The Gospel According to Luke (NAS)

Chapter Summary: In this chapter, the religious trial transitions into a political one. Because the Sanhedrin lacked the authority to carry out a death sentence, they had to present Jesus to the Roman governor not as a blasphemer, but as a dangerous insurrectionist. Luke alone provides the fascinating detail of the “jurisdictional hand-off” to Herod Antipas. Jesus is brought before Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. Herod is the man who had previously beheaded John the Baptist and had long been curious about Jesus—not out of a desire for truth, but out of a thirst for entertainment. The silence of Jesus in this passage is one of the most striking moments of the entire Passion narrative. Next, Pilate attempts to use logic and a “compromise” of physical punishment to release Jesus. However, the political pressure of the crowd—now a unified front including the common people (ton laon)—forces his hand. The passage presents a stark exchange of destinies: the murderer is set free, and the Innocent is handed over to the will of the mob. In this somber procession, Jesus moves toward Golgotha. While the crowds were shouting for His death moments ago, a group of women now expresses the traditional mourning rites of the ancient Near East. Even in His extreme physical weakness, Jesus’ focus remains prophetic, warning those watching that His suffering is the prelude to a much greater national tragedy. Luke brings the Passion to its theological and emotional peak. While Matthew and Mark focus on the abandonment and the darkness, Luke highlights Jesus’ role as the compassionate Savior—forgiving His executioners, promising life to a criminal, and finally entrusting His spirit to the Father with a shout of confidence. As the Sabbath approachs, the frantic violence of the day gives way to a quiet, respectful burial. Luke introduces Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the very council that condemned Jesus, who acts as a moral counterpoint to his peers. The scene concludes with a focus on the Galilean women, whose careful observation of the tomb sets the stage for the events of Sunday morning.

“Entire assembly” (hapan to plēthos): This is a strong collective term. It isn’t just a few leaders; Luke portrays a unified, massive front of the Judean establishment putting pressure on the Roman governor.

“Misleading” (diastrephonta): This verb literally means “twisting” or “perverting.” They are framing Jesus’ teaching as a subversion of the social order.

“Forbidding the payment of taxes” (v. 2): This is a blatant and significant lie. In 20:25, Jesus explicitly told them to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” The religious leaders are intentionally misrepresenting His “Kingdom” talk as a tax revolt to trigger a Roman response.

“You say so” (sy legeis): This is a nuanced Greek response. It is not an evasion, but a qualified “Yes.” It implies: “The words are yours, though I might define ‘King’ differently than you do.”

“No basis for a charge” (ouden heuriskō aition): Pilate uses formal legal language here. Aition refers to a legal ground for prosecution. To Pilate, Jesus appeared to be a harmless religious eccentric rather than a violent zealot.

“They were insistent” (epischyon): This verb means “to grow stronger” or “to become more violent.” As Pilate’s legal resolve wavered, the accusers increased the volume and intensity of their rhetoric.

“Jurisdiction” (exousias): The word exousia here refers to legal authority or territory. Pilate was looking for a “legal loophole” to avoid making a decision on a controversial prisoner, so he used Jesus’ Galilean origin to pass the responsibility to Herod Antipas.

“Sent Him up” (anepempsen): This is a technical term for sending a prisoner to a higher authority or a different court. It also reflects the physical geography, as Herod’s Hasmonean Palace was likely on higher ground than the Praetorium.

“Exceedingly glad” (echari lian): Herod’s joy is superficial and macabre. It stands in stark contrast to the joy of the disciples or the “rejoicing” mentioned elsewhere in Luke. To Herod, Jesus is a curiosity, a “miracle-worker” to be auditioned.

“With many words” (en logois hikanois): The Greek implies a lengthy, perhaps rambling interrogation. Herod likely pelted Jesus with questions about His origins, His miracles, and perhaps even His relationship to John the Baptist.

“No answer at all” (ouden apekrinnato): This is a deliberate silence. While Jesus spoke to the Sanhedrin and to Pilate, He offers Herod nothing. This fulfills the principle of not “throwing pearls before swine”—Herod had already rejected the light of John the Baptist and treated spiritual matters as a joke.

“Vehemently” (eutonōs): This adverb literally means “at full stretch” or “with great tension.” It suggests the religious leaders were shouting their accusations with intense energy, perhaps fearing that Herod’s curiosity might lead him to release Jesus.

“Treated Him with contempt” (exouthenēsas): This verb is derived from the word for “nothing” (outhen). It means to treat someone as if they are absolutely nothing—to completely devalue their existence.

“Splendid clothing” (esthēta lampran): The word lampran suggests something bright, shining, or white. While the Roman soldiers later use a purple or scarlet robe to mock Jesus’ royalty (representing the “imperial” color), Herod’s use of “splendid” clothing may have been a parody of the Jewish royal or high-priestly attire.

“Became friends... previously they had been at enmity” (v. 12): Luke notes the dark irony that the rejection and humiliation of the righteous Son of God becomes the common ground upon which two worldly, rival powers find reconciliation.

Punish” (paideusas): This is a chilling euphemism. The root paideuō normally means “to train” or “to discipline a child.” In this Roman judicial context, it refers to the “flogging” (scourging) intended to satisfy the crowd’s bloodlust without actually killing the prisoner.

“As one mass” (pamplēthei): This rare adverb (used only here in the NT) emphasizes the total, unanimous nature of the crowd’s reaction. It wasn’t just a few instigators; it was a wall of sound from the entire multitude.

“Away with this man” (aire touton): Literally, “Take this one away.” It is a demand for His removal from the world of the living, echoing the language used later in the Book of Acts against Paul.

“Crucify! Crucify Him!” (staurou, staurou auton): In the Greek, these are present imperatives. This suggests a rhythmic, repetitive chant—a sustained roar of “Crucify! Crucify!” that drowned out Pilate’s attempts at reason.

“They were urgent” (epekeinto): This verb carries the sense of being “laid upon” or “pressing down.” The crowd was physically and vocally “pressing” Pilate, leaving him no political room to maneuver.

“Their voices began to prevail” (katischyon hai phōnai autōn): A tragic summary. The “authority” (exousia) of the Roman governor was overcome by the “strength” (ischyon) of the mob’s shouting.

“Gave the legal verdict” (epekrinen): This is a formal technical term for a final judgment. It signals that Pilate has stopped negotiating and has officially ratified the crowd’s “petition” (aitēma).

“Handed Jesus over to their will” (v. 25): Luke highlights the inversion of justice. Pilate does not hand Jesus over to “the Law,” but to the “will” (thelēmati) of the very people who hated Him.

“Seized” (epilabomenoi): This verb implies a forced conscription. Roman soldiers had the legal right to compel a provincial to carry baggage for a certain distance. Simon, likely a pilgrim from North Africa (Cyrene), was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time—or, as the narrative suggests, the right place for a divine appointment.

“Beating their breasts and wailing” (ekoptonto kai ethrēnoun): These are technical terms for ritualized mourning. Ekoptonto literally means “to strike oneself,” a physical expression of grief. Jesus interrupts this professional or semi-professional mourning to deliver a sober warning.

“Blessed are the barren” (v. 29): In Jewish culture, barrenness was considered a reproach and a source of deep sorrow. Jesus is reversing the cultural values to show how horrific the coming Siege of Jerusalem (70 AD) will be—so terrible that not having children to witness the suffering would be considered a mercy.

“When the wood is green... when it is dry” (v. 31): This is a proverbial riddle. The “green wood” is Jesus—innocent and full of life. The “dry wood” is the rebellious, spiritually dead nation. If the Roman “fire” of judgment is this severe against a righteous man, how much more intensely will it burn when it reaches a city ready for destruction?

“Criminals” (kakourgoi): Literally “evil-workers.” While Matthew and Mark use a word for “insurrectionists” or “robbers,” Luke uses a more general term that emphasizes their moral/legal status as “evildoers” in contrast to the innocent “Green Wood.”

“The Skull” (Kranion): Luke uses the Greek word Kranion rather than the Aramaic Golgotha. This likely makes the location more visceral for his Greek readers—it was a place identified by its resemblance to a human skull.

“He kept saying” (eleghen): The Greek is in the imperfect tense, suggesting repeated action. Jesus didn’t just say “Father forgive them” once; He likely kept repeating it as the nails were driven in and the cross was raised.

“Sneering” (exemyktērizon): This is a vivid verb that literally means “to turn up the nose at.” It depicts a physical gesture of extreme contempt and derision.

“Sour wine” (oxos): This wasn’t a gesture of mercy, but of mockery. Oxos was the cheap, vinegary wine drank by Roman soldiers. Offering it to a “King” was a sarcastic parody of a royal toast.

“Nothing out of place” (ouden atopon): The repentant criminal uses the word atopon, which literally means “out of place” or “unbecoming.” He recognizes that Jesus’ character and actions are completely inconsistent with the criminal context of the execution.

“Paradise” (paradeisō): A Persian loanword meaning a walled garden or royal park. In Jewish thought, it referred to the place of the righteous dead. Jesus’ promise is immediate (“today”) and personal (“with Me”).

“Sun’s light failed” (tou hēliou ekleipontos): While some see this as an eclipse, the “sixth to ninth hour” (noon to 3 PM) is impossible for a natural solar eclipse during a full moon (Passover). Luke uses the term to describe a supernatural withdrawal of light.



“Entrust” (paratithemai): This is a banking or legal term for “depositing” something for safe-keeping. It changes the nature of the death from a tragic end to a purposeful, voluntary deposit of His life into God’s care.

“Innocent” (dikaios): While Matthew and Mark record the centurion saying “Son of God,” Luke uses dikaios (righteous/innocent). In Luke’s Gospel, where the theme is a legal trial, this is the ultimate verdict: the Roman officer in charge of the execution declares the state’s prisoner to be innocent.

“Member of the Council” (bouleutēs): This specifically identifies Joseph as a member of the Sanhedrin (the Boule). Luke is careful to note that the Jewish leadership was not a monolith; there were “good and righteous” men within the system who dissented from the majority.

“Had not consented” (ouk ēn syngkatatetheimenos): This is a strong compound verb meaning “to vote with” or “to deposit one’s opinion along with others.” Joseph likely abstained or was absent during the hurried night-trial described in chapter 22.

“Taking it down” (kathelōn): This describes the physical act of removing a body from a cross—a grim and labor-intensive task. By doing this himself, Joseph was incurring ceremonial defilement right before the Sabbath, showing his devotion outweighed his ritual status.

“Linen cloth” (sindoni): This refers to a sheet of fine, high-quality linen. The use of such material, along with a “rock-hewn” (laxeutō) tomb, indicates that Jesus was given a wealthy man’s burial, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9.

“Beginning to dawn” (epephōsken): This is a fascinating word choice because the Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset, not sunrise. The verb literally means “to shine upon” or “to dawn.” Luke likely uses it metaphorically: as the sun set, the “light” of the Sabbath was beginning to settle over the land.

“Observed” (etheasanto): This is more than a casual look; it implies a careful, contemplative gaze. The women were “taking notes” on the exact location and the position of the body so they could return after the Sabbath.

“They rested” (hēsychasan): This verb means to be quiet, to be still, or to rest from labor. It creates a powerful narrative pause. The Creator of the world is “resting” in a tomb on the Sabbath day, echoing the rest after the original creation.