The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Luke 23
1 The whole company of them rose up
and brought him before Pilate.
2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We
found this man perverting the nation,
forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying
that he himself is Christ, a king.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of
the Jews?” He answered him, “So you say.”
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the
multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge
against this man.”
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up
the people, teaching throughout all Judea,
beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
6 But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned,
he asked if the man was a Galilean.
7 When he found out that he was in
Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,
who was also in Jerusalem during those
days.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was
exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see
him for a long time, because he had heard
many things about him. He hoped to see
some miracle done by him.
9 He questioned him with many words,
but he gave no answers.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood,
vehemently accusing him.
11 Herod with his soldiers humiliated
him and mocked him. Dressing him in
luxurious clothing, they sent him back to
Pilate.
12 Herod and Pilate became friends with
each other that very day, for before that
they were enemies with each other.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests,
the rulers, and the people,
14 and said to them, “You brought this
man to me as one that perverts the people,
and behold, having examined him before
you, I found no basis for a charge against
this man concerning those things of which
you accuse him.
15 Neither has Herod, for I sent you to
him, and see, nothing worthy of death has
been done by him.
16 I will therefore chastise him and
release him.”
17 Now he had to release one prisoner to
them at the feast.†
18 But they all cried out together, saying,
“Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”
19 one who was thrown into prison for a
certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
20 Then Pilate spoke to them again,
wanting to release Jesus,
21 but they shouted, saying, “Crucify!
Crucify him!”
22 He said to them the third time, “Why?
What evil has this man done? I have found
no capital crime in him. I will therefore
chastise him and release him.”
23 But they were urgent with loud voices,
asking that he might be crucified. Their
voices and the voices of the chief priests
prevailed.
24 Pilatedecreed that whatthey asked for
should be done.
25 He released him who had been thrown
into prison for insurrection and murder,
for whom they asked, but he delivered
Jesus up to their will.
26 When they led him away, they
grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming
from the country, and laid the cross on him
to carry it after Jesus.
27 A great multitude of the people followed
him, including women who also
mourned and lamented him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said,
“Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for
me, but weep for yourselves and for your
children.
29 For behold, the days are coming in
which they will say, ‘Blessed are
the barren, the wombs that
never bore, and the breasts that
never nursed.’
30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains,
‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’*
31 For if they do these things in the green
tree, what will be done in the dry?”
32 There were also others, two criminals,
led with him to be put to death.
33 When they came to the place that is
called “The Skull”, they crucified him there
with the criminals, one onthe right and the
other on the left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for
they don’t know what they are doing.”
Dividing his garments among them,they
cast lots.
35 The people stood watching. The rulers
with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He
saved others. Let him save himself, if this
is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming
to him and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the
Jews, save your self!”
38 An inscription was also written over
him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
“THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanged
insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ,
save your self and us!”
40 But the other answered, and rebuking
him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing
you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive
the due reward for our deeds, but this man
has done nothing wrong.”
42 He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me
when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour,‡ and
darkness came over the whole land until
the ninth hour.§
45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of
the temple was torn in two.
46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,
“Father, into your hands I commit my
spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what was
done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly
this was a righteous man.”
48 All the multitudes that came together
to see this, when they saw the things that
were done, returned home beating their
chests.
49 All his acquaintances and the women
who followed with him from Galilee stood
at a distance, watching these things.
50 Behold, there was a man named
Joseph, who was a member of the council,
a good and righteous man
51 (he had not consented to their counsel
and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the
Jews, who was also waiting for God’s Kingdom.
52 This man went to Pilate, and asked for
Jesus’ body.
53 He took it down and wrapped it in a
linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was
cut in stone, where no one had ever been
laid.
54 It was the day of the Preparation, and
the Sabbath was drawing near.
55 The women who had come with him
out of Galilee followed after, and saw the
tomb and how his body was laid.
56 They returned and prepared spices
and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested
according to the commandment.