Luke 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 misleading 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 say so.”#23:3 Or “That is true.”

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,#23:6 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#23:8 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 bright clothing,#Mt 27:28; Mk 15:17 and sent him back to Pilate. 12That very day Herod and Pilate became friends.#23:12 Lit friends with one another#Ps 2:2; Ac 4:27 Previously, they had been enemies.

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 misleads 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#23:16 Gk paideuo; to discipline or “teach a lesson”#Jn 19:1; Ac 5:40 and then release him.”#23:16 Some mss include v. 17: For according to the festival he had to release someone to them.

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.)

20Wanting to release Jesus,#Ac 3:13–14 Pilate 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#23:23 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, ‘Blessed are the women without children, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed!’ #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!’ #23:30Hs 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.”#23:34 Other mss omit Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”#Ac 3:17; 1Co 2:6–8 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 were 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:#23:38 Other mss add written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew letters This Is the King of the Jews.

39Then#Mt 27:44; Mk 15:32 one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at#23:39 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#23:42 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, “Truly I tell 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,#23:44 Lit about the sixth hour and darkness came over the whole land#23:44 Or whole earth until three,#23:44 Lit the ninth hour 45because the sun’s light failed.#23:45 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.”#23:46Ps 31:5#Ps 31:5; Is 53:12; Jn 19:30; 1Co 15:55; 1Pt 4:19 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!” #23:47 Or innocent 48All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests.#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’s 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.#23:53 Or interred, or laid#Is 53:9; Mk 11:2 54It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.#23:54 Lit was dawning 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

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