Frameworks:
Luke's Gospel, chapter 23
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
v.1-25
Before Pilate & Herod
v.26-43
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.44-49
The Death of Jesus
v.50-56
The Burial of Jesus
v.1-25
Before Pilate & Herod
v.1
(Jesus is taken
to the governor) Then
the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.
v.2
(they accuse
him before Pilate) And
they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting
our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to
be Messiah, a king.”
v.3
(Pilate ask
him about being king of the Jews) So
Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have
said so,” Jesus replied.
v.4
(Pilate says
there is no charge) Then
Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no
basis for a charge against this man.”
v.5
(they persist
and mention Galilee) But
they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching.
He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
v.6
(Pilate checks
this) On
hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.
v.7
(so he sends
him to Herod) When
he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent
him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
v.8
(Herod has high
hopes) When
Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time
he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him,
he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.
v.9
(he fruitlessly
questions Jesus) He
plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.
v.10
(meanwhile the
authorities keep accusing him) The
chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there,
vehemently accusing him.
v.11,12
(Herod sends
him back to Pilate) Then
Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him
in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod
and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
v.13,14
(Pilate tells
the authorities there is still no charge) Pilate
called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,
and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting
the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence
and have found no basis for your charges against him.
v.15
(even Herod
couldn't find a charge) Neither
has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has
done nothing to deserve death.
v.16
(we'll punish
him and then release him) Therefore,
I will punish him and then release him.”
v.18
(relying on
custom they demanded he release Barabbas) But
the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas
to us!”
v.19
(Barabbas was
a rebel and murderer) (Barabbas
had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and
for murder.)
v.20
(Pilate still
wants to let him go) Wanting
to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.
v.21
(they keep shouting
for him to be crucified) But
they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
v.22
(a third time
he resists) For
the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man
committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.
Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
v.23
(they kept shouting)
But
with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified,
and their shouts prevailed.
v.24
(so Pilate gave
way) So
Pilate decided to grant their demand.
v.25
(he released
Barabbas) He
released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection
and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their
will.
v.26-43
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.26
(leading Jesus
off to be crucified the soldier conscript a visitor to carry his
cross) As
the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who
was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and
made him carry it behind Jesus.
v.27
(a large crowd
followed the procession) A
large number of people followed him, including women who mourned
and wailed for him.
v.28
(Jesus speaks
to the women) Jesus
turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep
for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.
v.29
(a time of judgment
will come) For
the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless
women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!'
v.30
(and they would
wish the mountains fell on them) Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to
the hills, “Cover us!”' [Hos
10:8]
v.31
(if this happens
to a good person, what will happen to guilty people) For
if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen
when it is dry?”
v.32
(two criminals
were also being crucified) Two
other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
v.33
(and there the
three were executed) When
they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there,
along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
v.34
(Jesus prayed)
Jesus
said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
v.35
(the authorities
mocked him) The
people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They
said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah,
the Chosen One.”
v.36,37
(the soldiers
mocked him) The
soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
v.38
(a sign above
indicated he was the king of the Jews) There
was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of
the Jews .
v.39
(one of the
criminals mocked him) One
of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren't
you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
v.40,41
(the other one
chided the other) But
the other criminal rebuked him. “Don't you fear God,” he said,
“since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly,
for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done
nothing wrong.”
v.42
(he asks Jesus
for clemency in heaven) Then
he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
v.43
(Jesus confirms
the man will be there today) Jesus
answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
paradise.”
v.44-49
The Death of Jesus
v.44,45
(from noon until
three darkness falls) It
was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until
three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain
of the temple was torn in two.
v.46
(Jesus commits
himself to his Father and died) Jesus
called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit
my spirit.” [Psa 31:5]
When
he had said this, he breathed his last.
v.47
(a centurion
acknowledges Jesus) The
centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely
this was a righteous man.”
v.48
(the crowd turn
away in anguish) When
all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what
took place, they beat their breasts and went away.
v.49
(he followers
watched from a distance) But
all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him
from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
v.50-56
The Burial of Jesus
v.50,51
(Joseph of Arimathea,
a council member, was there) Now
there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good
and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action.
He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was
waiting for the kingdom of God.
v.52
(he asked for
Jesus' body) Going
to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body.
v.53
(he took the
body and buried it) Then
he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a
tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.
v.54
(it was the
day before the Sabbath) It
was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
v.55
(the women watched
from a distance) The
women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and
saw the tomb and ow his body was laid in it.
v.56
(but they did
nothing because the Sabbath was about to begin) Then
they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested
on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. [Note
the Jewish day was measured from 6pm to 6pm]