45–56; Mk 15:33–41; Jn 19:25–30. 44#Noon…three in the afternoon: literally, the sixth and ninth hours. See note on Mk 15:25. It was now about noon#Am 8:9. and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon 45because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.#Ex 26:31–33; 36:35. 46Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”; and when he had said this he breathed his last.#Ps 31:6; Acts 7:59. 47The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, “This man was innocent#This man was innocent: or, “This man was righteous.” beyond doubt.” 48When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts;#18:13; Zec 12:10. 49but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from Galilee and saw these events.#8:1–3; 23:55–56; 24:10; Ps 38:12.
The Burial of Jesus.#Mt 27:57–61; Mk 15:42–47; Jn 19:38–42; Acts 13:29. 50Now there was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, 51had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God.#2:25, 38. 52He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb in which no one had yet been buried.#19:30; Acts 13:29. 54It was the day of preparation, and the sabbath was about to begin. 55The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it,#8:2; 23:49; 24:10. 56they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment.#Ex 12:16; 20:10; Dt 5:14.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
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.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.