Luke 23
1 The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.
2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “So you say.”
4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place.”
6 But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean.
7 When he found out that he was in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him.
9 He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.
11 Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.
12 Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, I, having examined him before you, found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
15 No, nor yet Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.
16 I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
17 *
18 But they all cried out together, saying, “Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!”
19 one who was thrown into prison for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,
21 but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”
22 He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
23 But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.
24 Pilate decided to grant their request.
25 He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.
26 When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.
27 A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.
28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
30 Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’
31 For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”
32 There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.
33 When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
35 The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 An inscription was written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39 One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
40 But the other answered, rebuking him, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
45 The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
47 When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.”
48 All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.
49 All his acquaintances and the women who followed with him from Galilee stood at a distance, seeing these things.
50 Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man
51 (he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for God’s Kingdom,
52 this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body.
53 He took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.
54 It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.
55 The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.
56 They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
Luke 23 Commentary
Chapter Overview
Luke 23 follows Jesus from the council’s accusation to a Roman trial, a hearing before Herod, crucifixion, death, and burial. The leaders recast their religious charge in political terms that Pilate must consider, yet Pilate repeatedly says he finds no valid basis for condemnation. Jesus is executed not because Luke establishes his guilt, but because fear, pressure, and injustice overpower the governor’s stated judgment.
At the cross, Jesus continues to embody the mercy he taught. He prays for his executioners, promises Paradise to a condemned man who turns to him, and entrusts his spirit to the Father. Mockery surrounds him, but the inscriptions, taunts, and testimony unintentionally keep returning to the question of his kingship and righteousness.
The chapter ends with witnesses responding to Jesus’ death and Joseph of Arimathea courageously caring for his body. Darkness, the torn temple curtain, the centurion’s praise, the crowd’s grief, and the women’s watchfulness all prepare for what follows. Burial confirms the reality of Jesus’ death, while the approaching Sabbath leaves the story in solemn expectation.
Key Themes
The council brings Jesus to Pilate because Roman authority controls capital punishment. Their accusation shifts from the council’s concern about Jesus’ identity to claims about political disruption, taxes, and kingship. Luke does not say that every Jewish person opposed Jesus; particular leaders press the case while other Jewish disciples, mourners, and witnesses appear throughout the chapter.
Pilate asks whether Jesus is the King of the Jews. Jesus’ answer acknowledges the question without accepting the political assumptions behind it. His kingdom is real, but he has not led the kind of tax revolt or armed uprising alleged against him. The charge placed above the cross will be intended as Roman mockery and warning, yet it declares a truth deeper than Pilate understands.
Luke repeatedly stresses Jesus’ innocence. Pilate announces no basis for a charge, Herod returns Jesus without a verdict of guilt, Pilate again says nothing deserving death has been done, and the centurion calls Jesus righteous. This pattern shows that the crucifixion is a miscarriage of justice even as it becomes the means through which God’s saving purpose is fulfilled.
Herod Antipas has wanted to see Jesus because of reports about his works, but his interest is curiosity rather than faith. He asks for a sign and questions Jesus at length, while Jesus remains silent. Revelation is not entertainment on demand. A person may be fascinated by religious power while refusing the repentance, humility, and truth that genuine discipleship requires.
Herod and his soldiers dress Jesus in splendid clothing and send him back in ridicule. Pilate and Herod become friends that day, showing how shared treatment of Jesus can create an alliance without producing justice. Political reconciliation is not automatically righteous; opponents may unite around convenience, contempt, or the avoidance of responsibility.
Pilate offers to release Jesus, but the crowd calls for Barabbas, a man imprisoned for rebellion and murder. The innocent one is condemned while the guilty one goes free. Luke presents an actual political exchange, yet it also forms a powerful picture of substitution: the condemned sinner receives freedom while Jesus takes the place assigned to lawbreakers.
Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry Jesus’ cross behind him. Earlier, Jesus taught that disciples must take up their cross and follow; now Luke uses similar visual language as Simon walks behind the suffering Messiah. Simon does not volunteer, but his burden becomes a living image of discipleship shaped by costly nearness to Jesus.
Jesus addresses the women mourning for him and tells them to weep for themselves and their children. He is not rejecting compassion. He redirects their grief toward Jerusalem’s coming judgment, when social expectations about blessing and family will be overturned by catastrophe. Even on the road to death, Jesus warns others and calls them to recognize the seriousness of the moment.
Jesus is crucified between two criminals, fulfilling the pattern of being counted among transgressors. Roman crucifixion was designed to inflict pain, humiliation, and public warning. Luke does not dwell on graphic detail; he directs attention to Jesus’ words and to the responses around him. The righteous Messiah enters the place of shame without becoming morally like those beside him.
Jesus prays, “Father, forgive them,” while soldiers divide his clothing. Some early manuscripts omit this sentence, so its textual history should be acknowledged, yet the prayer perfectly accords with Luke’s portrait of Jesus and with his teaching about enemies. The request does not deny guilt; it asks mercy for people acting in profound ignorance of whom they are crucifying.
Rulers, soldiers, and one criminal repeat the challenge that Jesus should save himself. Their mockery assumes that true power must escape suffering. Luke reveals the opposite: Jesus saves others precisely by refusing to abandon the cross. His restraint is not helplessness but faithful obedience, and his kingship is displayed through sacrificial love rather than self-preservation.
The two criminals represent contrasting responses to the same dying Jesus. One joins the mockery; the other admits his own guilt, recognizes Jesus’ innocence, and appeals to his coming kingdom. Proximity to holy things does not by itself produce faith. The repentant criminal can offer no restitution or religious achievement, only honest confession and trust in Jesus.
Jesus promises the repentant man, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The promise is personal, immediate, and grounded in Jesus’ authority. Salvation is not earned by the criminal’s suffering, and death does not place him beyond mercy. Christian traditions describe the intermediate state in different ways, but the verse clearly assures conscious fellowship with Christ beyond death.
Darkness covers the land from about noon until three, and the temple curtain is torn. Luke presents creation and sanctuary responding to Jesus’ death. The torn curtain has been understood as judgment on the old order and as opened access to God; both themes fit the wider New Testament, though Luke does not pause to explain the symbolism here.
Jesus dies with the words of Psalm 31:5, committing his spirit into the Father’s hands. His loud cry shows deliberate trust rather than silent defeat. He has prayed to the Father throughout Luke, and he dies in the same relationship. The cross contains abandonment by human companions, but Jesus’ final word is confidence in the Father who will vindicate him.
The centurion glorifies God and calls Jesus righteous. The crowd returns beating their breasts, while Jesus’ acquaintances and the women watch from a distance. Their responses differ, but the death does not pass unnoticed. Luke gathers a Roman officer, grieving spectators, and faithful followers as witnesses whose reactions expose the injustice and weight of what has happened.
Joseph of Arimathea is a council member who had not consented to the council’s plan and was waiting for God’s kingdom. He asks Pilate for the body, wraps it, and places it in an unused tomb. The women observe the location and prepare spices before resting on the Sabbath. Their careful witness connects the burial directly to the resurrection account.
Important Verses
Luke 23:4 records Pilate’s first verdict: “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” Luke places the declaration near the beginning of the Roman proceedings and reinforces it several times. Jesus’ death cannot be explained as the ordinary punishment of a criminal whose guilt has been demonstrated; it reveals judicial surrender to pressure.
Luke 23:18–25 shows the crowd requesting Barabbas and demanding Jesus’ crucifixion until their voices prevail. Pilate releases the man guilty of rebellion and murder and hands Jesus over to their will. The scene warns how public pressure, political calculation, and repeated falsehood can overcome a leader who knows the just course but refuses its cost.
Luke 23:28 says, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Jesus looks beyond personal sympathy to the judgment approaching the city. Compassion for his suffering is appropriate, but he calls for more than emotion: people must understand the moral and covenantal crisis revealed by their response to him.
Luke 23:34 records Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness. The soldiers’ ignorance does not make their actions innocent, but it becomes the setting for intercession rather than revenge. Christians should read the verse beside Jesus’ commands to love enemies and pray for persecutors, while also remembering that forgiveness never requires pretending injustice is harmless.
Luke 23:43 gives Jesus’ answer to the repentant criminal: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The man asks to be remembered in the future, but Jesus promises fellowship that very day. Grace reaches a person with no time to rebuild his reputation, showing that salvation rests on Christ’s mercy received through faith.
Luke 23:46 says, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Jesus’ final breath is an act of trust. He is not merely the passive victim of human violence; he completes his faithful course and places himself in the Father’s care. Believers have long drawn on this verse as a prayer of confidence in suffering and death.
Luke 23:47 reports that the centurion glorified God and said, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” A Gentile officer responsible for overseeing the execution becomes a witness to Jesus’ innocence. Luke’s Gospel repeatedly shows outsiders perceiving what insiders miss, anticipating the widening proclamation of the gospel in the book of Acts.
Luke 23:50–53 introduces Joseph as good and righteous, unwilling to consent to the council’s decision, and expectant of God’s kingdom. His request for Jesus’ body is a concrete act of courage and honor. Quiet disagreement becomes visible obedience when he uses his access, resources, and reputation to care for the crucified Lord.
Luke 23:55–56 emphasizes that the women saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid. They prepare spices, then rest according to the commandment. Their presence gives continuity between death, burial, and the discovery on the first day of the week. The resurrection testimony begins with followers who carefully observed where the body was placed.
Application
Refuse to reshape truth merely to make an accusation persuasive. The leaders alter the focus of their charge for Pilate’s court, while Pilate compromises what he knows to be just. Christian integrity requires truthful speech, fair representation of opponents, and courage to act on a sound judgment even when the crowd demands something easier.
Bring both guilt and need honestly to Jesus. The repentant criminal does not excuse himself or claim equality with Christ. He admits justice, confesses Jesus’ innocence, and asks to be remembered. Grace is not reserved for people who can repair the past before coming; it is received by those who stop defending themselves and entrust their future to Christ.
Practice enemy-love without minimizing evil. Jesus’ prayer for his executioners does not call crucifixion acceptable, and his mercy does not erase accountability. Pray against bitterness, seek the good of opponents, and leave final judgment to God. Forgiveness can coexist with truthful naming of harm, wise boundaries, and pursuit of justice.
Let the cross redefine power. Jesus is mocked because he does not save himself, yet his refusal is the means by which he saves others. Resist the assumption that strength always means escape, domination, or public victory. Faithful love may accept loss, endure misunderstanding, and continue obeying when self-protection would be easier.
Use whatever position you have for courageous faithfulness. Simon carries a burden placed upon him, the women remain attentive witnesses, and Joseph uses his standing to secure an honorable burial. Discipleship does not look identical in every circumstance, but it moves from private concern to concrete service at the point where love is needed.
Face death with hope grounded in Jesus. Luke 23 does not sentimentalize dying: it includes injustice, grief, darkness, and burial. Yet Jesus promises Paradise and entrusts himself to the Father. Christian hope does not deny sorrow or the reality of the grave; it rests in fellowship with Christ and the resurrection soon revealed in Luke 24.