23:1 Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to Pilate [C Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea from ad 26 to 36; see 3:1].
23:2 They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We caught this man ·misleading [subverting] our ·people [nation]. He ·says that we should not pay [opposes/forbids paying] taxes to Caesar, and he ·calls himself [claims to be] the ·Christ [Messiah], a king.”
23:3 Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “·Those are your words [or It is as you say; L You say so; C an indirect affirmation; see 22:70].”
23:4 Pilate said to the ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·people [crowd], “I find ·nothing against [no basis for a charge against; no guilt in] this man.”
23:5 [L But] They were insisting, saying, “But Jesus ·makes trouble with [is inciting/stirring up] the people, teaching all around Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here.”
23:6 Pilate heard this and asked if ·Jesus [L the man] was ·from Galilee [a Galilean].
23:7 ·Since [L Learning that] Jesus was under Herod’s authority, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod [C Antipas; see 3:1], who was in Jerusalem at that time.
23:8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, because he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to ·meet [L see] him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus ·work a miracle [perform a sign].
23:9 Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus said nothing.
23:10 The ·leading [T chief] priests and ·teachers of the law [scribes] were standing there, ·strongly [vehemently; vigorously] accusing Jesus.
23:11 After Herod and his soldiers had ·made fun of [ridiculed and mocked] Jesus, they dressed him in a ·kingly [elegant; splendid; L bright] ·robe [clothing] and sent him back to Pilate.
23:12 In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been enemies, but on that day they became friends.
23:13 Pilate called together the ·leading [T chief] priests, the ·rulers [leaders] and the people.
23:14 He said to them, “You brought this man to me, saying he ·makes trouble among [misleads; subverts; incites] the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found ·him guilty of what you say [any basis for the charges].
23:15 Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; [L because] he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing ·for which he should die [worthy/deserving of death].
23:16 So, after I ·punish him [have him flogged], I will let him go free.”
23:17 | Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people.|
23:18 But ·the people [L they] shouted together, “Take this man away [C for execution]! ·Let Barabbas go free [L Release Barabbas to/for us]!”
23:19 (Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part in a ·riot [insurrection] in the city and for murder.)
23:20 Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and [L again] ·told this to [appealed to; addressed] the crowd.
23:21 But they shouted again, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
23:22 A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What ·wrong [crime; evil] has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him ·punished [flogged] and set him free.”
23:23 But they continued to shout, demanding that Jesus be crucified. Their ·yelling became so loud [L voices prevailed so] that
23:24 Pilate decided to give them what they ·wanted [requested; demanded].
23:25 He set free the man who was in jail for ·rioting [insurrection] and murder, and he handed Jesus over ·to them to do with him as they wished [or as they requested; L to their will].
23:26 As they led Jesus away, Simon, a man from Cyrene [C a port city in North Africa (modern Libya)], was coming in from the ·fields [countryside; country; C Simon may be a Jewish pilgrim visiting Jerusalem for Passover or an immigrant living there]. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross and to walk behind him.
23:27 A large crowd of people was following Jesus, including some women who were ·sad [mourning] and ·crying [wailing; lamenting] for him.
23:28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “·Women [L Daughters] of Jerusalem, don’t ·cry [weep] for me. ·Cry [Weep] for yourselves and for your children.
23:29 [L For look/T behold] The ·time is [days are] coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are ·the women who cannot have children [L the barren women and the wombs that never gave birth] and ·who have no babies to nurse [L the breasts that have never nursed].’
23:30 Then people will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ And they will say to the hills, ‘·Cover [Bury] us [Hos. 10:8]!’
23:31 If they act like this now when ·life is good [L the tree is green], what will happen when ·bad times come [L it is dry; C probably an allusion to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in ad 70]?”
23:32 There were also two criminals led out with Jesus to be ·put to death [executed].
23:33 When they came to a place called the Skull, the soldiers crucified Jesus and the criminals—one on his right and the other on his left.
23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing.” The soldiers threw lots [C similar to dice] to decide who would get his clothes [Ps. 22:18].
23:35 The people stood there watching. And the leaders ·made fun of [sneered at; mocked] Jesus, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is ·God’s Chosen One, the Christ [or God’s Messiah, the Chosen One].”
23:36 The soldiers also ·made fun of [mocked] him, coming to Jesus and offering him some ·vinegar [sour wine].
23:37 They said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
23:38 ·At the top of the cross these words were written [L Above him there was also an inscription]: this is the king of the jews.
23:39 One of the criminals ·on a cross [L who was hanging there] began to ·shout insults at [slander; blaspheme] Jesus: “Aren’t you the ·Christ [Messiah]? Then save yourself and us.”
23:40 But the other criminal ·stopped [rebuked] him and said, “·You should [L Don’t you…?] fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is.
23:41 We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
23:43 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise [C heaven or the presence of God].”
23:44 It was about ·noon [L the sixth hour; C hours were counted from dawn, about 6 AM], and the whole land became dark until ·three o’clock in the afternoon [L the ninth hour],
23:45 because the sun did not shine. The curtain in the Temple [C dividing the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple] was torn ·in two [down the middle].
23:46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, ·I give you my life [L into your hands I entrust/commit my spirit; Ps. 31:5].” After Jesus said this, he ·died [expired; T breathed his last].
23:47 When the ·army officer [L centurion] there saw what happened, he ·praised [glorified] God, saying, “Surely this was a ·good [righteous; or innocent] man!”
23:48 When all the people who had gathered there to watch saw what happened, they returned home, beating their chests [C a sign of sorrow and remorse].
23:49 But those who ·were close friends of Jesus [L knew him], including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance and watched [L these things].
23:50 [L And look/T behold] There was a good and ·religious [righteous; just] man named Joseph who was a member of the council.
23:51 But he had not agreed to the other leaders’ plans and actions against Jesus. He was from the town of Arimathea [in Judea; or a town of the Jews] and was waiting for the kingdom of God to come.
23:52 Joseph went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.
23:53 He took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in [linen] cloth, and put it in a tomb that was cut out of a wall of rock. ·This tomb had never been used before [L …where no one had been laid; C family tombs held multiple bodies, but this new one was empty].
23:54 This was late on Preparation Day, ·and when the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin [L and the Sabbath was beginning].
23:55 The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid.
23:56 Then the women left to prepare spices and perfumes [C used to honor the dead and cover the stench of decay]. On the Sabbath day they rested, ·as the law of Moses commanded [L according to the commandment].
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