Luke 23

The Jewish council did not have the authority to carry out capital punishment under Roman rule (John 18:31). So they took Jesus to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate was in Jerusalem to keep order during the Passover festival, when large crowds could easily lead to unrest.

The religious charges against Jesus were now replaced by political ones in order to gain a Roman conviction. Pilate was only interested in what concerned Rome. The Jewish charge of blasphemy would not be sufficient, so the council had to show that Jesus was a danger to Rome. They accused Jesus of inciting insurrection against Roman taxation and claiming to be a king. All but the last charge were false.

You have said so: This is the same indirect answer that Jesus gave to the high council (22:70). Jesus accepted the title King of the Jews, but he understood it differently from Pilate.

I find no basis for a charge against this man: Jesus did not appear to be a political threat to Pilate.

He stirs up the people: This accusation was also false, but the religious leaders knew that Pilate feared civil unrest and revolt against Rome.

Pilate realized that Jesus was from Galilee and was under the authority of Herod Antipas. This gave Pilate a way to avoid the situation without condemning an innocent man or upsetting the religious leaders.

he was greatly pleased: He was curious about Jesus and his power to do miracles and teach, just as he had been curious about John the Baptist (9:7, 9; Mark 6:20).

He gave no answer: See Isaiah 53:7.

they had been enemies: There was a history of conflict between Herod Antipas and Pilate. Herod and three of his brothers had earlier accused Pilate before Tiberius Caesar. This happened when Pilate placed gold shields with pagan symbols in Jerusalem, and Tiberius ordered him to remove them.

Pilate also ruled Judea, a region that Herod Antipas’s father, Herod the Great, had once ruled. Antipas hoped that he might one day rule this area himself.

Pilate and Herod repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (23:4, 22). Jesus was the righteous and innocent servant who suffered for the Lord (see also 23:41, 47; Isaiah 53:11).

I will punish Him: The Greek verb can mean “instruct,” “punish,” or “discipline.” It refers to a mild whipping for minor offenses. This was different from the severe flogging Romans gave before crucifixion (see Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15).

Palestine was a center of rebellion in the years leading up to the Jewish revolt against Rome in AD 66–74. The Jewish historian Josephus describes several first-century (see also Acts 5:36–37).

Pilate sentenced that their demand be met: Pilate was a practical but harsh leader. He thought it was better to allow injustice than to upset the religious leaders and crowds. He wanted to protect his political career (see John 19:12 and corresponding study note).

• Simon may have been a Jewish traveler visiting Jerusalem for Passover.

• they put the cross on him: Prisoners bound for crucifixion were normally forced to carry the crossbeam to the place of execution. It was fastened to the upright beam at the crucifixion site.

Jesus warned about the terrible things that would happen to Jerusalem during its siege and destruction in AD 70.

Blessed are the barren women: In that culture, not having children was usually considered a great shame (see study note on 1:7). But during this terrible disaster, women without children would be considered fortunate because they would not have to watch their children suffer and die from hunger.

‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”‘: This refers to a time when people would prefer death over the terrible suffering they would face. Jesus warned that Jerusalem would experience such terrible pain and destruction that people would beg for mountains to fall on them to end their suffering quickly.

If the Romans crucified an innocent man while conditions were still calm and stable (while the tree is green), what worse things would happen when rebellion spread through the land (when it is dry)? Jesus used the picture of green wood and dry wood to contrast a peaceful time with a time ready for destruction. During the siege of Jerusalem (AD 66–70), the Romans crucified thousands of Jews outside the city.

• The Skull: The Greek name is kranion, and the Aramaic name is Golgotha (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22). The exact location is unknown, but people traditionally associate it with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Another suggested location is Gordon’s Calvary, a rock formation near the Garden Tomb, though scholars consider this less likely.

• They crucified him there: People who were crucified were often tied to the cross or nailed through the wrists and ankles to speed up death. In this case, the bodies needed to be buried before sunset because the Sabbath was about to begin.

by casting lots (see John 19:23–24): The prisoner’s possessions were treated as spoils of war and divided among the soldiers.

The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him (see Psalm 22:7–8): Psalm 22 describes David, a righteous sufferer, crying out to God for help. Jesus, a descendant of David, was the ultimate righteous sufferer and fulfilled the words of Psalm 22.

sour wine: This was a popular drink of the lower classes, especially among soldiers (compare Psalm 69:21).

The sign confirmed that Jesus was crucified on the charge of claiming to be the King of the Jews (compare John 19:19–22).

remember me when You come into Your kingdom!: The criminal was perhaps thinking of the resurrection at the end of time, when Jesus would be raised up and vindicated by God.

• Jesus corrected the man by assuring him that today he would be vindicated in God’s presence (see also 2:11; 4:21; 5:26; 19:9).

• Paradise: This word comes from a Persian word meaning "garden." It was used in Jewish literature for the garden of Eden and also for heaven, the place of eternal peace and joy for God’s people (see 2 Corinthians 12:4; Revelation 2:7; compare Luke 16:22–23; 2 Corinthians 5:8).

Darkness symbolizes sorrow as well as God’s judgment (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 8:22; 9:1–2).

the veil of the temple: One curtain separated the temple courtyard from the Holy Place, and another separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Luke does not say which was torn down the middle, but it was probably the latter. The death of Jesus put an end to the sacrificial system of the temple and opened a new and permanent way into the presence of God (see Hebrews 10:19–20).

Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit (see Psalm 31:5): Psalm 31 is another psalm about a righteous sufferer (a person who suffers but remains faithful to God; see study note on Luke 23:35).

righteous (compare Mark 15:39): Compare Luke 23:14–15. The innocent and righteous servant of the Lord died as a sacrifice for the sins of his people (Isaiah 53:11).

they returned home beating their breasts: This was a sign of sorrow and mourning.

• Not all the religious leaders opposed Jesus. Joseph had disagreed with the decision of the council.

• The exact location of Arimathea in Judea is unknown. It may have been Ramathaim, or Ramah, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Jerusalem.

He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus: The Romans used crucifixion as a public warning against revolt, so they did not generally allow a victim to be buried. Instead, they left the body exposed or rotting on the cross. An exception was made in this case, probably because Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and because of Joseph’s position of honor on the Jewish high council.

The new tomb had probably been purchased by Joseph as a family tomb.

• Preparation Day: This happened late on Friday afternoon. The Greek text does not specifically mention Friday. It refers to the day Jews prepare for the Sabbath day ceremonies during Passover week. The Sabbath day begins on Friday evening.

• As the Sabbath was about to begin, they had to bury the body quickly. The Jews could not work during the Sabbath, which began at sunset.

The women took special note of the tomb’s location because they would return with spices and ointments to anoint his body. The spices were to mask the stench of a rotting corpse. A body would be placed on a stone bench in the side of the tomb until the flesh decomposed. The bones would then be collected and placed in a small ossuary, or bone box, and placed on a shelf in the tomb. In this way, a tomb could be used for many family members over an extended period of time.