Luke 23

Luke 23 is the twenty-third of the twenty-four chapters of the Gospel of Luke and forms the core of its Passion narrative. After Jesus is arrested and examined before the council in chapter 22, this chapter turns to his trial before the Roman governor.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: The crowd brings Jesus before Pilate and accuses him; Pilate declares that he finds no fault in him.
• Verses 6–12: Pilate sends Jesus to Herod, who mocks him and sends him back. That same day the two men become friends.
• Verses 13–25: Pilate declares Jesus innocent three times, but when the crowd cries out for the release of Barabbas, he hands Jesus over.
• Verses 26–31: Simon of Cyrene carries the cross, and Jesus speaks to the weeping "daughters of Jerusalem."
• Verses 32–38: At the place called the Skull (KJV "Calvary"), Jesus is crucified with two criminals and mocked.
• Verses 39–43: One criminal reviles him, while the other asks, "Lord, remember me."
• Verses 44–49: Darkness covers the land from the sixth hour until the ninth, the veil of the temple is torn, and Jesus breathes his last. The centurion says, "Certainly this was a righteous man."
• Verses 50–56: Joseph of Arimathea buries the body, and the women from Galilee prepare spices and then rest on the Sabbath.

Key Verses

• Luke 23:34: "Father, forgive them" — a prayer of forgiveness for those who crucified him.
• Luke 23:43: "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" — a promise given to the dying criminal.
• Luke 23:46: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" — his final words, which recall Psalm 31:5.

People and Places

• Pontius Pilate — the Roman governor of Judea.
• Herod — the Herod in this chapter is generally identified as Herod Antipas, the tetrarch who ruled Galilee.
• Barabbas — a man imprisoned for insurrection and murder.
• Simon of Cyrene, Joseph of Arimathea
• The centurion — a Roman army officer in command of about one hundred soldiers.
• Golgotha — the text calls it "the place called the Skull."
• Paradise

Notes for Readers

• Verse 17 is absent from older manuscripts and is therefore left blank in many translations. The first part of verse 34 is also missing from some manuscripts.
• The examination before Herod, the words to the daughters of Jerusalem, and the account of the penitent criminal appear only in Luke. Three of the Seven Last Words of Jesus also come from this chapter.
• Traditions differ on what the "paradise" of verse 43 implies about the state after death. Some interpretations also place the comma in that verse differently.
• Details such as the names of the criminals come from later tradition and do not appear in the text.
• The torn veil is often read together with Hebrews 10:19–20.

In the Korean Church

During Holy Week, especially at Good Friday services, the crucifixion scene in this chapter and the Seven Last Words are frequently read aloud and preached on.