Luke 23 recounts the trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus. It is a chapter of suffering and injustice, but also of mercy and fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus, though innocent, is condemned to die, yet even in his final moments, he extends grace to those around him.
The chapter begins with Jesus being brought before Pilate, the Roman governor. The chief priests accuse him of misleading the nation, forbidding people to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a king. Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews, and Jesus replies, "You say so." Pilate, finding no guilt in him, tells the religious leaders that he sees no reason to condemn him. However, they insist that Jesus stirs up the people with his teachings, beginning in Galilee and spreading to Jerusalem.
Hearing that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate sends him to Herod, who is in Jerusalem at the time. Herod is pleased to see Jesus because he has heard of him and hopes to witness a miracle. He questions Jesus extensively, but Jesus remains silent. The chief priests and scribes continue accusing him, and Herod, along with his soldiers, mocks Jesus, dressing him in a splendid robe before sending him back to Pilate. That day, Herod and Pilate, who were previously at odds, become friends.
Pilate again tells the crowd that Jesus is innocent and offers to punish and release him. But the crowd, stirred up by the chief priests, demands that Jesus be crucified and that Barabbas, a criminal imprisoned for insurrection and murder, be released instead. Pilate, still unwilling to sentence Jesus, speaks to them again, but they continue shouting for crucifixion. Finally, Pilate gives in to their demands. He releases Barabbas and hands Jesus over to be crucified.
As Jesus is led away, Simon of Cyrene is seized and forced to carry the cross behind him. A large crowd follows, including women mourning and wailing. Jesus turns to them and says, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and your children." He warns of coming days when people will wish for death, indicating the suffering that will fall upon Jerusalem.
When they reach the place called The Skull, Jesus is crucified alongside two criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus prays, "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." The soldiers cast lots for his clothing while the people stand watching. The rulers sneer at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen one of God." The soldiers mock him, offering him sour wine and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself." A sign above him reads, "This is the King of the Jews."
One of the criminals hanging beside Jesus joins in mocking him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us." But the other criminal rebukes him, acknowledging that they are guilty and deserving of punishment, while Jesus is innocent. He then turns to Jesus and says, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus responds, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Around noon, darkness covers the land for three hours. Then, the temple curtain is torn in two. Jesus cries out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit," and breathes his last. Seeing this, the centurion praises God and declares, "Certainly, this was a righteous man." The crowds, witnessing these events, leave in sorrow, while Jesus' followers, including women who had come from Galilee, watch from a distance.
A man named Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the council who did not agree with the decision to kill Jesus, goes to Pilate and asks for Jesus’ body. Joseph is a righteous man waiting for the kingdom of God. He takes Jesus’ body down, wraps it in linen, and lays it in a tomb cut into rock, where no one has ever been laid. The women who had followed Jesus see the tomb and how his body is placed, then return to prepare spices and ointments. They rest on the Sabbath according to the commandment.
Luke 23 presents the suffering and death of Jesus, showing the injustice he endured, yet also his compassion and submission to the Father’s will. His forgiveness of his executioners and promise to the repentant criminal highlight his mercy, even in his final moments. The tearing of the temple curtain signifies a new way to God, no longer through the temple sacrifices but through Jesus himself. Though this chapter is filled with sorrow, it sets the stage for the hope of resurrection that is to come.