Luke 23
23
Jesus Before Pilate
1 #
Matt. 27:2; Mark 15:1; John 18:28 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man #ver. 14; [Acts 17:6, 7; 24:5] misleading our nation and #[ch. 20:25] forbidding us to give tribute to #ch. 2:1; 3:1 Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, #John 18:33, 36, 37; 19:12; [Acts 17:7]a king.” 3#Matt. 27:11; Mark 15:2 And Pilate asked him, #ver. 37, 38; Matt. 2:2; John 18:39; 19:3 “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, #See ch. 22:70“You have said so.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, #ver. 14, 22; John 18:38; 19:4, 6; [Matt. 27:24; 1 Pet. 2:22]“I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, #ch. 4:14; Matt. 4:12, 23; Mark 1:14; John 1:43; 2:11from Galilee even to this place.”
Jesus Before Herod
6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he belonged to #See ch. 3:1Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, #ch. 9:9 for he had long desired to see him, #Matt. 14:1; Mark 6:14 because he had heard about him, and he was hoping #See Matt. 12:38to see some sign done by him. 9So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his soldiers #Mark 9:12; Acts 4:11 treated him with contempt and #ch. 18:32 mocked him. Then, #[Matt. 27:28; Mark 15:17]arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And #Acts 4:27; [Ps. 2:2]Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
13Pilate then called together the chief priests and #See ch. 24:20the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man #ver. 2 as one who was misleading the people. And #Acts 3:13 after examining him before you, behold, I #ver. 4did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither did Herod, for #ver. 11he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16#ver. 22; John 19:1; [Acts 5:40]I will therefore punish and release him.”#23:16 Here, or after verse 19, some manuscripts add verse 17: Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
18 # For ver. 18-25, see Matt. 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; John 18:39, 40; 19:16 But they all cried out together, #[Acts 21:36; 22:22]“Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and #Acts 3:14for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why? #[ver. 41; John 8:46] What evil has he done? #ver. 14, 15 I have found in him no guilt deserving death. #ver. 16I will therefore punish and release him.” 23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison #ver. 19 for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, #John 19:16but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
The Crucifixion
26 #
Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; [John 19:17] And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were #ch. 8:52; Matt. 11:17mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, #See ch. 17:22 the days are coming when they will say, #ch. 21:23; Matt. 24:19; Mark 13:17‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30#Hos. 10:8; Rev. 6:16; [Isa. 2:19]Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For #[Prov. 11:31; 1 Pet. 4:17] if they do these things when #Ezek. 20:47the wood is green, what will happen #Ezek. 20:47when it is dry?”
32 #
Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; John 19:18; [Matt. 20:21] Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33#Matt. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, #[See ver. 32 above]one on his right and one on his left. 34And Jesus said, “Father, #Isa. 53:12; See Matt. 5:44 forgive them, #[Mark 10:38]; See Acts 3:17 for they know not what they do.”#23:34 Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus . . . what they do And they cast lots #Ps. 22:18; Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; John 19:23to divide his garments. 35And #Ps. 22:7, 17 the people stood by, watching, #Matt. 27:41, 42; Mark 15:31, 32 but #See ch. 24:20 the rulers #ch. 16:14 scoffed at him, saying, #[ch. 4:23] “He saved others; #[Matt. 26:53, 54; John 10:18] let him save himself, #[ch. 4:3, 9] if he is #See ch. 9:20; Matt. 1:17 the Christ of God, #ch. 9:35; Isa. 42:1; [Matt. 12:18; 1 Pet. 2:4]his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and #[Ps. 69:21; Matt. 27:48; Mark 15:36; John 19:29]offering him sour wine 37and saying, #ver. 35 “If you are #See ver. 3the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38#Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; John 19:19; [John 19:21, 22] There was also an inscription over him,#23:38 Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew “This is #[See ver. 37 above]the King of the Jews.”
39 # [Matt. 27:44; Mark 15:32] One of the criminals who were hanged #See Matt. 27:39 railed at him,#23:39 Or blasphemed him saying, “Are you not #ver. 35, 37the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me #[Matt. 16:28]when you come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in #2 Cor. 12:3; Rev. 2:7paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 #
Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; [John 19:14] It was now about the sixth hour,#23:44 That is, noon and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,#23:44 That is, 3 p.m. 45while the sun’s light failed. And #Ex. 26:31-33; 2 Chr. 3:14the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, #[Matt. 27:50; Mark 15:37; John 19:30] calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, #Cited from Ps. 31:5; [Acts 7:59] into your hands I #1 Pet. 4:19 commit my spirit!” And having said this #[John 10:18]he breathed his last. 47Now #Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39 when the centurion saw what had taken place, #See ch. 7:16he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home #ch. 18:13beating their breasts. 49And all #Ps. 88:8 his acquaintances and #ver. 55; John 19:25; See ch. 8:2 the women who had followed him from Galilee #Ps. 38:11stood at a distance watching these things.
Jesus Is Buried
50 # For ver. 50-56, see Matt. 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; John 19:38-42 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he #ch. 2:25, 38was looking for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and #[Isa. 53:9] laid him in a tomb cut in stone, #[Mark 11:2]where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the day of #See Matt. 27:62Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.#23:54 Greek was dawning 55#Matt. 28:1 The women #ver. 49who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and #ch. 24:1; Mark 16:1; [John 19:39] prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested #Ex. 20:10; Deut. 5:14according to the commandment.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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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