JESUS IS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE (23:1-7). Having convinced themselves of His blasphemy the majority of the court now acted and brought Him to Pilate. But once again their perfidy is revealed. For they did not bring against Him the charge of blasphemy, or of claiming to be the Son of God, rather they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the whole company of them rose up, and brought him before Pilate.' The Sanhedrin as a whole then brought Him to Pilate. ‘Whole company' is probably not to be taken literally. It may not have included dissenters, and Pilate would certainly not have been happy to see them all at once. Luke's poi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ (the Messiah) a king.' The charge, based on what has gone before, is a travesty of misrepresentation. It was they who had said that He was... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Pilate asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him and said, “You say so.” ' ‘You?' The word is emphasised. Pilate had expected them to haul in a glaring insurrectionist, the type that he knew exactly how to deal with. And now here was someone who was calm and fearle... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no fault in this man.” ' So Pilate went out to the chief priests and the crowds (for they would not enter his residence as it would have been seen as defiling at Passover time) and declared that as far as he could see the charges were ba... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they were the more urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even to this place.” Fearful that Jesus might be released without charge, ‘they' (the chief priests) tried to put pressure on Pilate. Their protests ‘grew stronger'. Did he no... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And when he knew that he was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem in these days.' At the mention of Galilee Pilate pricked up his ears. If the man was a Galilean then perhaps Herod would... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was very, very glad, for he had for a long time been desirous to see him, because he had heard about him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by him.' Instead of seriously going about the business of ascertaining the truth, Herod is revealed as more interested in see... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HEARING BEFORE HEROD (23:8-12). In a few rapid strokes Luke brilliantly brings out what the hearing before Herod involved. Rather than being concerned about the rights and wrongs of the matter Herod is depicted as being more interested in getting Jesus to perform some wonders before him, than i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he questioned him in many words, but he answered him nothing.' But all his attempts to make Jesus respond, and they were apparently considerable, failed. As a sheep that before His shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth (Isaiah 53:7, compare Acts 8:32). He had stated His case to Pilate,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.' Meanwhile, probably infuriated by Herod's attitude, the chief priests and Scribes pressed home their case with as much force as they could muster, probably aware all the time that Herod was treating them with contempt. In fact h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Herod with his soldiers set him at nought, and mocked him, and arraying him in gorgeous apparel sent him back to Pilate.' Having exhausted his attempts to get something out of Jesus Herod was no doubt convinced that He was after all a fraud, and so proceeded to make fun of Him. He is the only... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before they were at enmity between themselves.' The interesting consequence of all this was that the enmity which had existed between Pilate and Herod was now broken down. Herod probably saw Pilate's gesture as a recognition of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said unto them, “You brought to me this man, as one who perverts the people, and behold, I, having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things of which you accuse him, no, nor yet Herod. Fo... [ Continue Reading ]
PILATE'S SECOND ATTEMPT TO CLEAR JESUS AND HIS FINAL ABJECT SURRENDER (23:13-25). Having received the prisoner back with the confirmation from Herod that he found no fault in Jesus (Herod was not about to admit that the prisoner had refused to speak to him) Pilate made a further attempt to argue hi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas (one who for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison).' The chief priests' men had been at work among the crowds who, knowing that a prisoner was due to be released accord... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Pilate spoke to them again, desiring to release Jesus.' But Pilate, desirous of releasing Jesus because he was convinced of His innocence, made a further plea for his release. The ludicrous nature of the situation is revealed. The judge was pleading with the prosecutors. And this was so unlike... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify him.” ' But by now the leaders, and the crowd who were present, scented blood and fanatically took up the cry, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him'. They knew now that Pilate had no way back. He had committed himself too far by his prevarication.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found no cause of death in him. I will therefore flog him and release him.” ' But Pilate again made his plea. He was unwilling to yield Jesus to them. So he asked why they were doing this. What evil had the man done? And... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed.' But the crowds had now been worked up to fever pitch, and they cried with strong voices that Jesus be crucified. So on both sides of the declarations of innocence (in Luke 23:22) comes the baying... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Pilate gave sentence that what they asked for should be done.' And weakly and helplessly Pilate gave way and gave sentence that the crowd's will might be done. His desire to release Jesus (Luke 23:20) had now collapsed before their pressure. He had given way to mob rule.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he released him who for insurrection and murder had been cast into prison, whom they asked for.' Luke makes no attempt to cover his shame and makes clear the full extent of what he had done. Simply because of the request of the crowd he had released from prison a murdering insurrectionist, whi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they led him away, they sequestrated one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to bear it after Jesus.' These few words cover a multitude of suffering. Luke omits mention of how the soldiers also engaged in horseplay towards Him (Mark 15:16). And then in His... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS (23:26-33). The moment that this last part of the Gospel has been building up to has now come. Jesus had spoken of His trials and temptations (Luke 22:28), and of the suffering that lay ahead (Luke 22:15), and He had prayed in the Garden that if it was possible within the wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there followed him a great crowd of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.' Inevitably as the procession moved along (the two insurrectionists were also in the procession bearing their own crosses - Luke 23:32) people gathered, and many would recognise in Him the prophet Whose... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.” And Jesus, bloodied and broken, hardly able to keep moving without support, saw their weeping and His heart was moved. For it brought home to Him a day that was coming, a d... [ Continue Reading ]
“For behold, the days are coming, in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs which never bore, and the breasts that never suckled.' ” And He pointed out to them in the grief of His heart that days were coming when it would be better for those who had never borne children, becaus... [ Continue Reading ]
“Then will they begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us', and to the hills, ‘Cover us'. For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?” And they will then call on the mountains to fall on them and the hills to cover them, in order to save themselves from the anguish... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there were also two others, evildoers (criminals), led with him to be put to death.' It would seem that along with Jesus were being led in a similar way two insurrectionists who were also due to die. But here they are called ‘evildoers'. His grave was being made with the wicked (Isaiah 53:9. Po... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the evildoers, one on the right hand and the other on the left.' And finally they reached a place, aptly named The Skull, where the soldiers placed the crosspiece on the ground nailed Jesus to it by His hands a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COMING HOPE (23:34-24:52). From this moment on the whole emphasis changes. For even while Jesus is on the cross and suffering for the sins of the world, the message of hope is first proclaimed. In the midst of the fulfilment of His destiny He obtains its firstfruit. And that message will then b... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING OF THE JEWS IS DECLARED, AND THE FIRST BENEFICIARY OF THE CROSS IS REVEALED (23:34-42). If we accept Luke 23:34 as part of the text this passage opens and closes with an emphasis on the forgiveness now being made available. Forgiveness is seen as central to the cross (compare Luke 24:46; A... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the people stood watching, and the rulers also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others, let him save himself, if this is the Christ (Messiah) of God, his chosen.” ' Meanwhile the people, and the rulers, combined in gazing at the spectacle before them (compare Luke 23:13 where they had united i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” ' The people and rulers mocked Him, and now the soldiers also mocked Him. Shortly it would be one of the evildoers who would mock Him (Luke 23:39). The threefold mo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.' And then in stark contrast to all that they were doing we are told of the proclamation above His cross. Written on a placard above His head were the words THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.' But this was not in jest. We learn... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And one of the evildoers who were hanged, railed on him, saying, “Are you not the Christ (Messiah)? Save yourself and us.” ' The mockery and anger continued. Now it was one of the evildoers who had been crucified alongside Him, who turned his pain-wracked attention to him, and muttered at Him throu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ' Meanwhile something had been happening in the heart of the other evildoer. He... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your Kingly Rule.” And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, Today you will be with me in Paradise.” ' And then he turned to Jesus. To his memory probably came back words that he had heard Him preach about the coming of the Kingly Rule of God, stirre... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun's light failing.' How remarkable it is that these three last hours of Jesus' final agony are passed over in total silence in all the Gospels. Was there nothing that could have been said? It is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FINAL HOURS (23:44-49). It was now half way through the day, and for Jesus the worst was yet to come. For now He entered into such an experience as was to tear at His very soul. But Luke passes it over in silence and we have to go to Matthew and Mark to learn briefly and dimly of what He experi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.' And as a result of that time, the veil of the Temple was torn in two. There is a difference of opinion as to which veil is meant, the veil which separated the Holy Place in the Temple from the Holy of Holies, or the veil that guarded the way into t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” ' Luke omits Jesus' citation of Psalms 22:1, possibly because he does not feel that his Gentile readers will recognise its source and may therefore receive the wrong impression. He does not want them to think... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” ' The centurion in charge of the execution squad was deeply impressed. The previous signs had filled him with awe. They had drawn from him the cry, ‘Truly this was the son of God'. But this mo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And all the crowds who came together to this sight, when they beheld the things that were done, returned smiting their breasts.' The things that had happened moved the crowds. They had long sought signs from Jesus, and they had had signs today. And as they went away they beat their breasts as they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And all his acquaintance, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.' In what contrast were the crowds with His disciples and the women who followed Him. They too had stood afar off seeing these things. They were probably afraid to come too close in case... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a councillor, a good and righteous man,' Here Joseph is describe in language reminiscent of Luke 2:25; Luke 2:36. Both at the beginning and the end of His life Jesus is borne witness to by the righteous in Israel. It is a shining reminder that within the cor... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN CALLED JOSEPH (23:50-53). But there was one man who acted positively. He had been present when the Sanhedrin met, but he had not agreed with their verdict, and had given his vote against them. Perhaps he now felt that he should have done more. But he would not have realised then how easily Pi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He had not consented to their counsel and deed.' Furthermore it is made clear that he had not consented to what had happened to Jesus. He had not voted for Jesus' death. And yet we cannot hide from the fact that his voice against it had not been heard sufficiently to be commented on, apart from he... [ Continue Reading ]
‘This man went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.' Concerned that at least Jesus might have a decent burial he approached Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. He had not been able to save Him from ignominy in life. He would do so now that He was dead. It was quite normal for families to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was hewn in stone, where never man had yet lain.' The request being granted he arranged for the body to be taken down from the cross, had it wrapped in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb, hewn into stone, where no... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And it was the day of the Preparation, and the sabbath drew on (or ‘shone forth').' ‘The day of the Preparation.' This would normally be seen as indicating the Friday of Passover week (or more strictly Thursday sunset to Friday sunset), which was always called ‘preparation day' (in modern Greek pa... [ Continue Reading ]
A DAY OF WAITING (23:54-56). The approaching Sabbath, commencing at sunset on the day of the crucifixion, necessarily prevented any further activity, so that the women followers of Jesus, who had watched and had seen where His body was laid, had to wait for the Sabbath to be over. Meanwhile they be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how his body was laid, and they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.' Instead they used the last moments before the Sabbath in order to observe what happened to His body, watching as His corpse wa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.' Having done what they could of initial preparation and making ready for what they had to do, (what they would have to do as soon as the Sabbath was over would be the final preparing of the spices so that they would be fresh and subseque... [ Continue Reading ]