Jesus before Pilate
1 The whole council rose and brought Je sus to Pilate.
2 They gave their accusation: “We found this man subverting our n ation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ the king.”
3 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus re plied, “You said so.”
4 Turning to the chief priests and the crowd, Pi late said, “I find no basis for a case against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “All the country of the Jews is being stirred up with his teach ing. He began in Galilee and now he has come all the way here.”
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean.
7 Finding the accused to come under Herod’s jurisdiction, Pilate sent Jesus over to Herod who happened to be in
Jerusalem at that time.
8 Herod was delighted to have Jesus before him now; for a long time he had wanted to see him be cause of the reports about him, and he was hoping to see Jesus work some miracle.
9 He piled up question upon question, but got no reply from Jesus.
10 All the while the chief priests and the scribes remained standing there, vehemently pressing their accusations.
11 Finally, Herod ridi culed him and with his guards mocked him. And when he had put a rich cloak on him, he sent him back to Pilate.
12 Pilate and Herod who were enemies before, became friends from that day.
13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the elders before all the people,
14 and said to them, “You have brought this man before me and accused him of subversion. In your presence I have examined him and found no basis for your charges.
15 And neither has Herod, for he sent him back to me. It is quite clear that this man has done nothing that deserves a death sentence.
16 I will therefore have him scourged and then release him.”
17 On the Pass over Pilate had to release a prisoner.)
18 Howling as one man, they pro tested: “No! Away with this man! Re lease Barabbas instead.”
19 This man had been thrown into prison for an uprising in the city and for murder.
20 Since Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he appealed to the crowd once more,
21 but they shouted back, “To the cross with him! To the cross!”
22 A third time Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? Since no crime deserving death has been proved, I shall have him scourged and let him go.”
23 But they went on shouting and demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their shouts grew louder.
24 So Pilate decided to pass the sentence they demanded.
25 He released the man they asked for, the one who was in prison for rebellion and murder, and he delivered Jesus in accordance with their wishes.
The way of Calvary
26 When they led Jesus away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the fields, and laid the cross on him, to carry it behind Jesus.
27 A large crowd of people followed him; among them were women beating their breast and wailing for him,
28 but Jesus turned to them and said, “Wo men of Jeru salem, do not weep for me, weep rather for yourselves and for your children.
29 For the days are coming when people will say: ‘Happy are the women without child! Happy are those who have not given birth or nursed a child!
30 And they will say to the mountains: Fall on us! And to the hills: Cover us!”
31 For if this is the lot of the green wood, what will happen to the dry?”
32 Along with Jesus, two criminals also were led out to be executed.
33 There at the place called The Skull he was crucified together with the criminals – one on his right and another on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.”) And the guards cast lots to divide his clothes among themselves.
35 The people stood by watching. As for the rulers, they jeered at him, saying to one another, “Let the man who saved others now save himself, for he is the Messiah, the chosen one of God!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him and when they drew near to offer him bitter wine,
37 they said, “So you are the king of the Jews? Free yourself!”
38 For above him was an inscription which read, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging with Jesus insulted him, “So you are the Messiah? Save yourself and us as well!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Have you no fear of God, you who received the same sentence as he did?
41 For us it is just: this is payment for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 And he said, “Jesus, re member me when you come into your king dom.”
43 Jesus replied, “Truly, you will be with me to day in paradise.”
44 It was now about noon.
45 The sun was hid den and darkness came over the whole land until mid-afternoon; and at that time the curtain of the Sanctuary was torn in two.
46 Then Jesus gave a loud cry, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” And saying that, he gave up his spirit.
47 The captain on seeing what had happened, acknowledged the hand of God. He said, “Surely this was an upright man.”
48 And all the people who had gathered to watch the spectacle, as soon as they saw what had happened went home beating their breasts.
49 Only those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, especially the women who had followed him from Galilee; they witnessed all this.
50 Then intervened a member of the Jewish supreme coun cil, a good and righteous man named Joseph
51 from the Judean town of Arima thea. He had not agreed with the decision and action of his fellow members, for he lived uprightly in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God.
52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
53 He then took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth and laid it in a yet unused tomb cut out of a rock.
54 It was Preparation Day and the star which marks the beginning of the Sabbath was shining.
55 So the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph to see the tomb and how his body was being placed.
56 And returning home, they prepared perfumes and ointments.
------------------------------------------------------------
Comments Luke, Chapter 23
• 23.1 Pilate does not want to condemn Jesus, partly because he hates Jewish priests, and so he sends Jesus to Herod. By putting a white robe on Jesus, Herod treats him as a madman pretending to be a king.
They became friends from that day on, because, in spite of the fact that they were so different, they realized that they belonged to the same class of people with power to play with the lives of common people.
• 18. Barabbas may have been one of those terrorists harassing the Roman op pressors. The chief priests who wanted to have peace with the Romans hated these people. Yet the chief priests persuaded the peo ple to ask for the release of Barabbas. Even though they hated those priests, the people listened to them. With that, Pilate’s plan (he wanted to release Jesus) failed.
• 27. What will happen to the dry wood? (v. 31). Jesus taught that the sacrifice which is accepted is fruitful: but at the same time he mourns the unnecessary sufferings of a people who have let the opportunity pass them by, and who will be destroyed through their own fault.
These words are also meant for all those who make the blood of Christ useless for themselves.
A large crowd followed him, especially women… Luke is the only evangelist reflecting this compassionate attitude. Contrary to Matthew who insists on the guilt of the Jewish people, Luke wants to point out that Jesus’ condemnation moved many people. Je sus’ words recall what he already said about the des truction of the Jewish nation (Mk 13).
• 39. The leaders of the Jews have put Jesus where he belongs, since he decided to take our sins upon himself. The two men look at the one who has come to share their destiny.
You will be in paradise (v. 43). What is paradise? We lack adequate words to express what lies beyond. In Jesus’ time, the Jews used to compare the Place of the Dead to a huge country divided up into regions separated by insurmountable barriers. Hell was one of the regions; it was reserved for the wick ed, from there no one could escape. Another region was Paradise where the good people would be with the first ancestors of holy people, awaiting the moment of resurrection.
You will be with me, says Jesus, that is with the Savior, who for a day and a half was in the peace and joy of God, before the resurrection. This statement puts us at ease as to our own destiny at death, although we cannot know what will become of us before the Resur rection. We will not be anesthetized, nor will we cease to exist, as some claim, but we will rather possess everything, being with Jesus who came to share death and his brothers’ and sisters’ rest (see Phil 1:23 and Rev 14:13).