Luke 23

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1The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.

2They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

3Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “So you say.”

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

5But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”

6But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean.

7When he found out that he was in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.

8Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him.

9He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers.

10The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.

11Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.

12Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.

13Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

14and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.

15Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.

16I will therefore chastise him and release him.”

17Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.

18But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”—

19one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.

20Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,

21but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

22He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.”

23But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.

24Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.

25He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.

26When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.

27A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.

28But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

29For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’

30Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’

31For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”

32There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.

33When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.

34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

35The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”

36The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,

37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

38An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

39One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”

40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

42He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

43Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

45The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.

46Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.

47When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”

48All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.

49All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

50Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man

51(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God:

52this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body.

53He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.

54It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.

55The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.

56They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Commentary

"\nAnd they began to accuse him,.... After they found that Pilate would not receive him as a malefactor upon their word, and delivery of him to him as such; but insisted on knowing what they had to charge him with, and what accusation they had to bring against him:\n\nsaying, we have found this fellow perverting the nation; the nation of the Jews. Three of Beza's copies read, "our nation"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and it is to be understood, either of his perverting the nation from the true doctrine of Moses and the prophets; by spreading among them new notions, and false principles of religion; whereby he was a troubler of God's Israel, as Ahab charged Elijah, 1Ki 18:17 where the Septuagint use the same word as here; and so is a charge of heresy, or innovation in religion against Christ: and thus Jesus stands charged in their writings {o}; on those words in Ps 91:10. "Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling", they have this note;\n\n"that thou mayest not have a son, or a disciple, that corrupts his food publicly (i.e. his doctrine, who departs from the true doctrine and worship, to heresy and idolatry, and propagates the same), \u05db\u05d2\u05d5\u05df \u05d9\u05e9\u05d5 \u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05e6\u05e8\u05d9, "as Jesus the Nazarene".''\n\nWhich last clause, in some later editions of the Talmud, is left out: or it may be understood of his perverting the nation in their politics, and so is a charge of sedition against him, as follows;\n\nforbidding to give tribute to Caesar; than which, nothing was more false; see Mt 22:21 nor does what is after alleged, support this charge:\n\nsaying, that he himself is Christ, a King; or Christ the King, or the King Christ; that is, he whom the Jews so frequently in their writings call \u05de\u05dc\u05da \u05d4\u05de\u05e9\u05d9\u05d7, "the King Messiah", for so he might be, and was, without any hurt to Caesar's dignity, or revenue; for though he was a king, yet not an earthly one; and though he had a kingdom, yet not of this world: indeed they would insinuate by this, that he set himself up as an earthly king, in opposition to Caesar, to draw off the people from him, and their allegiance and duty to him; and so the Jews say of Jesus of Nazareth, that he was put to death, and had no mercy shown him, because he was \u05e7\u05e8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05de\u05dc\u05db\u05d5\u05ea, "near to the kingdom" {p}. The whole of this charge was untrue; he was so far from perverting the nation with false doctrine and worship, that he taught the true doctrine, and right way of worship, and refuted the false glosses of the Pharisees, and opposed the vain traditions of the elders, by which both were corrupted; and so far was he from any seditious principles and practices, or doing any injury to Tiberius Caesar, the then reigning emperor, that he taught the people to give Caesar the things that were Caesar's, and he himself paid the tribute money; and when the people would have took him by force, and have made him a king, he avoided it by getting out of the way, Joh 6:15.\n\n{o} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 103. 1. & Beracot, fol, 17. 2. {p} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 43. 1.\n\n\n "

23:1-5 Pilate well understood the difference between armed forces and our Lord's followers. But instead of being softened by Pilate's declaration of his innocence, and considering whether they were not bringing the guilt of innocent blood upon themselves, the Jews were the more angry. The Lord brings his designs to a glorious end, even by means of those who follow the devices of their own hearts. Thus all parties joined, so as to prove the innocence of Jesus, who was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

"\nAnd Pilate asked him, saying,.... Observing that it was said, he had given himself out to be a king; for as for what regarded religion, he took no notice of it; he put this question to him,\n\nart thou the King of the Jews? that their prophecies speak of, and they have expected;\n\nand he answered him and said, thou sayest it; that is, thou sayest well; it is as thou sayest, I am the King of the Jews;\n[See comments on Mt 27:11] though he did not leave this without an explanation; without informing him what sort of a king he was, and what kind of a kingdom he had; see Joh 18:36 which made Pilate perfectly easy, and desirous to release him, as appears by what follows.\n\n\n "

"\nThen said Pilate to the Chief priests, and to the people,.... Both to the sanhedrim, and to the mob that were gathered together about the governor's palace on this occasion; and who were standing without the judgment hall, into which they would not enter, lest they should be defiled, and be unfit to eat the passover: wherefore Pilate came out to them; and this was the second time of his coming out to them, when he said the following words,\n Joh 18:28.\n\nI find no fault in this man; no cause, or reason, why any punishment should be inflicted on him, and especially he be put to death; no crime that can be fastened on him, or accusation proved against him, or any thing that amounts to a charge of sedition: the man is an harmless and innocent man, that has done nothing against Caesar, or the government, and good of the nation; and therefore is not worthy of death, or of stripes, but should be discharged. This was Pilate's sense.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they were the more fierce,.... Or urgent to have him put to death; so the Hebrew word \u05d7\u05d6\u05e7 is rendered in Ex 12:33 which answers to that here used.

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