Luke 23 - Outline of Luke (MENU page)

Luke has seven chief divisions:
  I. The Evangelist's Introduction, 1:1-4.
  II. The human relationships of Jesus, 1:5- 2:52.
  III. The baptism, ancestry, and testing of Jesus, 3:1- 4:13.
  IV. The ministry of the Son of man as Prophet-King in Galilee, 4:14- 9:50.
  V. The journey of the Son of Man from Galilee to Jerusalem, 9:51- 19:44
  VI. The final offer of the Son of man as King to Israel, His rejection and sacrifice, 19:45- 23:56.
  VII. The resurrection, the resurrection ministry, and the ascension of the Son of man, 24:1-53.
Open 'The Book' in a new window.
  Please see: How to use the Book Notes on Mark & Luke.
Jesus before Pilate.
  (Mat 27:2,11-14; Mark 15:1-5; Joh 18:28-38)
1. And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying,
We found this [fellow] perverting the nation,
and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, {cf. Luk 20:22-25}
saying that he himself is Christ a King. {cf. Joh 6:15; Luk 22:25-27}
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews?
And he answered him and said, Thou sayest [it].
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and [to] the people,
I find no fault in this man. {cp. v.14, v.22; 1Pet 2:22}
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people,
teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
  The Sanhedrin had sentenced Jesus to death for blasphemy (Luk 22:70,71; Mark 14:61-65). However, the execution of capital punishment required approval from the Roman governor. Knowing that Pilate would not accept the charge of blasphemy, they charged Jesus with political treason against Caesar (v.2).
  It was true that Jesus had 'stirred up the people' (v.5), but He taught them to serve their God (not to rebel against the Romans). Pilate recognized that the Jewish leaders were moved by envy, to stir up the people against Jesus (Mark 15:10,11).
Jesus sent before Herod.
  (This incident, while unique to Luke's Gospel, is confirmed by Acts 4:27,28.)
  (This Herod and his contemporaries are identified in the Book Notes at Luk 3:1-2.)
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee,
he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
7 And 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.
8 And 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; {Luk 9:7-9; Mark 6:14-16}
and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words;
but he answered him nothing. {cp. Luk 13:31,32; Mat 7:6}
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood
and vehemently accused him. {Isa 53:7; 1Pet 2:23}
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought,
and mocked [him], and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, {Isa 53:3}
and sent him again to Pilate.
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together:
for before they were at enmity between themselves. {cf. Psa 1:1; Prov 1:10-16; Jam 4:4}
Jesus again before Pilate: Barabbas released, Jesus condemned.
  (Mat 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Joh 18:39,40)
13. And Pilate, when he had called together
the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said 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: {v.2-5}
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him;
and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto {ie., by} him.
16 I will therefore chastise him, and release [him].
17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) {Joh 18:39}
18 And 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.) {Acts 3:14}
20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
21 But they cried, saying, Crucify [him], crucify him.
22 And 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.
23 And they were instant with loud voices,
requiring that he might be crucified.
And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. {cp. Ex 23:2}
24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
25 And 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. {cp. Acts 4:27,28}
26. And 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.
The crucifixion of Jesus.
  (Mat 27:33-38; Mark 15:22-28; Joh 19:17-22)
27 And there followed him a great company of people,
and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28 But Jesus turning unto them said,
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me,
but weep for yourselves, and for your children. {Luk 19:41-44}
29 For, 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. {Luk 21:23,24}
30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains,
Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
31 For if they do these things in a green tree,
what shall be done in the dry?
  Jesus, though cut-off by crucifixion, is the 'green tree' because He has Life in Himself (Joh 5:26). The nation of Israel, which was about to crucify their King, was the 'dry tree' which would soon be caught up in the fires of judgment (Dan 9:26; Luk 21:20-22).
  Jesus' enigmatic question (in v.31) alludes to Eze 17:22-24, which both forebodes judgment upon the nation of Israel under Gentile dominion, and also foretells restoration of the nation under their Messiah, who at His crucifixion appeared to be a dead 'dry tree,' but who will be revealed as the 'green tree,' in His time. [See the Book Notes at Eze 17:22-24.]
32. And there were also two other, malefactors, {cp. Isa 53:12}
led with him to be put to death.
33 And when they were come to the place,
which is called Calvary {a skull: GK=kranion; Latin=calvaria; HB=gulgoleth, Golgotha},
there they crucified him, and the malefactors,
one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; {cp. Luk 6:27,28}
for they know not what they do. {cp. Acts 3:13-15,17-19; 1Cor 2:7,8; 1Tim 1:12-15}
  [For a summary of the Lord's 'seven sayings' from the cross, see the Book Notes at Joh 19:23,24.]
And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. {Psa 22:18}
35 And 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. {Psa 22:6-8; 69:12,21}
36 And the soldiers also mocked him,
coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him
in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,
THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
  "Jesus crucified is the true touchstone revealing what the world is: 'The people stood beholding' in stolid indifference; the rulers, who wanted religion, but without a divine Christ crucified for their sins, 'reviled'; the brutal amongst them mocked or railed; the conscious sinner prayed; the covetous sat down before the cross and played their sordid game. The cross is the judgment of this world (Joh 12:31)." [ScofRB]
The repentant thief. (Only Luke records his salvation.)
  (Cf. Mat 27:44; Mark 15:32)
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him,
saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying,
Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly;
for we receive the due reward of our deeds:
but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus,
Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him,
Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
  The repentant malefactor {evil-doer}...
  1. acknowledged his sin as rebellion against God (v.40,41; Psa 51:3,4) -
     - he confessed his sin, judging himself worthy of death. (1Joh 1:8,9)
    It seems probable that the two malefactors were partners in crime with Barrabbas (v.19).
  - he confessed the righteousness of Jesus and that He was dying in a sinner's place (v.18; v.41c; Rom 6:23; Heb 4:15; 1Pet 1:18,19; 1Joh 2:1,2).
  - acknowledged that Jesus is Lord and King (v.42; Joh 20:31; 1Joh 5:1,11-12).
  - appealed to Jesus, on the basis of faith in His eternal reign, for remembrance (ie., for mercy and salvation).
      Psa 106:4,5; cp. Luk 18:13; Rom 10:9-13
      How was this man brought to faith in Jesus the Christ? See Rom 10:17. The Holy Spirit drew him, as he overheard Jesus pouring out His heart before the Father, in the words of messianic Psalms. We read excerpts from those Psalms, in the seven recorded utterances of Christ on the cross. However, this man was near enough to hear extended passages exhaled from the depths of 'the Word made flesh' as He anticipated separation from Him with whom He had always been One (eg., Psa 42:7,8), to become the Gate of Righteousness by which others might come to know Him (eg., Psa 118:14-23). [See the Book Notes on the Psalms of the Messiah.]
    "One thief was saved, that none need despair;
      but only one, that none should presume." [margin note at v.43, in ScofRB]
    Regarding "paradise," see the Book Notes at Luk 16:22,23.
The veil of the temple is torn from top to bottom.
  (Mat 27:45-54; Mark 15:33-38)
44. And it was about the sixth hour, {See Note at Joh 19:14,15 about NT time reckoning.}
and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. {ie., noon to 3pm}
45 And the sun was darkened,
and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. {Heb 10:19-22}
Jesus dismisses His spirit.
  (Mat 27:50; Mark 15:37; Joh 19:30)
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said,
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: {cp. Psa 31:5}
and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God,
saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. {cp. Mat 27:54}
48 And all the people that came together to that sight,
beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee,
stood afar off, beholding these things.
The burial of Jesus' body.
  (Mat 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Joh 19:38-42)
50. And, 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 Arimathaea, a city of the Jews:
who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. {cp. Luk 2:25,38; Joh 3:1-3}
52 This [man] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53 And 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. {Isa 53:9}
54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, {eg., Luk 8:1-3}
followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments;
and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. {Ex 20:10}

Click here to continue the study in Luke 24
Return to Luke - MENU page.

Limited permission is granted to copy & distribute these notes from www.theBookWurm.com

Go to The Book opening page.