1Et surgens omnis multitudo eorum, duxerunt illum ad Pilatum. 2Cœperunt autem illum accusare, dicentes : Hunc invenimus subvertentem gentem nostram, et prohibentem tributa dare Cæsari, et dicentem se Christum regem esse. 3Pilatus autem interrogavit eum, dicens : Tu es rex Judæorum ? At ille respondens ait : Tu dicis. 4Ait autem Pilatus ad principes sacerdotum et turbas : Nihil invenio causæ in hoc homine. 5At illi invalescebant, dicentes : Commovet populum docens per universam Judæam, incipiens a Galilæa usque huc. 6Pilatus autem audiens Galilæam, interrogavit si homo Galilæus esset. 7Et ut cognovit quod de Herodis potestate esset, remisit eum ad Herodem, qui et ipse Jerosolymis erat illis diebus. 8Herodes autem viso Jesu, gavisus est valde. Erat enim cupiens ex multo tempore videre eum, eo quod audierat multa de eo, et sperabat signum aliquod videre ab eo fieri. 9Interrogabat autem eum multis sermonibus. At ipse nihil illi respondebat. 10Stabant autem principes sacerdotum et scribæ constanter accusantes eum. 11Sprevit autem illum Herodes cum exercitu suo : et illusit indutum veste alba, et remisit ad Pilatum. 12Et facti sunt amici Herodes et Pilatus in ipsa die : nam antea inimici erant ad invicem. 13Pilatus autem, convocatis principibus sacerdotum, et magistratibus, et plebe, 14dixit ad illos : Obtulistis mihi hunc hominem, quasi avertentem populum, et ecce ego coram vobis interrogans, nullam causam inveni in homine isto ex his in quibus eum accusatis. 15Sed neque Herodes : nam remisi vos ad illum, et ecce nihil dignum morte actum est ei. 16Emendatum ergo illum dimittam. 17Necesse autem habebat dimittere eis per diem festum unum. 18Exclamavit autem simul universa turba, dicens : Tolle hunc, et dimitte nobis Barabbam : 19qui erat propter seditionem quamdam factam in civitate et homicidium missus in carcerem. 20Iterum autem Pilatus locutus est ad eos, volens dimittere Jesum. 21At illi succlamabant, dicentes : Crucifige, crucifige eum. 22Ille autem tertio dixit ad illos : Quid enim mali fecit iste ? nullam causam mortis invenio in eo : corripiam ergo illum et dimittam. 23At illi instabant vocibus magnis postulantes ut crucifigeretur : et invalescebant voces eorum. 24Et Pilatus adjudicavit fieri petitionem eorum. 25Dimisit autem illis eum qui propter homicidium et seditionem missus fuerat in carcerem, quem petebant : Jesum vero tradidit voluntati eorum. 26Et cum ducerent eum, apprehenderunt Simonem quemdam Cyrenensem venientem de villa : et imposuerunt illi crucem portare post Jesum. 27Sequebatur autem illum multa turba populi et mulierum, quæ plangebant et lamentabantur eum. 28Conversus autem ad illas Jesus, dixit : Filiæ Jerusalem, nolite flere super me, sed super vos ipsas flete et super filios vestros. 29Quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent : Beatæ steriles, et ventres qui non genuerunt, et ubera quæ non lactaverunt. 30Tunc incipient dicere montibus : Cadite super nos ; et collibus : Operite nos. 31Quia si in viridi ligno hæc faciunt, in arido quid fiet ? 32Ducebantur autem et alii duo nequam cum eo, ut interficerentur. 33Et postquam venerunt in locum qui vocatur Calvariæ, ibi crucifixerunt eum : et latrones, unum a dextris, et alterum a sinistris. 34Jesus autem dicebat : Pater, dimitte illis : non enim sciunt quid faciunt. Dividentes vero vestimenta ejus, miserunt sortes. 35Et stabat populus spectans, et deridebant eum principes cum eis, dicentes : Alios salvos fecit, se salvum faciat, si hic est Christus Dei electus. 36Illudebant autem ei et milites accedentes, et acetum offerentes ei, 37et dicentes : Si tu es rex Judæorum, salvum te fac. 38Erat autem et superscriptio scripta super eum litteris græcis, et latinis, et hebraicis : Hic est rex Judæorum. 39Unus autem de his, qui pendebant, latronibus, blasphemabat eum, dicens : Si tu es Christus, salvum fac temetipsum et nos. 40Respondens autem alter increpabat eum, dicens : Neque tu times Deum, quod in eadem damnatione es. 41Et nos quidem juste, nam digna factis recipimus : hic vero nihil mali gessit. 42Et dicebat ad Jesum : Domine, memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum. 43Et dixit illi Jesus : Amen dico tibi : Hodie mecum eris in paradiso. 44Erat autem fere hora sexta, et tenebræ factæ sunt in universam terram usque ad horam nonam. 45Et obscuratus est sol, et velum templi scissum est medium. 46Et clamans voce magna Jesus ait : Pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. Et hæc dicens, expiravit. 47Videns autem centurio quod factum fuerat, glorificavit Deum, dicens : Vere hic homo justus erat. 48Et omnis turba eorum, qui simul aderant ad spectaculum istud, et videbant quæ fiebant, percutientes pectora sua revertebantur. 49Stabant autem omnes noti ejus a longe, et mulieres, quæ secutæ eum erant a Galilæa, hæc videntes. 50Et ecce vir nomine Joseph, qui erat decurio, vir bonus et justus : 51hic non consenserat consilio, et actibus eorum, ab Arimathæa civitate Judææ, qui exspectabat et ipse regnum Dei : 52hic accessit ad Pilatum et petiit corpus Jesu : 53et depositum involvit sindone, et posuit eum in monumento exciso, in quo nondum quisquam positus fuerat. 54Et dies erat parasceves, et sabbatum illucescebat. 55Subsecutæ autem mulieres, quæ cum eo venerant de Galilæa, viderunt monumentum, et quemadmodum positum erat corpus ejus. 56Et revertentes paraverunt aromata, et unguenta : et sabbato quidem siluerunt secundum mandatum.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 7 JESUS BEFORE HEROD. (
Luke 23:6-
Luke 23:12)
sent him to Herod--hoping thus to escape the dilemma of an unjust condemnation or an unpopular release.
at Jerusalem . . . at that time--to keep the passover.
8 some miracle--Fine sport thou expectedst, as the Philistines with Samson (
Judg 16:25), O coarse, crafty, cruel tyrant! But thou hast been baulked before (see on
Luke 13:31-
Luke 13:33), and shalt be again.
9 answered . . . nothing--(See
Matt 7:6).
10 stood and vehemently accused him--no doubt both of treason before the king, and of blasphemy, for the king was a Jew.
11 his men of war--his bodyguard.
set him at naught, &c.--stung with disappointment at His refusal to amuse him with miracles or answer any of his questions.
gorgeous robe--bright robe. If this mean (as sometimes) of shining white, this being the royal color among the Jews, it may have been in derision of His claim to be "King of the Jews." But if so, "He in reality honored Him, as did Pilate with His true title blazoned on the cross" [BENGEL].
sent him again to Pilate--instead of releasing him as he ought, having established nothing against Him (
Luke 23:14-
Luke 23:15). "Thus he implicated himself with Pilate in all the guilt of His condemnation, and with him accordingly he is classed" (
Acts 4:27) [BENGEL].
at enmity--perhaps about some point of disputed jurisdiction, which this exchange of the Prisoner might tend to heal.
26 JESUS AGAIN BEFORE PILATE--DELIVERED UP--LED AWAY TO BE CRUCIFIED. (Luke 23:13-38)
Cyrenian--of Cyrene, in Libya, on the north coast of Africa, where were many Jews who had a synagogue at Jerusalem (
Acts 6:9, and see
Acts 2:10). He was "the father of Alexander and Rufus" (
Mark 15:21), probably better known afterwards than himself, as disciples. (See
Rom 16:13).
out of the country--and casually drawn into that part of the crowd.
laid the cross--"Him they compel to bear His cross," (
Matt 27:32) --sweet compulsion, if it issued in him or his sons voluntarily "taking up their cross!" It would appear that our Lord had first to bear His own cross (
John 19:17), but being from exhaustion unable to proceed, it was laid on another to bear it "after Him."
27 women--not the precious Galilean women (
Luke 23:49), but part of the crowd.
28 not for me, &c.--noble spirit of compassion, rising above His own dread endurances, in tender commiseration of sufferings yet in the distance and far lighter, but without His supports and consolations!
30 mountains . . . hills, &c.-- (
Hos 10:8), flying hither and thither as they did in despair for shelter, during the siege; a very slight premonition of cries of another and more awful kind (
Isa 2:10,
Isa 2:19,
Isa 2:21;
Rev 6:16-
Rev 6:17).
31 green tree--that naturally resists the fire.
the dry--that attracts the fire, being its proper fuel. The proverb here plainly means: "If such sufferings alight upon the innocent One, the very Lamb of God, what must be in store for those who are provoking the flames?"
39 THE TWO THIEVES. (
Luke 23:39-
Luke 23:43)
railed on him--catching up the universal derision, but with a turn of his own. Jesus, "reviled, reviles not again"; but another voice from the cross shall nobly wipe out this dishonor and turn it to the unspeakable glory of the dying Redeemer.
40 Dost not thou--"thou" is emphatic: "Let others jeer, but dost thou?"
fear God--Hast thou no fear of meeting Him so soon as thy righteous Judge? Thou art within an hour or two of eternity, and dost thou spend it in reckless disregard of coming judgment?
in the same condemnation--He has been condemned to die, but is it better with thee? Doth even a common lot kindle no sympathy in thy breast?
41 we . . . justly, &c.--He owns the worst of his crimes and deserts, and would fain shame his fellow into the same.
nothing amiss--literally, "out of place"; hence "unnatural"; a striking term here. Our Lord was not charged with ordinary crime, but only with laying claim to office and honors which amounted to blasphemy. The charge of treason had not even a show of truth, as Pilate told His enemies. In this defense then there seems more than meets the eye. "He made Himself the promised Messiah, the Son of God; but in this He 'did nothing amiss'; He ate with publicans and sinners, and bade all the weary and heavy laden come and rest under His wing; but in this He 'did nothing amiss': He claimed to be Lord of the Kingdom of God, to shut it at will, but also to open it at pleasure even to such as we are; but in this He 'did nothing amiss!'" Does His next speech imply less than this? Observe: (1) His frank confession and genuine self-condemnation. (2) His astonishment and horror at the very different state of his fellow's mind. (3) His anxiety to bring him to a better mind while yet there was hope. (4) His noble testimony, not only to the innocence of Jesus, but to all that this implied of the rightfulness of His claims.
42 said unto Jesus, &c.--Observe here (1) The "kingdom" referred to was one beyond the grave; for it is inconceivable that he should have expected Him to come down from the cross to erect any temporal kingdom. (2) This he calls Christ's own (Thy) kingdom. (3) As such, he sees in Christ the absolute right to dispose of that kingdom to whom He pleased. (4) He does not presume to ask a place in that kingdom, though that is what he means, but with a humility quite affecting, just says, "Lord, remember me when," &c. Yet was there mighty faith in that word. If Christ will but "think upon him" (
Neh 5:19), at that august moment when He "cometh into His kingdom," it will do. "Only assure me that then Thou wilt not forget such a wretch as I, that once hung by Thy side, and I am content." Now contrast with this bright act of faith the darkness even of the apostles' minds, who could hardly be got to believe that their Master would die at all, who now were almost despairing of Him, and who when dead had almost buried their hopes in His grave. Consider, too, the man's previous disadvantages and bad life. And then mark how his faith comes out--not in protestations, "Lord, I cannot doubt, I am firmly persuaded that Thou art Lord of a kingdom, that death cannot disannul Thy title nor impede the assumption of it in due time," &c.--but as having no shadow of doubt, and rising above it as a question altogether, he just says, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest," &c. Was ever faith like this exhibited upon earth? It looks as if the brightest crown had been reserved for the Saviour's head at His darkest moment!
43 Jesus said, &c.--The dying Redeemer speaks as if He Himself viewed it in this light. It was a "song in the night." It ministered cheer to His spirit in the midnight gloom that now enwrapt it.
Verily I say unto thee--"Since thou speakest as to the king, with kingly authority speak I to thee."
To-day--"Thou art prepared for a long delay before I come into My kingdom, but not a day's delay shall there be for thee; thou shalt not be parted from Me even for a moment, but together we shall go, and with Me, ere this day expire, shalt thou be in Paradise" (future bliss,
2Cor 12:4;
Rev 2:7). Learn (1) How "One is taken and another left"; (2) How easily divine teaching can raise the rudest and worst above the best instructed and most devoted servants of Christ; (3) How presumption and despair on a death hour are equally discountenanced here, the one in the impenitent thief, the other in his penitent fellow.