Chapter Text
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
And 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 Caesar, 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 Galilaean.
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.
Jesus Sentenced to Die
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.
The Crucifixion
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.
The Death of Jesus
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.
The Burial of Jesus
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 Arimathaea, 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.
Summary
Jesus is brought before Pilate, who finds no fault in Him and sends Him to Herod Antipas. Herod questions Jesus, who gives no answer. Herod mocks Jesus and returns Him to Pilate. Pilate declares Jesus innocent three times but yields to the crowd's demand for crucifixion, releasing Barabbas instead.
Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus' cross. Jesus speaks to the weeping women of Jerusalem, warning of the coming destruction. He is crucified between two criminals. One reviles Him while the other repents and is promised paradise. Darkness falls, the veil is torn, and Jesus commends His spirit to the Father. Joseph of Arimathaea buries Him.
Meaning
Luke's passion narrative uniquely records Jesus' words from the cross: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. This prayer embodies the very love for enemies He had taught throughout His ministry. Even at the point of greatest suffering, He intercedes for His executioners.
The repentant thief on the cross demonstrates that salvation requires no elaborate ceremony, lengthy pilgrimage, or accumulated good works. A simple turning to Christ in faith, even at the last moment, is met with the assurance of paradise. The other thief, inches from the same Saviour, perished, showing that proximity to Christ is not the same as faith in Christ.
Background
Luke's account of the trial emphasizes Jesus' innocence through three separate declarations by Pilate. Herod Antipas, the same ruler who had killed John the Baptist, was in Jerusalem for the Passover. Luke alone records Jesus' appearance before Herod.
Simon of Cyrene was from a city in North Africa in modern-day Libya. Mark identifies his sons Alexander and Rufus, suggesting they became known in the early church. The women who wept for Jesus were addressed with a prophetic warning about Jerusalem's coming destruction.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-7Jesus before Pilate
- vv. 8-12Jesus before Herod
- vv. 13-25Barabbas released, Jesus condemned
- vv. 26-31The road to Calvary
- vv. 32-43The crucifixion and the penitent thief
- vv. 44-49The death of Jesus
- vv. 50-56The burial by Joseph of Arimathaea
Key Verses
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”— 23:34
The first of Christ's seven sayings from the cross, this prayer of intercession for his executioners embodies the heart of the gospel and fulfills Isaiah 53:12. It has shaped Christian ethics of forgiveness for two millennia.
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”— 23:43
Christ's promise to the penitent thief is a cornerstone text on salvation by grace through faith alone, apart from works or sacraments. It also affirms conscious existence with Christ immediately after death.
“And 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.”— 23:46
Quoting Psalm 31:5, Jesus dies in trustful surrender rather than abandonment, distinctively framing Luke's passion as an act of filial obedience. The loud cry signals deliberate yielding, not exhaustion.
“And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.”— 23:45
The torn veil dramatizes the end of the old covenant's separation between God and humanity, opening direct access to the Father (cf. Hebrews 10:19-20). The cosmic darkness echoes Amos 8:9 and the plagues of Egypt.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The Christ, tried, crucified, and buried as the innocent suffering Servant.
- Pilate — Roman governor of Judea who thrice declares Jesus innocent yet yields to the crowd.
- Herod — Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee, who mocks Jesus and returns him to Pilate.
- Barabbas — An insurrectionist and murderer released to the crowd in place of Jesus.
- Simon of Cyrene — A North African passerby compelled to carry Jesus' cross to Calvary.
- The penitent thief — One of two malefactors crucified with Jesus, who confesses his guilt and receives the promise of paradise.
- The impenitent thief — The other malefactor, who rails on Jesus and joins in the mockery.
- The centurion — Roman officer at the cross who glorifies God and declares Jesus a righteous man.
- Joseph of Arimathaea — A just counsellor of the Sanhedrin who dissented from the verdict and provides Jesus' tomb.
- The women from Galilee — Faithful disciples who follow Jesus to the cross and mark the sepulchre for Sabbath.
Places
- Jerusalem — The holy city where Jesus is tried, condemned, and crucified outside its walls.
- Galilee — The northern region of Jesus' ministry, cited by his accusers and home to the faithful women.
- Calvary — Also called Golgotha, 'the place of a skull,' the site of Jesus' crucifixion outside Jerusalem.
- Arimathaea — A Judean town, home of Joseph who provided the tomb for Jesus' burial.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Luke 23 is dense with prophetic fulfillment. Jesus' silence before his accusers (vv. 9-10) fulfills Isaiah 53:7, while his crucifixion between two malefactors (v. 33) fulfills Isaiah 53:12, 'numbered with the transgressors.' The casting of lots for his garments (v. 34) fulfills Psalm 22:18, and his final cry (v. 46) deliberately quotes Psalm 31:5. Jesus' own prophecy in vv. 28-31 foretells the AD 70 destruction of Jerusalem, while the rending of the temple veil (v. 45) signals the end of the old sacrificial order anticipated throughout the prophets.
Devotional
Luke's passion narrative is unhurried in its mercy. Notice where grace appears: a prayer for executioners, a promise to a dying criminal, a centurion's confession, a secret disciple stepping into the open. The cross does not merely save individuals — it exposes them. Pilate's cowardice, Herod's curiosity, the crowd's bloodlust, and a thief's late repentance all stand revealed in its light.
Wherever you find yourself in this scene today, the same Christ who welcomed a guilty man into paradise welcomes you. Faith need not be early or eloquent; it need only be honest.
Literary Style
Historical narrative in Luke's polished Hellenistic Greek, structured as a passion account with rapid scene changes, courtroom dialogue, and reported speech. Luke weaves Old Testament allusion (especially Psalms and Isaiah) into eyewitness reportage, with sustained dramatic irony around Jesus' kingship.