Luke 23–24

Jesus before Pilate

²³Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus^q before Pilate.^{* 2}They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man inciting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”^{r* 3}Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.”^{* 4}Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”^{* 5}But they were insistent and said, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.”

Jesus before Herod

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.^{* 8}When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign.^{* 9}He questioned him at some length, but Jesus^s gave him no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by vehemently accusing him. ¹¹Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.^{* 12}That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.^*

Jesus Sentenced to Death

¹³Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people, and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him.^{* 15}Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”^t*

¹⁸Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!”^{* 19}(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city and for murder.) ²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²²A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.”^{* 23}But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

²⁶As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.^{* 27}A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.^{* 28}But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.^{* 29}For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ ³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’^{* 31}For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”^*

³²Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.^{* 33}When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus^u there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]]^v And they cast lots to divide his clothing.^{* 35}And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah^w of God, his chosen one!”^{* 36}The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine^{* 37}and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸There was also an inscription over him,^x “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding^y him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?^z Save yourself and us!”^{* 40}But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”^{* 42}Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in^a your kingdom.” ⁴³He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^*

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land^b until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed,^c and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.^{* 46}Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.^{* 47}When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”^{d* 48}And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching these things.^*

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁰Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph who, though a member of the council, ⁵¹had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God.^{* 52}This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. ⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.^{e* 55}The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid.^{* 56}Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.^*

The Resurrection of Jesus

²⁴But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.^{* 2}They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³but when they went in they did not find the body.^{f 4}While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them.^{* 5}The women^g were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men^h said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen.^{i 6}Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,^{* 7}that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” ⁸Then they remembered his words,^{* 9}and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest.^{* 10}Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.^{* 11}But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.^{* 12}But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.^j

The Walk to Emmaus

¹³Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles^k from Jerusalem, ¹⁴and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,^{* 16}but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.^{l 18}Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”^{* 19}He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,^m who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,^{* 20}and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.ⁿ Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.^{* 22}Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,^{* 23}and when they did not find his body there they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”^{* 25}Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶Was it not necessary that the Messiah^o should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”^{* 27}Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.^*

²⁸As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.^{* 29}But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.^{* 31}Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. ³²They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us^p while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ³³That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.^{* 34}They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”^{* 35}Then they told what had happened on the road and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus^q himself stood…