RSV ~ Luke 23 Notes

Lk 23:1 | ISB Notes

Pilate: Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36. While insensitive toward the Jews generally, he remains convinced of Jesus’ innocence throughout the trial (Jn 18:38; 19:4). He alone holds the authority to issue and execute a capital sentence in Judea (Jn 19:10; Acts 13:28).

Lk 23:2 | ISB Notes

perverting our nation: The Jerusalem authorities depict Jesus as a threat to Roman peace in Palestine (23:5). The charge was of obvious interest to Pilate. forbidding …

tribute: A false accusation. Jesus permits the practice but stresses our greater duties toward God (20:19-26).

Lk 23:3 | ISB Notes

King of the Jews?: Jesus hesitates to adopt the title because Pilate is thinking in purely political terms (Jn 6:15). Jesus’ kingdom is heavenly, not earthly, leaving Pilate with no legitimate grounds to accuse him of challenging Roman authority (Jn 18:36).

Lk 23:4 | ISB Notes

no crime: Luke’s narrative repeatedly emphasizes Jesus’ innocence (23:15, 22, 41, 47).

Lk 23:7 | ISB Notes

Herod: Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee from 4/1 B.C. until A.D. 39. Pilate sends Jesus to Herod out of deference and some disinterest, since the trial charges included causing commotion in Galilee (23:5). Only Luke mentions the interrogation of Jesus before Herod (23:8-12).

Lk 23:11 | ISB Notes

gorgeous apparel: Herod mocks the charge of kingship (23:2), unaware of Jesus’ royal dignity (1:32-33).

Lk 23:12 | ISB Notes

Herod and Pilate: A sinister alliance (Acts 4:25-28; 1 Cor 2:8). See note on Mt 27:1.

Lk 23:23 | ISB Notes

their voices prevailed: The Jerusalem mob coerces Pilate to execute Jesus. By questioning the governor’s own loyalty to Caesar, they threaten to report him to the emperor should he refuse their insistent request (Jn 19:12).

Lk 23:26 | ISB Notes

Simon of Cyrene: Roman law granted soldiers in Palestine the right to force civilians into temporary service (Mt 5:41).

carry it behind Jesus: Symbolic of faithful discipleship (Lk 9:23; 14:27).

Lk 23:28-31 | ISB Notes

Jesus warns the women of Jerusalem that another tragedy is heading for their city. It would soon be destroyed by siege, war, and fire in A.D. 70. Even barrenness will seem like a blessing in these dreadful days. See note on Lk 21:5-36.

Lk 23:30 | ISB Notes

Fall on us … Cover us: Expressions of agony and despair drawn from Hos 10:8.

• In its original context, Hosea pronounced doom on the northern kingdom of Israel (in Samaria) for abandoning the Lord in favor of idols. Since the Israelites ignored the prophet’s warnings, they were crushed by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C. Jesus redirects this oracle from Samaria to Jerusalem, which will likewise taste the bitterness of war and devastation for its prolonged impenitence (Rev 6:16).

Lk 23:31 | ISB Notes

the wood: A symbol of Jerusalem. As long as the city is like green wood, which is moist and unsuitable for making a fire, there is still time to repent and embrace the Messiah. Persistent rebellion, however, will make Jerusalem dry and fit to be burned.

• Jesus alludes to Ezekiel’s condemnation of Jerusalem in the sixth century B.C., implying that once again the wayward city will become firewood for the flames of divine judgment (Ezek 15:1-8; 20:47). In addressing this to the faithful “Daughters of Jerusalem” (Lk 23:28), he may be identifying them with the righteous “daughters” of the city who will escape the catastrophe by the mercy of God and become a source of consolation for others (Ezek 14:22).

Lk 23:33 | ISB Notes

The Skull: A translation of the Aramaic “Golgotha” (Mk 15:22).

crucified: The Romans reserved crucifixion for insurrectionists and other base criminals. Nailed to wooden beams, the victims died excruciating deaths through gradual blood loss and asphyxiation. Ironically, what appeared to be Jesus’ utter defeat became the sign of his victory and the instrument of salvation for the world (1 Cor 2:2; 1 Pet 2:24). See note on Mk 15:24.

Lk 23:34 | ISB Notes

Father, forgive them: Jesus shows mercy to his executioners (1 Pet 2:23), realizing they are sinning in ignorance (Acts 3:17; 1 Cor 2:8). Stephen likewise prayed for his enemies at death (Acts 7:60) (CCC 597, 2635).

divide his garments: The execution squad customarily dispossessed the dying victim of any remaining belongings.

• The Passion of Jesus parallels the entire movement of Ps 22, which narrates the rejection and final vindication of the righteous sufferer. The division of garments echoes Ps 22:18, the Crucifixion recalls Ps 22:16, and the mockery of the crowds evokes Ps 22:6-7. According to Mt 27:46 and Mk 15:34, Jesus recited the opening line of Ps 22 on the Cross. .

Lk 23:38 | ISB Notes

an inscription: According to Roman practice, criminals displayed a sign inscribed with the charges brought against them

. Jesus’ placard was written in three languages (Jn 19:20).

Lk 23:42 | ISB Notes

remember me: The penitent thief may have sneered at Jesus earlier (Mk 15:32). His conversion at the final hour is now manifest by his insight: he does not see Jesus’ death as his demise, but

looks forward to the coming of his royal kingdom. The promise of “Paradis

e” (Lk 23:43) is generously out of proportion to the man’s simple request (CCC 1021). See word study: Paradise at 2 Cor 12:3.

Lk 23:44 | ISB Notes

sixth … ninth hour: From noon until 3 P.M., when the day’s brightest hours were shrouded by the “power of darkness” (22:53). See note on Mt 27:45.

Lk 23:45 | ISB Notes

curtain: One of the two veils that separated God’s presence from his people in the Jerusalem Temple. That this curtain is torn at the time of the Crucifixion indicates that Jesus’ suffering is a sacrificial and priestly act that opens for us a new and living way into the sanctuary of heaven (Heb 10:19-22). See note on Mk 15:38.

Lk 23:46 | ISB Notes

Father, into your hands: Jesus is in full possession of himself as he entrusts even his death to the Father’s care. His Crucifixion is thus a willing sacrifice, not a tragic accident beyond his control (Jn 10:17-18; Eph 5:2).

• Jesus makes the cry of Ps 31:5 his own. The entire psalm moves from lamentation to praise, expressing both the agony and the confidence of an innocent sufferer. It is because the sufferer trusts in the Lord’s goodness that he anticipates his final deliverance and vindication in the end.

Lk 23:47 | ISB Notes

centurion: A commander of 100 Roman soldiers. innocent!: Or, “righteous”. The centurion also professes that Jesus was God’s Son (Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39).

Lk 23:51 | ISB Notes

looking for the kingdom: Joseph of Arimathea risked his honored reputation as a member of the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin. Withholding consent, he distanced himself from the council’s verdict against Jesus (22:71) and now arranges his burial. He is elsewhere called a “disciple” (Mt 27:57; Jn 19:38).

Lk 23:53 | ISB Notes

rock-hewn tomb: Owned by Joseph of Arimathea (Mt 27:60). Such tombs resembled small caves, with bench-like shelves cut into the walls, and could be used to bury entire families. A large stone was lodged into the entryway to seal it shut (Mk 16:4).

Lk 23:54 | ISB Notes

day of Preparation: Friday. Because the sabbath rest began at sundown, Jesus was buried quickly in a tomb near the city (Jn 19:42).

Lk 23:56 | ISB Notes

spices and ointments: The little time between Jesus’ death and the start of the Sabbath allowed for some preparation of his body but not the full customary procedures (Jn 19:39). The women return to finish on Sunday what was not completed on Friday (Lk 24:1).