The Gospels · New Testament
Luke 23
Luke 23: Pilate and Herod, the crucifixion, and the burial
General context
They lead him to Pilate and accuse him of perverting the nation, forbidding tribute to Cesar, and saying he is Christ a King. Pilate questions him and says he finds no fault in this man. Hearing of Galilee, Pilate sends him to Herod, who is glad, questions him at length and gets no answer while the chief priests and scribes accuse him; Herod and his men of war mock him, array him in a gorgeous robe and send him back, and the narrator says the two were made friends that day. Pilate tells the chief priests, rulers and people that neither he nor Herod found anything worthy of death, and offers to chastise and release him. The crowd calls for Barabbas, imprisoned for sedition and murder, and cries for crucifixion until their voices prevail; Pilate gives sentence as required. Simon a Cyrenian is made to carry the cross, and Jesus tells the women who lament to weep for themselves and their children. At Calvary he is crucified with two malefactors, one on each side, and says, Father, forgive them; his raiment is parted by lot while rulers and soldiers mock him. One malefactor rails, the other rebukes him and asks to be remembered, and Jesus answers about paradise. Darkness covers the earth from the sixth hour to the ninth, the veil of the temple is rent, and he commends his spirit and dies. The centurion glorifies God, the people smite their breasts, and the women from Galilee stand afar off. Joseph of Arimathea begs the body, wraps it in linen and lays it in a stone sepulchre where no one had been laid; the women see the tomb, prepare spices and rest the sabbath.
Cited passages: Luke 23:1, Luke 23:2, Luke 23:3, Luke 23:4, Luke 23:7, Luke 23:8, Luke 23:9, Luke 23:10, Luke 23:11, Luke 23:12, Luke 23:14, Luke 23:15, Luke 23:16, Luke 23:18, Luke 23:19, Luke 23:21, Luke 23:23, Luke 23:24, Luke 23:26, Luke 23:27, Luke 23:28, Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:34, Luke 23:35, Luke 23:39, Luke 23:40, Luke 23:43, Luke 23:44, Luke 23:45, Luke 23:46, Luke 23:47, Luke 23:49, Luke 23:50, Luke 23:53, Luke 23:55, Luke 23:56
Luke 23 (KJV)
1And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
4Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan.
7And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
12And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
13And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
16I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
17(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
18And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
19(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
20Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
21But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
23And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
25And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
26And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
27And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
31For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
48And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
50And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:
51(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathæa, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
52This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
54And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
55And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
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Historical context
Pilate and Herod are named without any further title in this chapter; Herod's connection to the case is given only as jurisdiction over a Galilean. Barabbas is described by the narrator in a parenthesis as imprisoned for a certain sedition made in the city and for murder, and a second parenthesis states that one prisoner had to be released at the feast. Simon is identified as a Cyrenian coming out of the country, and the text says the cross was laid on him to bear after Jesus. The two crucified beside him are called malefactors and are not named; one of them says they receive the due reward of their deeds while this man has done nothing amiss. The place is called Calvary, and no other location detail is given. The superscription is described as written in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew, and its wording is printed. The centurion is unnamed and says that this was a righteous man. Joseph is named with his city, Arimathea, and the narrator adds that he had not consented to the counsel and deed of them. The only time markers are the sixth and ninth hours, the preparation day and the sabbath; no date appears.
Cited passages: Luke 23:2, Luke 23:6, Luke 23:7, Luke 23:11, Luke 23:17, Luke 23:19, Luke 23:25, Luke 23:26, Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:38, Luke 23:41, Luke 23:44, Luke 23:47, Luke 23:50, Luke 23:51, Luke 23:53, Luke 23:54
Literary context
Pilate's verdict is the fixed point of the trial section, stated at verse 4, restated with Herod's name attached, and counted by the narrator as the third time at verse 22. Against that repetition the crowd's voices are described as escalating: the more fierce, then crying out all at once, then instant with loud voices until they prevailed. Mockery arrives in waves, from Herod's men of war, then from the rulers, then from the soldiers, and the rulers and soldiers both turn on the same demand that he save himself, which one of the malefactors then repeats. The other malefactor supplies the only defence spoken in the scene. Jesus speaks three times from the cross in this account and each utterance is short, about forgiveness, to the man beside him, and commending his spirit. After the death the chapter narrows again to individuals watching: a centurion, the people returning, acquaintances at a distance, then one named man with linen and a stone sepulchre, and women noting where the body lay before the sabbath.
Cited passages: Luke 23:4, Luke 23:5, Luke 23:11, Luke 23:14, Luke 23:15, Luke 23:18, Luke 23:21, Luke 23:22, Luke 23:23, Luke 23:32, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:34, Luke 23:35, Luke 23:36, Luke 23:37, Luke 23:39, Luke 23:40, Luke 23:41, Luke 23:43, Luke 23:46, Luke 23:47, Luke 23:48, Luke 23:49, Luke 23:53, Luke 23:55, Luke 23:56
Key moments
- I find no fault in this man (Luke 23:4). Pilate gives his first verdict to the chief priests and the people.
- Release unto us Barabbas (Luke 23:18). The crowd asks for a man imprisoned for sedition and murder.
- Simon made to carry the cross (Luke 23:26). A Cyrenian coming in from the country is seized on the way.
- Crucified between two malefactors (Luke 23:33). At Calvary he is crucified with one on each side.
- To day shalt thou be with me (Luke 23:43). He answers the malefactor who asked to be remembered.
- He gave up the ghost (Luke 23:46). He cries with a loud voice, commends his spirit and dies.
- Laid in an unused sepulchre (Luke 23:53). Joseph wraps the body in linen and lays it in a stone tomb.
For reflection
The rulers, the soldiers and one of the crucified men all press the same demand, that he save himself. What does the account put in the place where an answer to that demand would go?
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