Luke 23

AND the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, saying, that he himself is Christ a King.

And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered him, and said, Thou sayest it.

Then said Pilate to the chief priests, and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

When Pilate heard of G ilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean.

And assoon as he knew that he belonged to He rods jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself was also at Jerusalem at that time.

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.

Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they were at enmity between themselves.

And Pilate when he had called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people,

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;

No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.

I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.

And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:

(Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder was cast into prison)

Pilate therefore willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.

But they cried, saying, Crucifie him, crucifie him.

And he said unto them the third time, Why what evil has he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified: and the voices of them, and of the chief priests prevailed.

And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

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. The History of our Saviours Examination and Trial, before Pilate the Roman Governour of Iudea, is recorded by all four Evangelists, nor can it be distinctly and perfectly understood, without the comparing together of what they all say, which we did in our Notes on Matth. 27. from v. 1. to v. 27. where our Reader will find all such passages opened, as occurr in any of the Evangelists about it, and stand in need of explication. See the Notes there. The High Priests, and the chief Priests, and the Elders, had before determined our Saviour Guilty of Death, for Blasphemy, they stoned Stephen in that case, Acts 7.59. without carrying him before the Roman Governour at all, that we read of in that History; how came it to pass that they did not so by our Saviour, but make a double work of it? 1. Some think that that was rather done in a tumult, tho he was carried before the Council, Acts 6.12. than in a regular judicious way, for Conquerors in those times, tho they sometimes allowed the Nations conquered Courts f judicature, wherein they judged in ordinary matters, according to their own Laws, and had judges of their own Nations, yet ordinarily reserved Capital causes to the cognisance of Governours constituted by them; and this seemeth confirmed by Iohn 18.31. where when Pilate said. Take ye him, and judge him according to your Law, we read that the Jews replied. It is not Lawful for us to put any to Death. 2. Others think that they had a Power to put to Death, but it was not Lawful for them to put any to Death upon the Feast Day. It was now the first Day of Vnleavened Bread. But the former seemeth more probable. 3. Or was it because they had Sedition and Treason, to lay to his charge, which were crimes cognoscible only before the Roman Governour? and possibly they were willing enough (knowing the Reputation our Saviour had with the People) to lay the Odium of his Death upon Pilate, rather than take it upon themselves. 4. Whatever were the causes, it is most certain that it could be no otherwise, that all Righteousness might be fulfilled, not a Word of what our Saviour said could pass away, he had soretold Matth. 20.19. Mark 10.33. Luke 18.32. that he should not only be betrayed to the chief Priests and Scribes, and by them be Condemned to Death, but that he should be delivered to the Gentiles, to Mock, and to Scourge, and to Crucifie; and indeed that way of putting to Death by Crucifying, could only be done by the Gentiles, and that Death he was to Dye. In the History of our Saviours examination before Pilate is observable, 1. How much more Justice and Equity our Saviour found from a Heathen, than from the Iewish Church-men, the latter Condemn him without any Proof, after all attempts of subornation, and seek to destroy him right or wrong. Pilate useth all indeavours to deliver him and set him at liberty. 2. How desperate the hatred is that groweth upon the account of Religion, in the hearts of wicked Men; they prefer a Person guilty of the highest Immoralities, and Debaucheries viz. Sedition and Murder, before the most innocent Person that ever lived, who differed only from them in so e Points of Religion, and those chiefly relating to Traditions and Ceremonies; but indeed he interpreted the Will of God more strictly than their Lusts would suffer them to interprete it, and lived another kind of Life than they lived. Strictness and Holiness of Doctrine and Life, is that which inrageth the Men of the World against the Preachers and professors of the Gospel. But see the Notes on Matth. 27. more fully.

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. See the Notes on Matth. 27.32. and Mark 15.21.

And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for your selves, and for your children.

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.

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? What is in these verses is only found in this Evangelist; but being part of what happened in the way, while our Saviour was leading to his Cross. We have before opened what is here in the Notes on Matth. 26.31, 32. They are another Prophecy of the dreadful Calamities, which happened about forty years after this, at the Destruction of Ierusalem.

And there were also two other malefactours led with him to be put to death.

And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactours; one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Mark says here, The Scripture was fulfilled, which says, And he was numbred with the Transgressors. We met with this before, both in Matthew and Mark. See the Notes on Matth. 27.33. and 38. and also on Mark 15. v. 27, 28.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

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.

And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thy self.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And one of the malefactors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thy self and us.

But the other answering, rebuked him, saying Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth, untill the ninth hour.

And the sun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the mids.

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. See the Notes on Matth. 27.35, 36, to v. 50 and on Mark 14.23. to 38. This part also of the History of our Saviour's Passion is best understood, by a comparing together what all the E angelists say, which we have before done in our Notes on Matthew as we shall only observe some few things from it, as here recited, v. 35. And the People stood beholding, and the Rulers also derided him saying, Matthew ch. 27. The chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders, were there mocking. So says, Mark 15.31. How does Malice and Hatred for Religion sake, not only out show Mens reason, but lso all their Moral Virtue? and make nothing accounted uncharitable unjust, or indecent to them, into whom this Devil has once entred. To say nothing of the injustice, and indecencies obvious to every Eye, which these Men showed upon our Saviour's examination, and Trial. It was now the first Day of the Feast of Vnleavened Bread, the Day following the Passover Night; or (as some think) the Preparation both for the Weekly Sabbath, and for the Passover, (tho the most judicious Interpreters be of the first Opinion) one of them it was; be it which it would. If Atheism, and Irreligion had not been at the height amongst this People, had it been possible that the High Priest, and the chief of the Priests, and the Rulers of the Jews, should have spent this Day, the whole time, from break of the Day till Noon, in accusing, or Condemning Christ? and then have spent the afternoon, in mocking, and deriding him on the Cross as he was dying, breaking all Laws of humanity, and decency, as well as Religion; admiting Annas and Caiaphas were not there; yet some of the chief of the Priests, the Scribes, and the Elders, were certainly there; and behaving themselves there more rudely and indecently than the common People. The People were there beholding him. These were there mocking and deriding a dying Person. But as we say in Philosophy. Corruptio optimi est pessima. So we shall find it true. That Men who are imployed in sacred things, if the true fear of God be not in them, to make them the best, they are certainly the vilest and worst of Men. We read of no rudnesses offered to our Saviour dying, but from the Scribes, Chief Priests, Rulers, and Soldiers. These verses also afford us great Proof of the immortality of the Soul; otherwise the penitent thief could not that Day have been with Christ in Paradise as Christ promised, v. 43. Nor would Christ have committed his Soul into his Fathers hand, if it had been to have expired with the Body, and have vanished into Air. For other things which concern this part of the History, of our Saviour's Passion. See the Notes before mentioned on Matth. 27. from v. 35. to 50.

Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off beholding these things. For a perfect knowledge of all those things which did happen, after our Saviour's nailing to the Cross, till he died, and was taken down to be buried, all the Evangelists must be consulted. We have made a Collection of them in our Notes on Matth. 27. from v. 51. to v. 57. to which the Reader is here referred. This passage about the Centurion, is taken notice of both by Matthew and Mark; only they say, he said, Truly this was the Son of God. Luke says, that he said, Certainly this was a Righteous Man. Possibly the sense is the same, and the Centurion by the Son of God, did not mean the Son of God by eternal Generation, but one highly favoured of God, a righteous Man, and very dear to God, and highly beloved of him, for it must be by a very extraordinary Revelation and impression if he had so early a Faith in Christ as God Blessed for ever. I think Mr. Calvin on Matth. 26.54. expounds it well, non vulgarem esse hominem, sed divinitus excitatum statuit. The Centurion determined, that Christ was no ordinary Person, but one stirred up by, and sent of God. It is observable, that Christ had a testimony from all orders of Men almost, except the Scribes, and Priests, and Pharisees. Pontius Pilate, and Herod, declared him innocent. Pilate's Wif acknowledgeth him a Righteous Person. The Thief on the Cross testifieth he had done nothing amiss. Iudas the Traitor, confesseth he had betrayed innocent Blood. The Centurion owneth him to be no ordinary Man, but a Righteous Man, the Son of God. The multitude always owned him. They see they are now run down, they smite their Breasts, say nothing, but depart. Only those that were to have been the teachers of others, are blinded and hardened to their ruin.

and behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor, and he was a good man, and a just:

The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them, He was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewen in stone, wherein never man before was laid. See the Notes on Matth. 27.57, 58.

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. Gr., the Sabbath shined. What Preparation was here intended, whether to the weekly Sabbath of the Jews, (that it was most certainly) or to the Passover also which some will have to have been this year put off to that Day, because of the concurrency of the Weekly and the Annual Feast, I shall not determine, tho the most judicious Interpreters skilled in the Hebrew Writings, think the Passover this year was kept in its season, the Night before. But the Sabbath, that is the seventh Day drew on. The Greek Word signifies shined, the propriety of which term, has cost Criticks some pains to make out, for it rather began to be Dark then lightsome, their Sabbath beginning after t e setting of the Sun. Some think the Word referred to the evening Star, which began to shine. Others, that it referred to a Lamp or Candle, which they were wont to set up, they call it Luminare descriminationis, the Light of Discrimination, which being set up in their several Families, the Sabbath was accounted to be begun. Others think it referred to the following Day. But there need not much labour in the case, for by the same reason that it is said; The Evening and the Morning made the Sabbath Day. The Sabbath might be said (that is to begin) when it began to be Dark, not taking the Word in a proper, but in a Metaphorical sense.

And the women also which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

And they returned, and prepared spices and and ointments; and rested the sabbath-day, according to the commandment. See the Notes on Matth. 27.61. It is Beza's observation upon these verses, That Christ being opposed by the Devil, and all his instruments, being now Dead, leaveth two or three poor Women, as it were in the Front of the Battle, intending within a very short time, without much ado, to Triumph over all these terrible adversaries.