Luke 23

Pilate Tries Christ

Matt. 27:2, 11–14; Mark 15:1–5; John 18:28–38

23Then ^athe whole multitude of them arose and led Him to ^bPilate. ²And they began to ^caccuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow ^dperverting ¹the nation, and ^eforbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying ^fthat He Himself is Christ, a King.”

^3gThen Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”

⁴So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ^h“I find no fault in this Man.”

⁵But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from ⁱGalilee to this place.”

⁶When Pilate heard ²of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. ⁷And as soon as he knew that He belonged to ^jHerod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

Herod Tries Christ

⁸Now when Herod saw Jesus, ^khe was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because ^lhe had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. ⁹Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him ^mnothing. ¹⁰And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. ¹¹ⁿThen Herod, with his ³men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹²That very day ^oPilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Pilate Tries Christ Again

Matt. 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; John 18:39–19:16

^13pThen Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴said to them, ^q“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, ^rhaving examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; ¹⁵no, neither did Herod, for ⁴I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. ^16sI will therefore chastise Him and release Him” ^17t(for ⁵it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

¹⁸And ^uthey all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—¹⁹who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

²⁰Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. ²¹But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

²²Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

²³But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men ⁶and of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴So ^vPilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. ^25wAnd he released ⁷to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Christ is Crucified

Matt. 27:31–56; Mark 15:20–41; John 19:16–30

^26xNow as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

²⁷And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. ²⁸But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ^29yFor indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ ³⁰Then they will begin ^z‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ ^31aFor if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

^32bThere were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. ³³And ^cwhen they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴⁸Then Jesus said, “Father, ^dforgive them, for ^ethey do not know what they do.”

And ^fthey divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵And ^gthe people stood looking on. But even the ^hrulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

³⁶The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him ⁱsour wine, ³⁷and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

^38jAnd an inscription also was ⁹written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS

^39kThen one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ¹“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done ^lnothing wrong.” ⁴²Then he said ²to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in ^mParadise.”

⁴⁴ⁿNow it ³was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵Then the sun was ⁴darkened, and ^othe veil of the temple was torn in ⁵two. ⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ^p‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” ^qHaving said this, He breathed His last.

^47rSo when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

⁴⁸And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. ^49sBut all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Christ is Buried

Matt. 27:57–61; Mark 15:42–47; John 19:38–42

^50tNow behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. ⁵¹He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, ^uwho ⁶himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ^53vThen he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴That day was ^wthe Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

⁵⁵And the women ^xwho had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and ^ythey observed the tomb and how His body was laid.

In the Grave

⁵⁶Then they returned and ^zprepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath ^aaccording to the commandment.