Luke 23

Jesus Faces Pilate

23Then ^rtheir whole assembly rose up and brought Him before Pilate. ²They began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, opposing payment of taxes ^sto Caesar, and saying that He Himself is the Messiah, a King.”

³So Pilate asked Him, ^t“Are You the King of the Jews?” ^u

He answered him, “You have said it.” ^v

⁴Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds ^wfor charging this man.”

⁵But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, ^xteaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee ^ywhere He started even to here.”

Jesus Faces Herod Antipas

⁶When Pilate ^zheard this, ^ahe asked if the man was a Galilean. ⁷Finding that He was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, ^bwho was also in Jerusalem during those days. ⁸Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see Him because he had heard about Him and was hoping to see some miracle ^cperformed by Him. ⁹So he kept asking Him questions, but Jesus did not answer him. ^d10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. ¹¹Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated Him with contempt, mocked ^eHim, dressed Him in a brilliant robe, ^fand sent Him back to Pilate. ¹²That very day Herod and Pilate became friends. ^ghPreviously, they had been hostile toward each other.

Jesus or Barabbas

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ⁱ¹⁴and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who subverts the people. ^jBut in fact, after examining Him in your presence, I have found no grounds ^kto charge this man with those things you accuse Him of. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, because he sent Him back to us. Clearly, He has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶Therefore, I will have Him whipped ^lmand then release Him.” [¹⁷For according to the festival he had to release someone to them.] ^no

¹⁸Then ^pthey all cried out together, “Take this man away! ^qRelease Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹(He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, ^raddressed them again, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify Him!”

²²A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong? ^sI have found in Him no grounds ^tfor the death penalty. Therefore, I will have Him whipped and then release Him.”

²³But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And their voices ^uwon out. ²⁴So ^vPilate decided to grant their demand ^w25and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will. ^x

The Way to the Cross

²⁶As ^ythey led Him away, they seized Simon, a Cyrenian, ^zwho was coming in from the country, and laid the cross ^aon him to carry behind Jesus. ²⁷A large crowd of people followed Him, including women who were mourning and lamenting Him. ^b28But turning to them, Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, ^cdo not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and your children. ²⁹Look, the days are coming ^dwhen they will say, ‘The women without children, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed, are fortunate!’ ^e30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ^fg31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” ^h

Crucified between Two Criminals

³²Two others—criminals ⁱ—were also led away to be executed with Him. ³³When ^jthey arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. [³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, ^kforgive ^lthem, because they do not know what they are doing.” ^m] ⁿAnd they divided His clothes and cast lots. ^o

³⁵The ^ppeople stood watching, and even the leaders kept scoffing: ^q“He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” ^r36The soldiers also mocked Him. They came offering Him sour wine ^s37and said, “If You are the King of the Jews, ^tsave Yourself!”

³⁸An inscription was above Him: ^u

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹Then ^vone of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at ^wHim: “Aren’t You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”

⁴⁰But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, ^xsince you are undergoing the same punishment? ⁴¹We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” ^y42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me ^zawhen You come into Your kingdom!” ^b

⁴³And He said to him, “^•I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” ^c

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴It ^dwas now about noon, ^eand darkness came over the whole land ^funtil three, ^g45because the sun’s light failed. ^hThe curtain ⁱof the sanctuary was split down the middle. ⁴⁶And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” ^jkSaying this, He breathed His last.

⁴⁷When the centurion saw what happened, he began to glorify ^lGod, saying, “This man really was righteous!” ⁴⁸All the crowds that had gathered for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, went home, striking their chests. ^mn49But ^oall who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, ^pwatching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰There ^qwas a good and righteous man named Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, ⁵¹who had not agreed with their plan ^rand action. He was from Arimathea, a Judean town, and was looking forward to the kingdom of God. ^s52He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed. ^tu54It was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. ^v55The women ^wwho had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed. ⁵⁶Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. ^xAnd they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. ^y