Luke 23
23
Pilate
1-2Then they all took Jesus to Pilate and began to bring up charges against him. They said, “We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King.”
3Pilate asked him, “Is this true that you’re ‘King of the Jews’?”
“Those are your words, not mine,” Jesus replied.
4Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, “I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me.”
5But they were vehement. “He’s stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He’s a dangerous man, endangering the peace.”
6-7When Pilate heard that, he asked, “So, he’s a Galilean?” Realizing that he properly came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.
8-10Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he’d heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn’t answer—not one word. But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.
11-12Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.
13-16Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, “You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
18-20At that, the crowd went wild: “Kill him! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.
21But they kept shouting back, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22He tried a third time. “But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”
23-25But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.
Skull Hill
26-31As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. The time is coming when they’ll say, ‘Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!’ Then they’ll start calling to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ calling to the hills, ‘Cover us up!’ If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they’ll do with deadwood?”
32Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.
33When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.
34-35Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”
Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”
36-37The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”
38Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews.
39One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”
40-41But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”
43He said, “Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.”
44-46By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last.
* * *
47When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: “This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!”
48-49All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
50-54There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.
55-56The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.
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Luke 23: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Luke 23
23
Pilate Questions Jesus
(Matthew 27:11–14; Mark 15:1–5; John 18:28–38)
1Then the entire assembly stood up and took him to Pilate.
2They began to accuse Jesus by saying, “We found that he stirs up trouble among our people: He keeps them from paying taxes to the emperor, and he says that he is Christ, a king.”
3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.
4Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I can’t find this man guilty of any crime.”
Pilate Sends Jesus to Herod
5The priests and the crowd became more forceful. They said, “He stirs up the people throughout Judea with his teachings. He started in Galilee and has come here.”
6When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was from Galilee. 7When Pilate found out that he was, he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod ruled Galilee and was in Jerusalem at that time.
8Herod was very pleased to see Jesus. For a long time he had wanted to see him. He had heard about Jesus and hoped to see him perform some kind of miracle. 9Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus wouldn’t answer him. 10Meanwhile, the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings stood there and shouted their accusations against Jesus.
11Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and made fun of him. They put a colorful robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12So Herod and Pilate became friends that day. They had been enemies before this.
13Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people. 14He told them, “You brought me this man as someone who turns the people against the government. I’ve questioned him in front of you and haven’t found this man guilty of the crimes of which you accuse him. 15Neither could Herod. So he sent this man back to us. This man hasn’t done anything to deserve the death penalty. 16So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.” #23:16 Some manuscripts and translations add verse 17: “At every Passover festival the governor had to set someone free for them.”
The Crowd Rejects Jesus
(Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; John 18:39–40)
18The whole crowd then shouted, “Take him away! Free Barabbas for us.” 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for his involvement in a riot that had taken place in the city and for murder.)
20But because Pilate wanted to free Jesus, he spoke to the people again.
21They began yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22A third time Pilate spoke to them. He asked, “Why? What has he done wrong? I haven’t found this man deserving of the death penalty. So I’m going to have him whipped and set free.”
23But the crowd pressured Pilate. They shouted that Jesus had to be crucified, and they finally won. 24Pilate decided to give in to their demand. 25He freed Barabbas, who had been put in prison for rioting and murdering, because that’s what they wanted. But he let them do what they wanted to Jesus.
Jesus Is Led Away to Be Crucified
26As the soldiers led Jesus away, they grabbed a man named Simon, who was from the city of Cyrene. Simon was coming into Jerusalem. They laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27A large crowd followed Jesus. The women in the crowd cried and sang funeral songs for him. 28Jesus turned to them and said, “You women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me! Rather, cry for yourselves and your children! 29The time is coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the women who couldn’t get pregnant, who couldn’t give birth, and who couldn’t nurse a child.’ 30Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ 31If people do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry one?”
32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be executed with him.
The Crucifixion
(Matthew 27:31–44; Mark 15:20–32; John 19:16b–24)
33When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him. The criminals were also crucified, one on his right and the other on his left.
34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” #23:34 Some manuscripts and translations omit “Then … doing.”
Meanwhile, the soldiers divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.
35The people stood there watching. But the rulers were making sarcastic remarks. They said, “He saved others. If he’s the Messiah that God has chosen, let him save himself!” 36The soldiers also made fun of him. They would go up to him, offer him some vinegar, 37and say, “If you’re the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
38A written notice was placed above him. It said, “This is the king of the Jews.”
Criminals Talk to Jesus
39One of the criminals hanging there insulted Jesus by saying, “So you’re really the Messiah, are you? Well, save yourself and us!”
40But the other criminal scolded him: “Don’t you fear God at all? Can’t you see that you’re condemned in the same way that he is? 41Our punishment is fair. We’re getting what we deserve. But this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”
43Jesus said to him, “I can guarantee this truth: Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus Dies on the Cross
(Matthew 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41; John 19:28–30)
44Around noon darkness came over the entire land and lasted until three in the afternoon. 45The sun had stopped shining. The curtain in the temple was split in two.
46Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit.” After he said this, he died.
47When an army officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly, this man was innocent!” 48Crowds had gathered to see the sight. But when all of them saw what had happened, they cried and returned to the city. 49All his friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched everything.
Jesus Is Placed in a Tomb
(Matthew 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42)
50There was a good man who had God’s approval. His name was Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish council, 51but he had not agreed with what they had done. He was from the Jewish city of Arimathea, and he was waiting for God’s kingdom.
52He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53After he took it down from the cross, he wrapped it in linen. Then he laid the body in a tomb cut in rock, a tomb in which no one had ever been buried. 54It was Friday, and the day of rest—a holy day, was just beginning.
55The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed closely behind Joseph. They observed the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56Then they went back to the city and prepared spices and perfumes. But on the day of rest—a holy day, they rested according to the commandment.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.