Luke 22(66)–23(49)

Introduction

I’m sure you remember that we’ve been going through the book of Luke at a fairly brisk pace, taking big chunks at a time and trying to see connections between the parts of each passage.

Before I went on holiday, we studied the first sixty-five verses of Luke 22 and how the time had come for the Lord’s enemies to get the better of him and to triumph over him for a time. The Lord knew that one day he will be seated at God’s right hand in heaven, where he will rule over all until all his enemies are defeated and are placed under his feet. He knew that day will come. But before that day comes, he will first have to suffer at the hands of his enemies, who would triumph over him for a time. And so, the passage we studied last time began with Judas agreeing to betray the Lord into the hands of his enemies; and it ended with the Lord being mocked and beaten by the men who were guarding him after his arrest. And the Lord’s suffering continues in today’s passage, because in today’s passage we read how his enemies accused him before Pilate; and then he was mocked by Herod and his men; and when he was sent back to Pilate, his enemies demanded that Pilate should crucify him. And so, Pilate sentenced him to death and he was led away to be crucified. And while he was hanging on the cross, his enemies continued to mock and insult him. And then, eventually, he died.

And so, his enemies triumphed over him. And satan had triumphed over him as well, because it was the devil who stirred up this hatred towards him. And so, satan and his enemies had triumphed. They killed the author of life. But it was only for a time, wasn’t it? It was only for a time, because in the next chapter we will read how the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead to live forever as one of us. And shortly after he was raised from the dead, he ascended to heaven to sit at God’s right hand to rule over all until all his enemies are defeated and are placed under his feet.

Right now, today, the Lord Jesus is reigning in heaven as Lord of all. He is king over all. That’s where he is right now; and that’s what he’s doing right now. But in today’s passage, we read how he first suffered at the hands of his enemies.

And today’s passage also emphasises his innocence. Pilate declared that he could find no guilt in him and that he had done nothing to deserve the death penalty. Pilate also sent the Lord to Herod; and Herod saw no reason to execute the Lord. One of the two criminals who was crucified with the Lord declared that the Lord had done nothing wrong. And after the Lord’s death, the centurion who was there, overseeing the crucifixion, praised God and said about the Lord that he was a righteous man. That is to say, he was an innocent man.

His enemies hated him and accused him before Pilate. The people cried for him to be crucified. Pilate passed the death sentence so that he was taken away and killed. But he did not deserve to die. He had done nothing wrong. He had done nothing to deserve the death penalty. And so, when he died, he was not dying for his own sins, because he had none. No, he was dying for our sins. His death was a sacrifice for sins. It was a sacrifice for our sins and shortcomings. He took the blame for us and he bore the punishment we deserve so that we can have eternal life in the presence of God.

Today’s passage can be divided into two large sections. The first section runs from verse 66 of chapter 22 to verse 25 of chapter 23 and it’s about the Lord’s trial. And that one large section can be divided into four smaller parts: the Lord before the Jewish council; the Lord before Pilate; the Lord before Herod; and the Lord before Pilate again. So, the first main section can be divided into four small sections. The second large section runs from verse 26 to verse 49 of chapter 23 and it’s about the Lord’s suffering and death. And it too can be divided into four smaller parts: going to the cross; on the cross; the two criminals beside him; and, finally, his death. And so, let’s turn to the first main section which is about the Lord’s trial.

22:66–71

The Lord underwent three Jewish trials. The first was an unofficial one before Annas, the high priest, which John tells us about in his gospel. Then there was one before the whole Sanhedrin, which Matthew and Mark record for us. And then there is this one, which Luke records for us. One explanation for why this third trial was necessary is that while the Sanhedrin found the Lord guilty of blasphemy, this third trial was necessary in order to figure out what charge to bring before Pilate, the Roman governor, who was the only one with the authority to pass the death sentence on the Lord. The Lord’s enemies understood that Pilate wouldn’t be interested in a religious matter. He would not get involved in a religious dispute among the Jews. For instance, he wouldn’t do anything about blasphemy. He would only get involved if it was about some matter which might be a threat to Roman rule. And so, his enemies had to persuade Pilate that the Lord was a problem for the peace and prosperity of Rome. And so, having decided that the Lord should die, this smaller group needed to meet to decide what charge they could bring before Pilate, because they wanted Pilate to pass the death sentence.

And Luke tells us that they asked the Lord to tell them if he is the Christ. Most of you will know that the word ‘Christ’ is not so much a name, but a title. It means ‘the Anointed’ and it referred to God’s Spirit-Anointed and Conquering King. And you can see why they might want the Lord to admit to being the Christ, because that would mean he regarded himself as a king. And if he regarded himself as a king, then they could say to Pilate that he was a threat to the Roman Emperor. If he was a threat to the Roman Emperor, then Pilate was duty-bound to do something about it.

So, tell us if you’re the Christ, the king. And the Lord replied that if he tells them, they will not believe him. He knew that they had already made up their mind about him and they did not believe in him. All they wanted from him was a confession, so that they would accuse him before Pilate. But then he went on to say that from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God. The Lord often used the phrase ‘Son of Man’ to refer to himself. And it comes from the book of Daniel, where we read in chapter 7 about the Ancient of Days. The Ancient of Days in Daniel is the Lord God Almighty who sits enthroned in heaven. And in Daniel 7, Daniel tells us that he saw one like a Son of Man who approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. And he was given authority and glory and sovereign power. And all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. And Daniel said that the Son of Man’s dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom will not be destroyed.

That’s what Daniel saw in a vision. And here’s the Lord Jesus, referring to that passage, and applying it to himself. He’s the Son of Man in Daniel’s vision. And though he was about to suffer and die at the hands of his enemies, he would nevertheless be led into the presence of the Ancient of Days in heaven to sit at God’s right hand where he will rule as king over all for ever.

His enemies were now against him and they were plotting his death on the cross. But, he said, from now on — that is, after this — I will be seated at God’s right hand side in heaven. And what he said was true, because after his death, he was raised from the dead and seated at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but in the age to come. After his death, he was made king over all for ever.

And that’s when his enemies asked him another question: ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ It’s not entirely clear what they meant by this, because in those days the doctrine of the Trinity was unknown. They did not yet know that the one God we worship is three persons. However, it’s possible that they were once again asking the Lord if he regarded himself as a king, because the kings of Israel were sometimes described in those days as being the sons of God. And the Lord replied that they are right in saying that. And so, they’ve got the admission they need. They can bring the Lord to Pilate and tell him that the Lord was a threat to the Roman Emperor because he regarded himself as a king.

And as we’ve seen before, the Lord is a king. But he’s not a king like the Roman Emperor or like David in the Old Testament. He did not come to raise an army and to lead them into battle against his enemies. He came to suffer and to die for his people and to give up his life for us in order to rescue us from our sin and misery in his life and to give us eternal life in the presence of God. He is a king, but he’s a heavenly king; and he does not extend his kingdom through force, but through persuasion: by the preaching of his word in the power of the Spirit and by convicting men and women and children of their guilt so that they will turn to him for forgiveness and peace with God and for the hope of everlasting life in his everlasting kingdom.

23:1–5

Luke then tells us in verse 1 of chapter 23 that they led the Lord off to Pilate, who was the only one with the authority to pass the death sentence.

When they arrived, they told Pilate that the Lord was subverting the nation. That is, he was misleading the people. He was deceiving them. How was he misleading them? According to his accusers, it was by telling the people not to pay their taxes to Rome and by claiming to be a king. What they said about taxes is not true. Back in chapter 20, the Lord told the people to give to Caesar what belongs to him. In other words, pay your tax! And what they said about him being a king is true, but his kingdom is a spiritual kingdom and it’s not a threat to Rome.

Pilate asked him directly whether he was king of the Jews. The Lord replied that what Pilate had said is true. However, according to verse 4, Pilate is satisfied that there’s no basis to the charges they’re bringing against him. Pilate’s attitude may have been that Jesus might think he’s a king, but he’s no threat to Rome. If he looked like a king and if there was a large army behind him, it would be a different story. But it seems that Pilate thinks he’s no threat to anyone. Case dismissed.

But his enemies insist that he’s been stirring up the people all over Judea by his teaching. They’re saying to Pilate that he may not be aware of it, but Jesus has been a real trouble-maker all over Judea. So, his enemies will not give up until they’ve convinced Pilate to put him to death.

23:6–12

Having heard that the Lord was from Galilee in Judea, Pilate decided to send him to Herod, who governed Judea on behalf of the Romans at that time. Perhaps he will be more familiar with the Lord Jesus? Perhaps he will know if there’s any substance to what the Jewish leaders were saying?

And Luke tells us in verse 8 that Herod was greatly pleased to see Jesus. It seems that he had wanted to see him for a long time. For a long time he had heard about the Lord and the mighty miracles he had performed. And now he was hoping to see a miracle with his own eyes. But though he asked the Lord lots of questions, the Lord would not answer him. Luke tells us that the Jewish leaders were standing there too. So, they had accompanied the Lord to Herod. And they vehemently accused the Lord before Herod. They were doing their best to convince Herod that the Lord deserved to die. And instead of trying to defend himself, and instead of pleading with Herod to release him, the Lord remained silent through all of this.

In the end, Herod and his men dressed the Lord in a robe. Since he claimed to be a king, let’s dress him up to look like a king. And so, they mocked him. But mocking him like that tells us that they did not treat him seriously. They did not regard him as a serious threat. He was someone to laugh at and not to fear. And then they sent the Lord back to Pilate.

They had heard the Lord was a king, but they did not believe it. And instead of honouring him, they mocked him. And it’s the same today, isn’t it? Lots of people have heard about the Lord Jesus. They have heard that he’s God’s Only-Begotten Son who came to earth as one of us and who suffered and died on the cross for sinners before rising from the dead. And they have heard that he now reigns as king over all. They have heard the truth about Jesus Christ, but they do not believe what they have heard. And many mock him, don’t they? Isn’t that what was happening during the opening ceremony of the Olympics?

And so, people know the truth, but they do not believe it. They have heard that Christ is king, but they do not believe. And here’s the thing: we would be just like them, if it were not for God’s great love and mercy towards us, because he was the one who enabled us not only to know the truth about the Lord Jesus, but to believe it and to yield our lives to him. If it were not for God’s kindness to us, we would be like those who know the truth, but who do not believe the truth. We would be just like them, if it were not for God’s kindness to us in Christ Jesus, so that he came to us by his Spirit and enabled us to believe.

23:13–25

According to verse 13, Pilate called together the Lord’s enemies and said to them that neither he nor Herod could find any basis for their charges against the Lord Jesus. As far as they were concerned, the Lord had done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, he was prepared to punish the Lord before releasing him. In other words, they would flog the Lord. They would give him a good beating as a kind of warning to him and to others who may be tempted to cause trouble.

But with one voice they cried out, ‘Away with this man!’ They do not want Pilate to release him, but to send him away to be killed. And that is when they mention Barabbas. Luke explains that Barabbas had been imprisoned for an insurrection in the city and for murder. So, here’s someone who was a trouble-maker. Here’s someone who was a law-breaker. Here’s someone who deserved to die, because he had committed murder. And the Jewish leaders proposed to Pilate that, if he wants to release someone, then release Barabbas, but not the Lord Jesus.

If you look closely at your Bible, you’ll see that verse 17 is missing. The text jumps from verse 16 to verse 18. Where did verse 17 go? Well, the Bible scholars believe that Luke did not write verse 17 and it was added afterwards. In other words, it’s not part of the Scriptures. However, it appears as a footnote and it’s helpful because it explains for us that it was customary in those days to release one man during the Passover Feast. So, the Jewish leaders are thinking about that custom. And their attitude is: since it was the custom to release one man, don’t let it be the Lord Jesus, but let it be Barabbas. Though Barabbas deserves to die, set him free and crucify Jesus.

Pilate really wanted to release the Lord Jesus. And so, according to verse 20, he appealed to them again. But they kept shouting: ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ For the third time, he appealed to them. What crime has he committed? I’ve found no grounds for the death penalty. Let me release him. But with loud shouts they insisted. And look: their shouts prevailed. Pilate decided to grant their demand and he released the man who was guilty of insurrection and murder and he passed the death sentence on the one who was innocent and who never did anything wrong.

It’s a picture of the gospel, isn’t it? The gospel is the good news that we, the guilty ones — who deserve to be condemned and sent away to be punished forever for a lifetime of sin and disobedience — are pardoned and set free, because the Lord Jesus — the innocent one, who never did anything wrong — was prepared to take the blame for us and to suffer the punishment we deserve in our place. He took our place before the judgment seat of God and suffered the wrath and curse of God for us. He was condemned so that we could be set free. And so, because he took our place and suffered the penalty we deserve, we are set free like Barabbas.

But we’re not set free to do as we please. We’re set free so that we will live our lives, no longer for ourselves, but for Christ our Saviour. We’re set free from condemnation so that we will love and serve him. And in this way, we display our gratitude to him for what he has done for us when he took our place and gave up his life to pay for all that we have done wrong.

23:26–31

From verse 26 of chapter 23 we have the second main section of today’s passage which records for us the Lord’s crucifixion.

Luke tells us that they seized Simon of Cyrene who was coming in from the country and they made him carry the Lord’s cross. It was normal for the condemned criminal to carry the crossbeam of the cross to the crucifixion site where it would be raised up and attached to the vertical post. Making Simon carry it suggests that the Lord could not manage to do it himself. Luke doesn’t mention it, but before the journey, the soldiers beat and whipped the Lord Jesus. And so, presumably he was too weak from the beating to carry it himself.

Luke also tells us that a large number of people followed him, including some women, who mourned and wailed for him. And the Lord turned to them and told them not to weep for him, but to weep for themselves and for their children. Why should they weep for themselves and for their children? Because of what was going to happen to Jerusalem. Back in chapter 19, the Lord wept over Jerusalem, because he knew the day would come when Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Romans in AD70. And he spoke about the destruction of Jerusalem again in chapter 21. When the disciples marvelled at the grandeur of the temple, the Lord announced that all of it will be destroyed one day. So, the Lord has referred to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 on two previous occasions. And now, on the way to the cross, the Lord was thinking about it again and he was thinking about what will happen to all those people who did not believe in him. Don’t weep for me, he said. Weep for yourselves and for your children, because of the trouble that is coming on Jerusalem. The time will come when those who are barren will be counted as fortunate, because they will be spared the sorrow of seeing their children killed by the Romans. And at the time, when the Romans descend on Jerusalem, people will plead with the mountains to fall on them in order to hide them from the coming disaster.

And by announcing what will happen in advance, the Lord was giving them time to turn from their unbelief and sin in repentance and to confess their sins before the Lord and to seek his forgiveness. And forgiveness is available to everyone who repents and believes because the Lord Jesus was prepared to give up his life on the cross to pay for our sins and shortcomings and to make peace for us with God. Because of his self-sacrifice on the cross, we can look forward to everlasting life in the new Jerusalem to come, where all of God’s people will live in peace and safety for ever.

23:32–28

Luke tells us in a very simple way that when they arrived at the crucifixion site, they crucified the Lord Jesus between two criminals. Luke doesn’t draw attention to this, but this fulfils the prophecy in Isaiah 53 where it says that God’s Suffering Servant was numbered with the transgressors. In other words, all of what happened to the Lord was planned out by God and foretold long ago. It was the Father’s will for his Son to suffer and die like this, because there was no other way to save us.

Some of the commentators make the point that it was normal for those being crucified to cry out against their executioners. They would cry out for vengeance. And we can imagine them calling down all kinds of curses on the Roman soldiers. But instead of doing that, the Lord Jesus prayed for their forgiveness. He asked his Father in heaven to forgive them. And so he set us an example to follow, because we too must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

And Luke also tells us in verse 34 that they divided up his clothes by casting lots. This too is a fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy, because it fulfils Psalm 22:18, where God’s Suffering Servant says that his enemies cast lots for his clothing.

And in Psalm 22, God’s Suffering Servant was surrounded by his enemies who mocked him. And this too was fulfilled now, because Luke tells us how his enemies gathered around to mock him. ‘He saved others’, they said; ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the chosen one.’ And the soldiers also mocked him, saying to him: ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ And they put over his head a sign which read, ‘This is the king of the Jews.’ Of course, his enemies did not believe he was the king; and so, they were mocking him with his sign. And they did not believe he could save himself.

But he was the king. And he could have saved himself. He could have commanded the angels of heaven to come down to rescue him. He could have said the word and his enemies would have dropped down dead at his feet. He could easily have saved himself. But he came into the world to save us from our sin and misery in this world and to give us everlasting life and happiness in the world to come. And in order to save us from our sin and misery, he had to give us his life on the cross. He had to die for us to live. And so, though they tempted him to put himself first, and to save himself, he put us and our salvation first. Instead of saving himself, he gave himself up to death for us and for our salvation.

23:39–43

So far, the Jewish mocked him and the soldiers mocked him. Now one of the criminals beside him mocks him. ‘Aren’t you the Christ?’ he asked. ‘Save yourself and us.’ He wants the Lord to save them by bringing them down from the cross. But the Lord did not come to save us from physical pain in this world, but to give us everlasting life in the world to come. And the second criminal understood this. How did he know the truth about the Lord Jesus? God must have revealed it to him by the Holy Spirit, because faith is the gift of God; and by faith this criminal was able to look at Christ on the cross and know that this dying man was able to give him eternal life.

And so, this second criminal rebuked the other one for mocking the Lord Jesus. ‘Don’t you fear God?’ he asked. And can’t you see that we are getting what we deserve? He knows he’s a guilty sinner who deserves to suffer and die. But he also knows that the Lord has done nothing wrong. And then he turned to the Lord and asked the Lord to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. He’s asking the Lord to remember to show him mercy and to forgive him. And by mentioning Christ’s kingdom, the criminal is making clear that he believes the Lord Jesus is indeed a king and that his kingdom is not in this world, but it’s in the world to come.

And the Lord responded to his request by assuring him of eternal life. The Lord said to him: ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’ The Garden of Eden was the original paradise. But life in the Garden of Eden foreshadowed eternal life in the presence of God, which Adam forfeited for himself and for us when he disobeyed God’s command and ate the forbidden fruit. But eternal life in the presence of God has been opened up to us by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, who was obedient to his Father in heaven, even to the point of dying on the cross to pay for our sins. By his perfect life on earth as one of us and by his death on the cross pay for our sins, the Lord Jesus has opened up for us the way into paradise in the presence of God where we shall live with him in perfect peace and rest and happiness for ever and for ever. And so, though we die, yet we shall live with God in paradise, because life in the presence of God has been won for us by Christ our Saviour.

23:44–49

And today’s passage ends with verses 44 to 49 where Luke records the Lord’s death. Luke tells us that it was about the sixth hour. That is to say, it was around noon, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. And yet darkness came over the whole land for three hours. And the curtain in the temple was torn in two. Do you see that in verse 45? The tearing of the curtain signifies several things, but let me mention two things it signifies.

Firstly, it signifies what I’ve just said which is that the way into God’s presence has been opened up to us by the life and death of Christ. The curtain in the temple separated the Most Holy Place, where God was said to dwell, from the rest of the temple. And therefore it was like a barrier to keep the people away from God’s presence. But because of Christ’s life and death, the way into God’s presence has been opened up for us, because he has paid for our sins with his life and he has made peace for us with God forever. And so, whereas the way into God’s presence was once closed to us, it’s now it’s been opened to us because of Christ.

But then secondly, the tearing of the curtain foreshadows the destruction of the temple. The temple was going to be destroyed in AD70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. And the tearing of the temple foreshadowed that. And the temple could be destroyed because it was no longer necessary. There’s no need for that earthly temple now, where the blood of bulls and goats were offered to God for the sins of the people. There’s no need for that earthly temple now, because Christ has offered himself as the once-for-all, perfect sacrifice for sins. And as our great high priest, he serves, not in an earthly temple, but in the true heavenly temple above. And so, the temple could be destroyed, because it was no longer necessary.

And after telling us about the tearing of the curtain, Luke tells us that the Lord committed his spirit into the hands of his Father in heaven and breathed his last. And the Roman centurion, who was overseeing the crucifixions, praised God and said about the Lord Jesus, ‘Surely this was a righteous man.’ And he was a righteous man. He was a man who never did anything wrong; and instead he did everything right. And he shares his perfect righteousness with everyone who believes in him and who is trusting in him for salvation. So, though you may have done everything wrong, God treats you as if you’ve done everything right, because Christ shares his perfect righteousness, his perfect goodness, with you and with all who believe. That’s the wonder of the gospel. That’s why the second criminal could receive the assurance of eternal life before he died. This was a man who had committed a serious crime deserving death. And he had no time to make amends. He had no time to sort out his life. He had no time to make up for what he had done wrong. He was about to die. And yet, the Lord Jesus covered that man’s guilt with his own perfect righteousness; and Christ’s perfect righteousness covered up and blotted out all of that man’s sins and shortcomings. And Christ does the same for all who believe. No matter what we do before or after we believe, the moment we believe we are pardoned and accepted as righteous in God’s sight for the sake of the perfect righteousness of Christ.

And so, praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who sent his Only-Begotten Son into the world to live for us and to die for us so that we might have peace with God and the hope of everlasting life in the presence of God.