ST LUKE
CHAPTER 23
Christ taken before Pilate, then to Herod, and to Pilate again—Barabbas released—Christ is crucified between two thieves—He is buried in tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 ¶ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
12 ¶ And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
[ the name Barabbas means "son of the father." Barabbas, like Jesus, was a son of Heavenly Father. Though a sinner, he had divinity within him as well. ]
22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
[ There is a little symbolism here. The Savior is going to exchnage his life for the life of Barabbas. Barabbas will go free, and in that exchange he will sacrifice himself for each of us as well that we might have life eternal. Pretty powerful message. ]
25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. [ So week from the loss of blood through the hours of the night of sufferring in Gethesame, that he had not the physcial strength to carry the cross on his own. Another was employeed to bear that burden, a simple man named Simon who was of no stature, one who was from Cyrenian who was just walking toward Jerusalem. How symbolic in a way that the son of Man would be offered as a sacrifice upon the cross that Simon was compelled to carry, he would be the one to bear the burdens of sin for the very man who would carry the cross for the Savior. We can see here that while Jesus was the son of God, he had a very mortal being, he had lost his mortal strength in this case to complete the task. We cannot ever assume that because he was part God he was not compltely mortal as well. ]
27 ¶ And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 ¶ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. [ “The title so exhibited read: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews"; or in the more extended version given by John 19:21 "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews." The inscription was read by many, for Calvary was close to the public thoroughfare and on this holiday occasion the passers-by were doubtless numerous. Comment was aroused; for, if literally construed, the inscription was an official declaration that the crucified Jesus was in fact King of the Jews. When this circumstance was brought to the attention of the chief priests, they excitedly appealed to the governor, saying: "Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written." Pilate's action in so wording the title, and his blunt refusal to permit an alteration, may have been an intended rebuff to the Jewish officials who had forced him against his judgment and will to condemn Jesus; possibly, however, the demeanor of the submissive Prisoner, and His avowal of Kingship above all royalty of earth had impressed the mind if not the heart of the pagan governor with a conviction of Christ's unique superiority[… ]” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.".
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39 ¶ And one of the malefactors [ One who commits a crime; one guilty of violating the laws, in such a manner as to subject him to public prosecution and punishment, particularly to capital punishment; a criminal. ] which were hanged railed [ To utter reproaches; to scoff; to use insolent and reproachful language; ] on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. [ “Was it possible in this the final and most dreadful stage of Christ's mission, to make Him doubt His divine sonship, or, failing such, to taunt or anger the dying Savior into the use of His superhuman powers for personal relief or as an act of vengeance upon His tormentors? To achieve such a victory was Satan's desperate purpose. The shaft failed. Through taunts and derision, through blasphemous challenge and diabolical goading, the agonized Christ was silent.” Excerpt From: James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.” ]
40 But the other [ The other man on the cross ] answering rebuked him, [ So they are in the act of dying and one man defiles the Savior while the other man attempts to challenge his assertion by saying that you and I are guilty and due this hanging, The Savior he is not.] saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he [ The thief that has challenged the other thief. ] said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. [ He appears to recognize the Savior for who he is, the Savior of the World, The son of God. ]
43 And Jesus said unto him, [ Who does he say this too? Note that he does not say this to them, but to the one who has accepted him. ] Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. [ "I will say something about the spirits in prison. There has been much said by modern divines about the words of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying, “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” King James’ translators make it out to say paradise. But what is paradise? It is a modern word it does not answer at all to the original word that Jesus made use of. Find the original of the word paradise. You may as easily find a needle in a haymow. Here is a chance for battle, ye learned men. There is nothing in the original word in Greek froze which this was taken that signifies paradise; but it was—This day thou shalt be with me in the world of spirits: then I will teach you all about it and answer your inquiries. And Peter says he went and preached to the world of spirits (spirits in prison, I Peter, 3rd chap., 19th verse), so that they who would receive it could have it answered by proxy by those who live on the earth, etc." (HOC Vol 5 pg 424) ]
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. [ Since Jesus died at “the ninth hour” (Matthew 27:46), around 3:00 PM Jerusalem time. This occurred in the year AD 30 (rather than AD 33, as some LDS sources often maintain). Moreover, the calendar date of that Thursday was April 6 in the Julian calendar in Roman use at the time. Many have wondered how Jesus can have been killed on a Thursday, when the four gospels indicate that the day after he died was a Sabbath. Since the Jewish Sabbath is Saturday, does not this mean that Jesus must have died on a Friday? The answer to this simply No. While such logic was clearly assumed by traditional Christianity, which has commemorated Friday as the day of Jesus’ death for 1800 years, those who so reasoned failed to take into account that Jesus died on the eve of Passover, and that Passover is a Festival Sabbath. No matter what day of the week Passover falls upon, it is considered a Sabbath day. There were two types of Sabbaths in Jewish practice – the regular Saturday Sabbath, and the Festival Sabbath that could fall any day of the week. The Festival Sabbath even has a special name in Hebrew – it is called a Yom Tov, literally a “Good Day.” In my BYU Studies Quarterly article I demonstrate how the Gospel of John identified the Festival Sabbath which followed Jesus’ crucifixion. John 19:31states: “for that sabbath was an high day” – the Greek term megalē hē hēmera, literally meaning “a great day,” seems to have been John’s way of expressing the Hebrew term Yom Tov in the Greek text of his gospel account. In the BYU Studies Quarterly article it is also demonstrated that in the year AD 30 the Yom Tov “high day” of Passover fell on a Friday. Hence, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion has to have been a Thursday, the day before that Festival Sabbath. http://byustudies.byu.edu/content/dating-death-jesus-christ ]
45 And the sun was darkened, and
the veil of the temple was rent [ What
is the purpose of the veil in the temple? It
was the barrier that kept morals for entering Gods presence. Only the
high priest could part the veil. What is the
signifigance of the veil of the temple being rent open then? With
the temple veil opened it is now possible for all of us to get through the
veil - not just the high priest. now nothing stopping us from entering Gods
presence; except us making the journey. So the Atonment removed the
partition that would hinder us spiritually from entering God's presence and
the veil is rent that removed the partition that would hinder us from bringing
our physical body to live in the presence of God. This event was pretty
big to rent the temple veil as The veil was the thickness that a man could
stretch his had across so it was pretty thick, to rent theis massive piece
of cloth it took so power. ] in
the midst.
46 ¶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. [ “The actual death of Jesus appeared to all who were present to be a miracle, as in fact it was. This marvel, coupled with the earthquake and its attendant horrors, so impressed the centurion that he prayed to God and solemnly declared: "Certainly this was a righteous man.” James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ / A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy / Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern.” ]
48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.