2BeLikeChrist Bible Commentary - Luke Chapter 23
Commentary - Luke Chapter 23
Luke 23:1
Luk 23:1 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.
After a night in the abusive custody of the Jewish elite, Jesus was led to the Roman governor, Pontus Pilate.
Who was Pontus Pilate?
Pilate was the 5th Roman governor of Judaea.
He was preceded by Valarius Gratis who had appointed Caiaphas as High Priest.
Historical records of his life and rule are sparse and many of the details of his reign are still debated.
Pilate had many run-ins with the Jews he governed, which eventually led to his removal from office.
Why did the Jews bring Jesus to Pilate?
History tells us the Jews had their own court system (Sanhedrin) and were able to pass judgements on religious matters.
Pilate confirmed their ability to do this when he said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law” (John 18:31).
Although the Sanhedrin was granted some judicial authority, they were evidently restricted from crucifying a convicted criminal without their conviction first being ratified by the governor.
They wanted Jesus crucified, a particularly humiliating and painful death, but they had to go through Pilate to make it happen.
The Jews had an agenda and while they were working their agenda with Pilate, God was accomplishing His own agenda.
In having Jesus crucified, the Jews were fulfilling Jesus’ own prophecies about His death.
Mat 20:18-19 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Joh 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Pilate may have been in the habit of granting these requests without much thought, we don’t know, but we know Jesus’ conviction was of particular interest to him.
His wife had had a dream about Jesus and warned Pilate not to have anything to do with Him (Mat 27:19).
Pilate knew the Jews had convicted Jesus because they were envious of Him (Mat 27:18).
He did not immediately grant the Jew’s request, instead he began questioning Jesus himself.
Luke 23:2
Luk 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
Pilate needed a reason to grant the Jews their wish, so the Jews started making up false accusations.
They told Pilate Jesus was misleading the nation, instructing people not to pay taxes, and claiming to be a king.
Misleading the nation was a somewhat subjective charge. Jesus may not have been leading the nation in the direction the Jewish leaders wanted, but that was hardly a crime.
The second accusation was a bold-faced lie. Jesus specifically told the people to pay their taxes earlier that week (Mat 22:21).
They told Pilate Jesus claimed to be a king because they knew any claim to political authority would catch Pilate’s attention. It was true that Jesus was a King, but not in the sense the Jewish leaders implied.
Luke 23:3-4
Luk 23:3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”
Luk 23:4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.”
SIDE NOTE: It’s a good idea to read all 4 gospel writer’s accounts of these events. The other gospels provide us additional details about Jesus’ trial, conversation with Pilate, crucifixion, resurrection, etc…
Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
This would have been an important question for a Roman governor serving under Caesar to ask.
Caesar had entrusted Pilate to control the ever-rebellious Jews.
If Jesus claimed to be the king of Judaea, Pilate would have had a serious problem on his hands.
Judaea belonged to Caesar and anyone who was able to gather such large crowds while claiming to be a king was a threat to Rome.
Jesus responded to Pilate’s question in the affirmative.
But John 18:36 records Jesus telling Pilate His Kingdom was “not of this world.”
His Kingdom was a spiritual kingdom.
Because Jesus sought no earthly throne, Pilate saw no reason for Him to be prosecuted under Roman law.
But the Jewish leaders weren’t going to take “no” for an answer.
They insisted Jesus was a troublemaker who went around stirring up the people of Galilee and Judea.
There was no question Jesus stirred people up, but He certainly didn’t stir them up to rebel against Rome, which was probably what the Jewish leaders were hoping Pilate would believe.
Luke 23:5-7
Luk 23:5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
Luk 23:6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
Luk 23:7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
When Pilate heard the Jews mention Galilee (verse 5), he asked whether Jesus was a Galilean.
Caesar had put Herod Antipas in charge of Galilee.
Herod ruled in Galilee (North of Samaria) and Perea (East of the Jordan River) and would have had jurisdiction over the Galileans.
When Pilate discovered Jesus was a Galilean, he had him sent to Herod.
Herod was in Jerusalem for the feast.
We aren’t sure of Pilate’s intentions in doing this.
He was clearly in a tight spot with the Jewish elite and may have saw this as a way out. Jesus was Herod’s problem, not his!
Or he may have done it for purely legal reasons, out of respect for the Roman laws of jurisdiction.
Or maybe he just saw it as a convenient way to buy himself some time to consider what he was going to do with Jesus.
Or maybe he did it out of respect for Herod or as a favor to Herod. Pilate may have known of Herod’s desire to meet Jesus (verse 8).
Luke 23:8-11
Luk 23:8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
Luk 23:9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.
Luk 23:10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
Luk 23:11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
Herod knew John the Baptist (he had him killed) and had heard tales of Jesus.
He was excited to see Jesus and wanted Him to show off His miraculous power.
But Jesus didn’t oblige him, and after a lengthy questioning session, Jesus didn’t even bother to answer Herod’s questions.
Probably feeling Jesus was not nearly as impressive in person as in the stories, Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, dressed him up like a king, and sent Him back to Pilate.
Luke 23:12
Luk 23:12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
Why didn’t Herod and Pilate get along?
We aren’t told the specifics, but secular history reveals Herod’s judgement was often not to the liking of the Romans.
He made some decisions the threatened the peace of the region.
Pilate may have disliked Him because he made his job harder.
Herod may have disliked Pilate for any number of reasons.
World leaders are usually pretty quick to take offense at any slight from one of their foreign colleagues.
Thin skinned politicians aren’t a new phenomenon.
Not to mention, the Herods weren’t known for being reasonable people.
Pilate sending Jesus to Herod and Herod sending Jesus back to Pilate mended their relationship.
Again, we are short on specifics.
How did this exchange restore their relationship?
It may have communicated a mutual respect between the two men.
Pilate recognized Herod’s jurisdiction and respected it.
He probably didn’t have to do that.
If I understand correctly, Pilate was Herod’s superior and probably could have closed Jesus’ case without consulting Herod.
The fact that he did, seems to have been perceived by Herod to be a sign of respect.
In turn, Herod showed respect to Pilate by returning Jesus to him for final judgment.
Luke 23:13-16
Luk 23:13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
Luk 23:14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him.
Luk 23:15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.
Luk 23:16 I will therefore punish and release him.”
Pilate and Herod’s questioning of Jesus had convinced Pilate of Jesus’ innocence.
He then turned to Jesus’ accusers and questioned their judgement for bringing Jesus to him.
The Jews wanted Jesus killed, but they had no basis for the punishment.
Consider how foolish this would look if it happened in the modern courts.
Imagine if a prosecutor brought a man to court and told the judge, “I want this man executed for his crimes.”
What would the judge ask the prosecutor?
“What did he do to deserve death and what evidence do you have?”
If the prosecutor responded, “I wouldn’t have brought him to you if he wasn’t guilty, just give him the death penalty,” the judge would probably throw the prosecutor out of his courtroom and take his law license.
The Jews were playing the role of the evidence-less prosecutor.
Pilate told the Jews he wouldn’t give Jesus the death penalty, instead he would have Him “punished” and released.
Maybe Pilate thought Jesus deserved a punishment for causing him and Herod so much trouble.
I suspect he promised to punish Jesus, not for a crime, but in hopes it would be enough to appease the chief priest’s thirst for blood.
Luke 23:18-19
Luk 23:18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—
Luk 23:19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.
The Jews wouldn’t accept Pilate’s proposal.
They may not have had a good reason for Jesus to be executed, but they wanted Him executed anyway.
APPLICATION:
At this point, Pilate should have stuck to his conviction, released Jesus, and chastised the High Priest with his lying band of Jews.
But as we all know, there is a difference between knowing what is right and doing what is right.
When we know what is right, we need to take action in that direction as soon as possible, because the Devil is great at talking us out of our convictions.
Who was this “Barabbas” and how did he get into the picture?
Mat 27:15-16 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
There was a Passover tradition that the governor would forgive a prisoner of their crimes and release them from jail.
In the United States, modern governors and presidents often hand out pardons around the holidays.
Apparently, it was up to the people to decide who was released.
Pilate gave the people the choice, “Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17)
Pilate probably figured he could use this tradition to his advantage.
Matthew’s gospel calls Barabbas a “notorious prisoner.”
Mark’s gospel calls him a rebel and a murderer.
John calls him a robber.
By only offering the option between Jesus and this notorious criminal, Pilate likely assumed there was no chance the Jews would pick the notorious criminal.
But he was wrong.
They shouted, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas” (Luke 23:18).
Pilate’s plan didn’t work.
He was going to have to pick a side, Jesus or the Jews!
More accurately, Jesus or Satan!
APPLICATION:
We will all have to choose between God (truth) and Satan (lies).
There isn’t a third option.
You can’t ride the fence.
There is no middle ground between good and evil.
You must decide between one camp or the other and your choice will determine your eternal fate.
APPLICATION:
If you know the end of this story, you’ll know Pilate made the wrong decision.
And it’s easy to be hard on him for his mistake.
But don’t we all face similar decisions in our lives, and don’t we often fail like Pilate?
We have to choose to be on one side or the other.
We face the decision between Jesus and Satan.
“Is truth really found in Jesus?”
“Or should I buy into Satan’s lies?”
Pilate didn’t have any evidence to side with the Jews.
But he still did!
What about us? Do we have any reason to believe Satan?
Has he ever given us any evidence to suggest his way is the best way?
That we should listen to him?
No!
But we still side with him sometimes, don’t we?
We are faced with Pilate’s decision every time temptation forces us to pick a side.
Luke 23:20-23
Luk 23:20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus,
Luk 23:21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”
Luk 23:22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”
Luk 23:23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.
Pilate tried to reason with the mob, but they weren’t there to reason.
The facts weren’t on their side, they knew it, and they resorted to shouting down the opposition.
How useful has this tactic been for those who oppose right thinking and righteousness?!
How often do leaders relent, and permit godless things, not because those supporting the godlessness present a case based on evidence and logic, but because they yell and keep yelling until those in authority, worried about the security of their positions, relent?
At this point, Pilate had at least 3 confirmations of Jesus’ innocence:
(1) His own convictions after talking to Jesus.
(2) His wife’s dream (which could not have been a coincidence) (Matthew 27:19)
(3) Herod’s inability to find a crucifiable fault in Jesus (Luke 23:15).
Even so, he didn’t want to incite the Jews for fear of their uproar becoming a stain on his political record.
So, he relented to the mob.
The same thing happens all the time today with political and religious leaders.
We need leaders with principle and backbone.
Luke 23:24-25
Luk 23:24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.
Luk 23:25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
SIDE NOTE:
Luke doesn’t mention the beatings Jesus endured at the hands of the Romans.
For more information see the notes in John 19.
Pilate was not a man ready to stand against the mob.
The noise of their shouting was enough for him to relinquish his convictions about Jesus’ innocence.
In the most outrageous judicial decision of all history, Pilate forgave the murderer and gave his approval for Jesus to be murdered.
APPLICATION:
We can learn from Pilate’s bad example.
We do not want Pilate’s legacy to become our legacy.
Pilate’s weakness and unwillingness to stand up for Jesus has made his name synonymous with cowardice.
He will forever be known as a man who didn’t stand up for what was right.
Is that the way you want to be remembered?!
Better to stand with Jesus and suffer for it, than to leave behind an example like Pilate’s.
Nobody wants to be remembered like that, and we need to remember that when we find ourselves in the crucial hour.
This is what giving into temptation looks like.
Satan and the Jews wore Pilate down.
He grew weary fighting for what was right.
2Th 3:13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.
He took the easy road and fell in line with the world.
APPLICATION:
Pilate’s temptation was similar to the temptations we face.
The devil is always whispering in our ear:
Stop living as part of the minority.
Stop fighting your desires.
Stop denying yourself.
Stop supporting things that are going to make people dislike you.
You don’t need to wake up and fight a war every day, you can be at peace here and now.
You don’t have to wear yourself out serving God.
Just join us and your life is going to get a lot easier!
There is a scene in the movie Jason and the Argonauts that illustrates Satan’s offer:
Jason and the argonauts are on a quest to find a golden fleece.
One of the first stops they make on their journey is the island of Lemnos.
Lemnos is an island populated entirely by beautiful women.
The argonauts quickly become enchanted by the women, finding themselves girlfriends, and finding reasons not to leave.
The women employ all kinds of tactics to keep them there enjoying the wine and pleasure.
The argonauts are faced with the choice of sailing off into a rough sea with little food, a damaged boat, and facing the discomfort and danger of the unknown, or staying on an island full of attractive women, with plenty of food, and no immediate danger.
But if they stay, they will never complete their quest.
God and Jesus were very clear that the quest given to Christians is going to be hard, going to be dangerous at times, but it is necessary, and it is the greatest purpose any human being can attach themselves to.
Satan is going to try to convince you to stay on Lemnos and abandon the quest God has given you.
Luke 23:26
Luk 23:26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
Cyrene was a city of North Africa.
Simon was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.
The whole cross probably weighed over 300lbs.
The crossbeam, which many of the condemned were made to carry, was probably upwards of 100lbs.
That may not have been an impossible burden for Jesus on a healthy day, but after the sleepless night, scourging, and other abuses, it would have felt like a 1,000lbs.
Looking back in time, some may consider it an honor to have carried Jesus’ cross, but in that moment, it almost certainly wasn’t.
Being directly associated with someone on their way to crucifixion wasn’t the reputation the average citizen would have wanted.
Luke 23:27-30
Luk 23:27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
Luk 23:28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Luk 23:29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
Luk 23:30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’
The crucifixion story is a story about selflessness.
This scene is no exception.
Some of the women who loved Jesus were following His journey to the place of crucifixion and mourning for Him.
They were right to mourn over Jesus’ suffering and the injustice He endured.
But Jesus spoke to them about His concern for their wellbeing.
Jesus wept because of the calamities that were going to come upon them and on their children.
Typically, childbearing and nursing were considered an honor for a woman, but a time was coming when those who had no children would feel blessed.
In those days, the daughters of Jerusalem would desire a covering and a hiding place in the mountains.
What was Jesus talking about?
I believe, Jesus was talking about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
In Luke 19:41, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because it was a city of injustice and sin.
Jesus told the “Daughters of Jerusalem” to do the same.
They wept for Him, but He was going to be resurrected to glory.
Instead of weeping for Him, they should have been weeping over a city that allowed injustices like the one before their eyes.
Jesus told them to weep over the godlessness of Jerusalem, and the consequences it would bring on their neighbors and families.
What did that have to do with bearing children or nursing children?
If you remember our discussion of Matthew 24 and Luke 21, you’ll remember the disciples had a very limited window in which to escape Jerusalem before its destruction.
They were to avoid anything that could potentially hinder them from escaping.
Being pregnant or having infants usually doesn’t aid swiftness.
Luk 21:23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people.
What about the mountains? Why would “they” want the hills to fall on them and cover them?
Two possible interpretations:
(1) Jesus may have been referring to the mountains as a place of safety for the disciples.
In Luke 21 and Matthew 24, Jesus told the disciples they would find safety in the mountains.
The mountains would “hide” them from the wrath of God being poured out on Jerusalem.
Mat 24:16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Luk 21:21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it,
(2) Jesus may have been alluding to the mountains in the way Hosea did in Hosea 10:8.
Hos 10:8 The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us.”
In Hosea, the sinful people wanted the mountains to hide them from the wrath of God so they could escape their punishment.
No doubt, those trapped in Jerusalem during the Roman siege wished for a mountain big enough to hide them from God.
We see a similar picture in Revelation 6.
Rev 6:15-17 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
Luke 23:31
Luk 23:31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Matthew Henry was helpful to me on this text:
“These words may be applied, (1.) More particularly to the destruction of Jerusalem, which Christ here foretold, and which the Jews by putting him to death brought upon themselves: “If they (the Jews, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem) do these things upon the green tree, if they do thus abuse an innocent and excellent person for his good works, how may they expect God to deal with them for their so doing, who have made themselves a dry tree, a corrupt and wicked generation, and good for nothing?” (Henry).
Jesus pictured himself as a green tree.
A green tree is a good tree.
It has the potential to bear fruit.
It is productive and beneficial to the world.
So too was Jesus.
He preached the word of God.
Kept the Law.
Healed people from sickness.
Was compassionate and caring.
Yet, the rebellious Jews of Jerusalem were about to cut Him down (kill Him), even in all His goodness and innocence.
How then ought the Jews, being “dry” wood, expect God to deal with them?
A dry tree is a dead tree.
It isn’t good for anything.
It doesn’t bear fruit.
It isn’t productive or beneficial to the world.
During Jesus’ ministry, He made it clear He thought the chief priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, elders, and lawyers were dry wood.
They didn’t bear fruit.
They didn’t help anyone.
The day was coming when God would burn up the dry wood in His wrath.
What wood is better suited for fire than dry wood?
Luke 23:32-33
Luk 23:32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
Luk 23:33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
Luke names Jesus’ place of crucifixion as, “the place that is called The Skull.”
John’s gospel tells us the Aramaic name for the place was Golgotha (John 19:17).
Although no one knows the exact location of Golgotha with 100% certainty, there is a commonly accepted location just outside the wall of Jerusalem.
If you look closely you can see a skull-like face in the cliffside.
The identification of the location is attributed to Constantine’s Mother, Helena, in 325, but her information probably came from local people who were familiar with the area.
In His death, Jesus was associated with common criminals. Two thieves were hung beside Him.
This detail was a fulfilment of an ancient prophecy by the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus just made reference to this verse in chapter 22.
Luk 22:37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
What was crucifixion?
Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment.
It involved tying or nailing a criminal to a wooden cross and elevating them in the air in sight of all who passed by.
It was a very humiliating death and was meant to dissuade onlookers from participating in the crimes of the accused.
The term “crucifixion” could refer to a number of different execution styles:
Being hung or nailed on a cross beam (like Jesus).
Being nailed to a tree.
Being nailed to an upright pole with your hands tied above your head.
Being impaled on a wooden stake.
Seneca the Younger wrote, “I see crosses there, not just of one kind but made in many different ways: some have their victims with head down to the ground; some impale their private parts; others stretch out their arms on the gibbet."
Modern depictions of crucifixion are often inaccurate in their details.
Those crucified were usually stripped naked.
The nails piercing the hands of the crucified individual were probably not in the palms of the hands as often pictured.
The Greek word translated “hands” in John 20:25 can refer to any part of the forearm from the elbow to the fingertips.
It is thought the palms of a person’s hands would be insufficient to support the weight of the body.
Jesus’ hands and feet may not have both been nailed to the cross before He was hoisted into the air.
It was common for the victim to be nailed to the crossbeam (patibulum) first (through the hands) and then to be hoisted on to the vertical beam.
“Once the victim is secured, the guards lift the patibulum and place it on the stipes already in the ground. As it is lifted, Jesus’ full weight pulls down on His nailed wrists and His shoulders and elbows dislocate (Psalm 22:14). In this position, Jesus’ arms stretch to a minimum of six inches longer than their original length” (www.apu.edu, The Science of the Crucifixion).
Those condemned were sometimes responsible for carrying their own cross.
Each crucified individual was given a “titulus,” which was a sign bearing the name of the condemned and the committed crime.
How long a person remained on a cross before their death depended on a number of variables:
Their physical condition.
How badly they had been flogged.
Whether they were tied or nailed.
The position of their body.
Whether the attending soldiers expedited their death:
This was done by breaking the legs of the condemned to keep them from lifting themselves up to breath.
A spear stabbed into the heart.
Soldiers lighting a fire at the base of the cross so the smoke would suffocate the victim.
Some people hung on the cross for a few hours.
Some people hung on the cross for days.
Luke 23:34
Luk 23:34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
About 5 minutes ago, as I was writing this, I was shocked to learn this statement is only found in Luke.
It is one of the most incredible statements of Jesus.
What amount of love must saturate a man’s heart for him to ask for forgiveness for the people abusing and murdering him?
What kind of a man concerns Himself with the welfare of his murderers while being murdered?
Selflessness is hardly a good enough word to describe the picture.
APPLICATION:
We should be careful about feeling justified in wishing ill-will on anyone.
Ill will doesn’t belong in the heart of a disciple of Jesus.
What Jesus accomplished on the cross was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 53.
Jesus “bore the sins of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
His death made forgiveness possible.
His blood was the redeeming price.
He interceded for us.
He stepped in between us and God and payed the price for sin that we owed.
He fixed the relationship between us and God that sin damaged.
Apparently, the belongings of the crucified person went to the soldiers who did the crucifying.
The soldiers took Jesus’ garments and divided them 4 ways (John 19:23).
But when they noticed His tunic didn’t have any seams, they decided not to tear it, but to cast lots for it (John 19:24).
Casting lots may have been similar to drawing straws or rolling dice.
Jesus tunic:
Jesus’ tunic was unique in that it was seamless.
Most tunics in those days had a seam and were made by sowing two or more pieces of cloth together.
Was there any significance to Jesus’ tunic?
Perhaps.
Jesus’ garment was similar to another prominent Jew’s garment, the High Priest.
1. The High Priest had a seamless garment.
Josephus writes about the High Priest’s garment in Antiquities 3.159.
“Now this vesture was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon the shoulders and the sides, but it was one long vestment so woven as to have an aperture for the neck;”
2. The High Priest’s garment wasn’t to be torn.
Jesus’ garments weren’t torn and the High Priest’s garments were not to be torn.
Lev 21:10 “The priest who is chief among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose nor tear his clothes.
The idea of Jesus as a High Priest will be presented more fully in the book of Hebrews, but the gospel writers may have been pointing us to that conclusion by including these details.
The casting of lots and the division of Jesus’ garments had been prophesied in the book of Psalms.
Psa 22:18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
SIDE NOTE:
There is an interesting parallel between the tree in the garden of Eden and Adam’s nakedness bringing about shame and the tree (cross) on Golgotha and Jesus’ nakedness taking away our shame.
Luke 23:35-38
Luk 23:35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
Luk 23:36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
Luk 23:37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
Luk 23:38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
Mat 27:41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him…
If this verse doesn’t show the true colors of the Jewish elite, I don’t know what does.
These men, who were supposed to be minding the religious affairs of the people, went up to Golgotha to mock a dying man.
They heckled Jesus, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself.”
Jesus had the power and the right to come off the cross.
It was within His rights as an innocent man.
But He surrendered that right in order give the gift of salvation to mankind.
APPLICATION:
There are times as Christians when we ought to surrender our rights to benefit the souls of others.
Just because we have the “right” to do something doesn’t mean we should always exercise our right.
A mature Christian will carefully evaluate when it is wise to demand their rights.
The Romans also mocked Him and gave Him sour wine.
The sour wine given to Jesus was probably posca.
Posca was a mixture of wine vinegar (made from poor quality wine or wine gone bad) and water.
Posca was a very common drink in the Roman army.
Sometimes herbs were added for taste.
Posca was only drunk by the lower classes, but there were occasions when generals and emperors would drink it to show solidarity with their soldiers.
The drink is well attested to by ancient historians including Celsus and Suetonius.
Both the Jews and the Romans mocked the idea of Jesus being a king.
Jesus’ titulus read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
In their mind, kings were mighty men, not the man they saw hanging bloody on the cross.
But we know the Jews weren’t too good at picking kings.
The first king of Israel, and many who followed him, were lousy kings that led the nation into ruin.
Jesus wasn’t the king they wanted, but He was the King they needed!
Luke 23:39-43
Luk 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Luk 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Matthew 27:44 tells us both of the criminals who were crucified with Jesus mocked Him.
But Luke informs us one of the criminals had a change of heart while on the cross.
Something that occurred in the hours leading up to Jesus’ death convinced the thief Jesus was innocent and He really was a King (maybe the miraculous signs, see 23:44).
The repentant thief rebuked his fellow thief for mocking Jesus and asked the Lord to remember him when He came into His Kingdom.
How much the thief knew about the Kingdom of Heaven is unknown, but his attitude towards Jesus when he was initially hung on the cross suggests it was very limited.
Notice how quick Jesus was to accept his repentance, He said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
APPLICATION:
I love this story because it teaches us 2 amazing things.
(1) It is never too late the turn from sin and come to Christ.
(2) Jesus is willing to forgive at the 11th hour.
Repentance in the final moments of life can be genuine repentance.
God doesn’t close the door of repentance, even for those who face immanent death.
Did He say, “Well, the only reason you want to become a disciple now is because you know you are going to die… so it doesn’t count.”?
Did He say, “You didn’t live the rest of your life right; you can’t just sneak into heaven at the last moment.”?
APPLICATION:
I bet Jesus’ words made the repentant thief’s remaining time on the cross much more bearable.
Death becomes much more bearable when we have Jesus’ assurance of resurrection.
Without Jesus, death is terrifying.
Do you have Jesus?
Luke 23:44-45
Luk 23:44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
Luk 23:45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
There were a number of miraculous signs that accompanied Jesus’ crucifixion, one of the most incredible was a darkening of the sun’s light in the middle of the day.
Darkness covered the land when the mid-day sun should have been shining.
6th hour = 12pm
9th hour =3pm
Another miracle occurred in the Temple.
The curtain in the Temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.
The Jewish Temple had two primary rooms, the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.
God’s presence dwelt in the Most Holy Place and only one man in Israel (the High Priest) was permitted to enter the room once a year.
The rooms were separated by a curtain/veil.
Exo 26:31-33 - “And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. It shall be made with cherubim skillfully worked into it. And you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, with hooks of gold, on four bases of silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil. And the veil shall separate for you the Holy Place from the Most Holy.
What was the significance of the curtain tearing?
After the death of Jesus, all men have access to God through Jesus.
You don’t need to be a special kind of priest to talk to God or “draw near” to Him.
The dividing curtain, the division between God and man, has been removed.
Its tearing from top to bottom may indicate this change came as a result of God’s action in heaven, not man’s action on earth.
Jesus’ sacrifice forgave sins and reconciled the relationship between God and men.
Luke 23:46
Luk 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Jesus’ life was given over to God as the ransom price for sin.
The Lamb was slain, the offering made.
Luke 23:47
Luk 23:47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!”
The scenes witnessed by the onlookers of Jesus’ crucifixion were powerful.
Powerful enough to change hearts.
The thief, who had mocked Jesus, repented and confessed.
The centurion, who mocked Jesus, repented and confessed.
Though the Jewish officials had hardened their hearts to stone, those with honest hearts saw the truth of what happened at Golgotha.
Luke 23: 48-49
Luk 23:48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.
Luk 23:49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
“Beating their breast” is a term for mourning.
The people returned home mourning the tragedy of the day.
Some probably thought they had put their trust in the wrong man.
Some might have worried about the retribution of God.
Some wept because they lost a friend.
Mary wept because she lost a Son.
The Apostles nearly fell into despair because they lost their leader.
Matthew records the names of three specific women present at the scene:
Mary Magdalene
Mary, mother of James and Joseph (Joses).
Zebedee’s wife, mother to of James and John.
He also mentions “many women” who had followed Jesus and ministered to Him in Galilee.
John and Mark’s gospel give us additional names.
Mark 15:40 tells us of a woman named Salome.
John 19:25 records the presence of Jesus mother, her sister (Jesus’ aunt), and Mary the wife of Clopas.
*There may be some overlap between the characters mentioned. In some cases, it is difficult to tell if the characters in each gospel are unique or if the gospel writers described the same person in different ways.
Luke 23:50-53
Luk 23:50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man,
Luk 23:51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God.
Luk 23:52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Luk 23:53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.
We are here introduced to a new disciple, Joseph of Arimathea.
Verse 50 tells us he was a member of “the council,” which is probably a reference to the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council comprised of Pharisees and Sadducees).
He was a follower of Jesus but kept it a secret because he feared his fellow Jews.
Keep in mind, the Jewish authorities had power to do significant damage to a person’s spiritual life, communal life, and probably their professional life.
We know Joseph wasn’t the only secret disciple.
Matthew 27 informs us Joseph was a rich man.
Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
Pilate granted his request.
John’s gospel tells us he was helped by another notable disciple, Nicodemus.
We first meet Nicodemus in John 3.
He was the Pharisee who came during the night to ask Jesus questions.
I think Nicodemus needs to be commended for his actions here.
He was a Pharisee.
Most of his Pharisee friends hated Jesus.
He probably came to Jesus during the night in John 3 because he didn’t want his friends to find out he was curious about Jesus’ message.
But here, he was publicly honoring Jesus by burying Him.
The sun hadn’t gone down when Jesus’ body was taken off the cross.
It was still light out.
And we know the Jewish leaders knew where Jesus was buried.
It seems very unlikely they didn’t see their friend Nicodemus participating in the burial.
This would have been a bold move on Nicodemus’ part.
He was probably putting his livelihood and reputation at risk.
The same was true for Joseph.
Mark 15:43 says, Joseph “took courage and went to Pilate.”
But isn’t it cool to see a man’s convictions come out of the darkness (John 3) and into the light (John 19)?
Together, Joseph and Nicodemus buried Jesus in a tomb located close to Golgotha (John 19:42).
The tomb’s proximity to the place of Jesus’ death was key because they didn’t have much time before the sun went down and the day of “holy convocation” began (see chart below).
No ordinary work was to be done on the day of holy convocation (Sabbath).
If they didn’t get Jesus’ body in the tomb before sunset, it would have to hang on the cross for several days.
The day before the holy convocation was known as the Day of Preparation (see chart below).
The tomb belonged to Joseph and no one had ever been laid in it.
This wasn’t a grave like you’d find in a modern cemetery, it was a tomb cut out of a rock formation, maybe a cliff.
Matthew tells us a “great stone” was rolled in front of the mouth of the tomb
The stone would have kept animals and grave robbers out.
Jesus was wrapped in linen cloths.
Nicodemus brought spices, aloes and myrrh, which would have been tucked into the folds of the linen cloth (John 19:39).
The women who had spent time with Jesus in Galilee were present at the tomb and saw where He was buried (this will come into play in the next chapter).
Ignore the chapter break between 23 and 24, it’s all one continuous story.
