Luke 23:1-27

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:1-2

The whole body in view is the Sanhedrin. Luke alone recorded their specific charges against Jesus. They accused Him of leading the Jews away from their duty to Rome. This was untrue. Second, they charged Him with teaching the Jews not to pay taxes. This was also untrue (cf. Luke 20:25). Third, they accused Him of claiming to be a king, namely, the Jewish Messiah. This was true (cf. Luke 22:69-70), and it was the only issue about which Pilate showed concern. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:1-7

4. Jesus’ first appearance before Pilate 23:1-7 (cf. Matthew 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1b-5; John 18:28-38)Jesus’ trial now moved from its Jewish phase into its Roman phase. [Note: See R. Larry Overstreet, "Roman Law and the Trial of Christ," Bibliotheca Sacra 135:540 (October-December 1978):323-32.] It did not take long for Pilate to determine that Jesus was innocent of any crime worthy of death. Notwithstanding the record stresses how difficult it was for him to convict an innocent man. Pilate... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:3-4

It may seem strange that having secured a confession from Jesus that He was the King of the Jews Pilate would declare Him innocent. The answer is that Luke did not record the conversation that took place between Luke 23:3-4 (cf. John 18:35-38). In this conversation Pilate learned that Jesus did not claim to be a king in the ordinary sense. He concluded that Jesus posed no treat to the political stability of Roman interests in Palestine. Only Luke recorded Pilate’s official verdict that he gave... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:5-7

The continuing protestations of the Sanhedrin members led Pilate to send Jesus to Herod for examination. He probably did this to placate the Jewish leaders and to satisfy himself that he had not overlooked something in Jesus’ case that might merit punishment. Perhaps Herod Antipas had evidence of Jesus’ alleged insurrectionist activity in Galilee. Herod had a longer and more thorough acquaintance with Jewish affairs than Pilate did, and he was Semitic. Herod was evidently in Jerusalem for the... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:8-9

Luke had previously mentioned Herod’s interest in seeing Jesus (Luke 9:9). He clarified here that his interest in Jesus was only as a miracle worker. He had no interest in talking with Him about spiritual matters. It was evidently about His miracles that Herod questioned Jesus. Jesus did not respond because Herod had rejected the implication of His miracles, namely, that Jesus had come from God with a message for humankind. Herod had made his feelings toward prophets clear by decapitating John... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:8-12

5. Jesus’ appearance before Herod 23:8-12Luke alone recorded this aspect of Jesus’ Roman trial. He probably did so because Herod Antipas found no basis for condemning Jesus either. Thus Luke cited two official witnesses to Jesus’ innocence for his readers’ benefit (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15). read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:10-12

The accusations of the Jewish leaders (cf. Luke 22:66) and the insult that Herod must have felt at being rebuffed resulted in more contempt and mocking for Jesus (cf. Isaiah 53:7). This shows Herod’s true attitude toward Jesus.Herod put an elegant (Gr. lampros, cf. Acts 10:30; James 2:2-3; Revelation 15:6; Revelation 19:8) robe over Jesus that implied His royalty, but he sent Him back to Pilate as a king in bondage to Rome. This may or may not have been the same robe that Pilate’s soldiers... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:13-14

Pilate announced his verdict that he made after receiving Herod’s opinion. Pilate had found Jesus innocent of the charge of insurrection. He used standard legal terminology (cf. Acts 23:9; Acts 26:31-32). He doubtless intended to put the matter to rest.Luke’s reference to the people (Gr. laos, Luke 23:13) is significant. Throughout his Gospel Luke referred to the people (laos) as distinct from the crowds (ochlos). The former word describes people who did not oppose Jesus as their leaders did... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:15

Pilate also announced that Herod’s verdict agreed with his own. Herod was a recognized authority on Jewish affairs that Pilate’s hearers probably respected more than they did Pilate since Herod was Semitic. Both men agreed that Jesus had done nothing worthy of death. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Luke 23:16

Pilate evidently punished Jesus because He had caused Pilate trouble and as a concession to the Jewish leaders. This is clearer in the Greek text than in most English versions. "Punish" (Gr. paideusas) is probably a participle that modifies the main verb "release" (Gr. apolyso). Luke presented Pilate as wanting to give Jesus a light reprimand and then release Him. This is one of several indications in Luke’s Gospel that the writer wanted his Gentile readers to view Christianity favorably. This... read more

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