Luke 23

Jesus before Pilate// Matthew 27:11–14; John 18:28–40

¹Then the whole council rose and led Jesus away to Pilate. ²And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”

³So Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

⁵But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people all over Judea with His teaching. He began in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

Jesus before Herod

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷And learning that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself was in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased. He had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see Him perform a miracle. ⁹Herod questioned Jesus at great length, but He gave no answer.

¹⁰Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes stood there, vehemently accusing Him. ¹¹And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.

¹²That day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this time they had been enemies.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas// Matthew 27:15–23; Mark 15:6–11

¹³Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him here in your presence and found Him not guilty of your charges against Him. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us. As you can see, He has done nothing deserving of death. ¹⁶Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” ¹⁷[Now Pilate was obligated to release to the people one prisoner at the feast.]

¹⁸But they all cried out in unison: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹(Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

²²A third time he said to them, “What evil has this man done? I have found in Him no offense worthy of death. So after I punish Him, I will release Him.”

²³But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices for Jesus to be crucified. And their clamor prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate sentenced that their demand be met. ²⁵As they had requested, he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion// Psalm 22:1–31; Matthew 27:32–44; Mark 15:21–32; John 19:16–27

²⁶As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

²⁷A great number of people followed Him, including women who kept mourning and wailing for Him. ²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹Look, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰At that time

• LK 23:28[PROPHECY]Days would come when the daughters of Jerusalem would weep for themselves and their children → HISTORY: During the Roman siege of AD 70, terrible hunger and killing struck the mothers and children of Jerusalem. Recorded by Josephus, Jewish War books 5 and 6.

‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”

and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

• LK 23:30[FULFILLS]People would cry to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us ← HOS 10:8MEDIUM

³¹For if men do these things while the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

³²Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus.

• LK 23:32[FULFILLS]This which is written must yet be accomplished in Me: 'And He was numbered with the transgressors' (Isa 53:12) ← LK 22:37

³³When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.

• LK 23:34[FULFILLS]Stripped and stared at by His persecutors and 2 more ← PS 22:17-18; PS 109:4; IS 53:12e
• LK 23:34[ALLUDES TO]Refers to ← PS 22:18
• LK 23:34[TEXT]Some of the oldest manuscripts, like Papyrus 75 and Codex Vaticanus, do not have Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Many other early copies do, and many scholars think it is a real saying of Jesus either way. Stephen prays the same way in Acts 7:60.

³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

• LK 23:35[FULFILLS]He would be scorned by men and despised by the people ← PS 22:6MEDIUM
• LK 23:35[FULFILLS]The righteous one mocked as God's son ← WIS 2:12-20 (Apocrypha, not Scripture)

³⁶The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine. ³⁷“If You are the King of the Jews,” they said, “save Yourself!”

• LK 23:36[ALLUDES TO]Refers to ← PS 69:21

³⁸Above Him was posted an inscription:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

• LK 23:41[FULFILLS]Innocent and had done no violence ← IS 53:9b

⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

• LK 23:43[NOTE]TODAY IN PARADISE. See What Happens When You Die?

The Death of Jesus// Psalm 31:1–24; Matthew 27:45–56; Mark 15:33–41; John 19:28–30

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn down the middle.

• LK 23:44[MIRACLE]The sun is darkened and the temple veil is torn
• LK 23:44[FULFILLS]Heaven darkened at His humiliation ← IS 50:3MEDIUM
• LK 23:44[FULFILLS]God would make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in the daytime ← AMOS 8:9MEDIUM

⁴⁶Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.

• LK 23:46[FULFILLS]'Into Your hands I commit My spirit' ← PS 31:5
• LK 23:46[FULFILLS]He poured out His soul unto death ← IS 53:12b

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had happened, he gave glory to God, saying, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸And when all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts. ⁴⁹But all those who knew Jesus, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.

• LK 23:49[FULFILLS]His friends stood at a distance during His suffering ← PS 38:11MEDIUM
• LK 23:49[FULFILLS]They stood at a distance and watched Him die ← PS 88:8MEDIUM

The Burial of Jesus// Isaiah 53:9–12; Matthew 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42

⁵⁰Now there was a Council member named Joseph, a good and righteous man, ⁵¹who had not consented to their decision or action. He was from the Judean town of Arimathea and was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵²He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was beginning.

• LK 23:53[ARCHAEOLOGY]The Shroud of Turin
• LK 23:53[FIELD NOTES]Is this cloth the Shroud of Turin? See The Shroud of Turin Field Notes pages in Matthew.

⁵⁵The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how His body was placed. ⁵⁶Then they returned to prepare spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

• LK 23:55[NOTABLE]Luke says the women checked the tomb and how the body was placed. They knew where to go on Sunday.