Luke 23
23
Jesus Faces Pilate
1Then # Mt 27:1,11-14; Mk 15:1-5; Jn 18:28-38 their whole assembly rose up and brought Him before Pilate. 2They began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes # Lk 20:22-25 to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is the Messiah, a King.”
3So Pilate asked Him, # Mt 27:11; Mk 15:2 “Are You the King of the Jews? ” # Mt 2:2; Lk 23:37-38; Jn 18:39; 19:3
He answered him, “You have said it.” # Or That is true ; an affirmative oath
4Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds # Mt 27:24; Lk 23:14,22; Jn 19:4,6; 1Pt 2:22 for charging this man.”
5But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, # Ac 17:5-8,13 teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee # Mt 4:12,23; Lk 4:14; Jn 1:43; 2:11 where He started even to here.”
Jesus Faces Herod Antipas
6When Pilate # 1Tm 6:13 heard this, # Other mss read heard “Galilee” he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7Finding that He was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, # Lk 3:1; 9:7-9; 13:31 who was also in Jerusalem during those days. 8Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see Him because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle # Or sign performed by Him. 9So he kept asking Him questions, but Jesus did not answer him. # Is 53:7; Mt 27:12,14; Mk 15:4-5; Jn 19:9 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. 11Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt, mocked # Is 53:3; Mk 9:12; Lk 18:32; Ac 4:11 Him, dressed Him in a brilliant robe, # Mt 27:28; Mk 15:17 and sent Him back to Pilate. 12That very day Herod and Pilate became friends. # Lit friends with one another # Ps 2:2; Ac 4:27 Previously, they had been hostile toward each other.
Jesus or Barabbas
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, # Lk 23:35; 24:20; Jn 7:26,48; 12:42 14and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who subverts the people. # Lk 23:2 But in fact, after examining Him in your presence, I have found no grounds # Lk 23:4 to charge this man with those things you accuse Him of. 15Neither has Herod, because he sent Him back to us. Clearly, He has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will have Him whipped # Gk paideuo; to discipline or “teach a lesson”; 1Kg 12:11,14 LXX; 2Ch 10:11,14; perhaps a way of referring to the Roman scourging; Lat flagellatio # Jn 19:1; Ac 5:40 and then release Him.” 17For according to the festival he had to release someone to them. # Other mss omit bracketed text # Mt 27:15; Mk 15:6; Jn 18:39
18Then # Mt 27:15-23; Mk 15:6-14; Jn 18:40 they all cried out together, “Take this man away! # Ac 21:36; 22:22 Release Barabbas to us! ” 19(He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, # Ac 3:13-14 addressed them again, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify Him! ”
22A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong? # Jn 8:46 I have found in Him no grounds # Lk 23:4 for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have Him whipped and then release Him.”
23But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And their voices # Other mss add and those of the chief priests won out. 24So # Mt 27:24-26; Mk 15:15; Jn 19:16 Pilate decided to grant their demand # Php 4:6 25and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will. # Lk 24:20; Ac 4:24-28
The Way to the Cross
26As # Mt 27:31-32; Mk 15:20-21; Jn 19:17 they led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, # Rm 16:3 who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross # Lk 9:23; 14:27 on him to carry behind Jesus. 27A large crowd of people followed Him, including women who were mourning and lamenting Him. # Lk 8:52; Ac 8:2; Rv 1:7; 18:9 28But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, # Sg 1:5; 2:7 do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children. 29Look, the days are coming # Lk 17:22 when they will say, ‘The women without children, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed, are fortunate! ’ # Mt 24:19; Mk 13:17; Lk 11:27; 21:23 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us! ’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us! ’ # Hs 10:8 # Hs 10:8 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry? ” # Ezk 20:47; Lk 19:41
Crucified between Two Criminals
32Two others — criminals # Is 53:12; Mt 27:38; Mk 15:27; Lk 22:37; Jn 19:18 — were also led away to be executed with Him. 33When # Mt 27:33-38; Mk 15:22-27; Jn 19:17-24 they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34Then Jesus said, “Father, # Mt 5:16; 6:1; 11:27; Jn 8:42 forgive # Mt 11:25; Lk 6:29,35; 22:42 them, because they do not know what they are doing.” # Ac 3:17; 1Co 2:6-8 # Other mss omit bracketed text And they divided His clothes and cast lots. # Ps 22:18
35The # Mt 27:43,48; Mk 15:26,29-32; Jn 19:19,29 people stood watching, and even the leaders kept scoffing: # Ps 22:7,17; Lk 16:14; 23:13 “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One! ” # Is 42:1; Mt 1:17; 12:18; Lk 9:20,35; 1Pt 2:4 36The soldiers also mocked Him. They came offering Him sour wine # Ps 69:21 37and said, “If You are the King of the Jews, # Lk 23:3 save Yourself! ”
38An inscription was above Him: # Other mss add written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew letters
THIS ISTHE KING OF THE JEWS.
39Then # Mt 27:44; Mk 15:32 one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at # Or began to blaspheme Him: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us! ”
40But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, # Ps 147:11; Pr 1:7; Ac 10:2; Rv 14:7 since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” # Lk 23:4 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me # Other mss add Lord # Jdg 16:28; 1Sm 25:31; Neh 5:19; Jb 14:13; Ps 106:4 when You come into Your kingdom! ” # Mk 8:38; Ac 20:25
43And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” # 2Co 12:4; Rv 2:7
The Death of Jesus
44It # Mt 27:45-56; Mk 15:33-41 was now about noon, # Lit about the sixth hour and darkness came over the whole land # Or whole earth until three, # Lit the ninth hour 45because the sun’s light failed. # Other mss read three, and the sun was darkened The curtain # Ex 26:31-33; Heb 6:19 of the sanctuary was split down the middle. 46And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” # Ps 31:5; Is 53:12; Jn 19:30; 1Co 15:55; 1Pt 4:19 # Ps 31:5 Saying this, He breathed His last.
47When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify # Lk 13:13 God, saying, “This man really was righteous! ” 48All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. # = mourning # Lk 18:13 49But # Mt 27:55-56; Mk 15:40-41; Jn 19:25 all who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, # Ps 38:11; 88:8 watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50There # Mt 27:57-61; Mk 15:42-47; Jn 19:38-42 was a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, 51who had not agreed with their plan # Ac 2:23 and action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. # Lk 2:25,38 52He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed. # Or interred, or laid # Is 53:9; Mk 11:2 54It was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. # Lit was dawning ; not in the morning but at sundown Friday 55The women # Lk 1:42 who had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. # Mk 16:1; Lk 24:1 And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. # Ex 20:10; Dt 5:14
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.