Luke 23

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

1 Thent the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesust before Pilate.s2 Theyt began to accuses him, saying, “We found this man subvertingts our nation, forbiddingt us to pay the tribute taxt to Caesart and claiming that he himself is Christ,ts a king.”3 Sot Pilate asked Jesus,t “Are you the kings of the Jews?” He replied, “You say so.”s4 Thent Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusationts against this man.”

5 But they persistedt in saying, “He incitess the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!”t

Jesus Brought Before Herod

6 Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.7 Whent he learned that he was from Herod’s jurisdiction,s he sent him over to Herod,s who also happened to be in Jerusalemss at that time.8 Whent Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him performt some miraculous sign.s9 Sot Herodt questioned him at considerable length; Jesust gave him no answer.10 The chief priests and the experts in the lawt were there, vehemently accusing him.s11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then,t dressing him in elegant clothes,s Herodt sent him back to Pilate.

12 That very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other,s for prior to this they had been enemies.t

Jesus Brought Before the Crowd

13 Thent Pilate called together the chief priests, thet rulers, and the people,14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleadingt the people. When I examined him before you, It did not find this man guiltyt of anything you accused him of doing.15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothings deserving death.t

16 I will therefore have him floggedt and release him.”ss
18 But they all shouted out together,t “Take this mant away! Release Barabbas for us!”19 (Thist was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrections started in the city, and for murder.)s20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanteds to release Jesus.21 But they kept on shouting,t “Crucify, crucifyts him!”22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I have found him guiltyt of no crime deserving death.s I will therefore flogt him and release him.”23 But they were insistent,t demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed.24 Sot Pilates decidedt that their demand should be granted.

25 He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder. But he handed Jesus overt to their will.s

The Crucifixion

26 Ast they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene,s who was coming in from the country.t They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.t27 A great number of the people followed him, among them womens who were mourningt and wailing for him.28 But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem,ss do not weep for me, but weep for yourselvess and for your children.29 For this is certain:t The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’ts30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains,s ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’s

31 For if such things are donet when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”s
32 Two other criminalsss were also led away to be executed with him.33 Sot when they came to the place that is called “The Skull,”s they crucifieds him there, along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.34 [But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”]s Thentthey threw dicetto divide his clothes.s35 The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculedt him, saying, “He saved others. Let him saves himself ift he is the Christts of God, his chosen one!”36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,s37 and saying, “Ift you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”

38 There was also an inscriptions over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’tss you the Christ?ts Save yourself and us!”40 But the other rebuked him, saying,t “Don’tt you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?t41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothings wrong.”42 Thent he said, “Jesus, remember mes when you come ins your kingdom.”

43 And Jesust said to him, “I tell you the truth,t todays you will be with me in paradise.”s
44 It was nowt about noon,t and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,t45 because the sun’s light failed.ssss The temple curtaint was torn in two.

46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”s And after he said this he breathed his last.
47 Now when the centurions saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!”ts48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.s

49 And all those who knew Jesust stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee sawt these things.

Jesus’ Burial

50 Nowt there was a man named Joseph who was a member of the council,t a good and righteous man.51 (Het had not consentedss to their plan and action.) Het was from the Judean townt of Arimathea, and was looking forward tot the kingdom of God.s52 He went to Pilate and asked for the bodys of Jesus.53 Thent he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth,t and placed itt in a tomb cut out of the rock,t where no one had yet been buried.st54 It was the day of preparations and the Sabbath was beginning.t55 Thet women who had accompanied Jesust from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

56 Thent they returned and prepared aromatic spicest and perfumes.t
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.s

LUKE 23

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Matthew 27.1,2,11-14; Mark 15.1-5; John 18.28-38)

1 Everyone in the council got up and led Jesus off to Pilate.

2 They started accusing him and said, “We caught this man trying to get our people to riot and to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims that he is the Messiah, our king.”

3 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“Those are your words,” Jesus answered.

4 Pilate told the chief priests and the crowd, “I don't find him guilty of anything.”

5 But they all kept on saying, “He has been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has now come all the way here.”

Jesus //Is Brought before Herod

7 After Pilate learned that Jesus came from the region ruled by Herod, t he sent him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.

8 For a long time Herod had wanted to see Jesus and was very happy because he finally had this chance. He had heard many things about Jesus and hoped to see him work a miracle.
9 Herod asked him a lot of questions, but Jesus did not answer.

10 Then the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses stood up and accused him of all kinds of bad things.
11 Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and insulted him. They put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends, even though they had been enemies before this.

The Death Sentence

(Matthew 27.15-26; Mark 15.6-15; John 18.39—19.16)

16-17 I will just have him beaten with a whip and set free.”t
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!”

19 Now Barabbas was in jail because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.
20 Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he spoke again to the crowds.

21 But they kept shouting, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!”

22 Pilate spoke to them a third time, “But what crime has he done? I have not found him guilty of anything for which he should be put to death. I will have him beaten with a whip and set free.”
23 The people kept on shouting as loud as they could for Jesus to be put to death. 24 Finally, Pilate gave in.

25 He freed the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, because he was the one the crowd wanted to be set free. Then Pilate handed Jesus over for them to do what they wanted with him.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Matthew 27.31-44; Mark 15.21-32; John 19.17-27)

26 As Jesus was being led away, some soldiers grabbed hold of a man named Simon who was from Cyrene. He was coming in from the fields, but they put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27 A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him.

28 Jesus turned to the women and said:
Women of Jerusalem, don't cry for me! Cry for yourselves and for your children. 29 Someday people will say, “Women who never had children are really fortunate!” 30 t At that time everyone will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” They will say to the hills, “Hide us!”

31 If this can happen when the wood is green, what do you think will happen when it is dry?t
32 Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus.

33 When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,”t they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.

34-35  t Jesus said, “Father, forgive these people! They don't know what they're doing.”t
While the crowd stood there watching Jesus, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. The leaders insulted him by saying, “He saved others. Now he should save himself, if he really is God's chosen Messiah!”
36  t The soldiers made fun of Jesus and brought him some wine.

37 They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”

38 Above him was a sign that said, “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, “Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and save us!”
40 But the other criminal told the first one off, “Don't you fear God? Aren't you getting the same punishment as this man? 41 We got what was coming to us, but he didn't do anything wrong.”

42 Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into power!”

43 Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.”t

The Death of Jesus

(Matthew 27.45-56; Mark 15.33-41; John 19.28-30)

46 t Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.

47 When the Roman officer saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Jesus must really have been a good man!”
48 A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home.

49 t All of Jesus' close friends and the women who had come with him from Galilee stood at a distance and watched.

Jesus Is Buried

(Matthew 27.57-61; Mark 15.42-47; John 19.38-42)

50-51 There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea. Joseph was a good and honest man, and he was eager for God's kingdom to come. He was also a member of the council, but he did not agree with what they had decided.
52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used.

54 It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.t
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. 56 t Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands.