Who Killed Jesus? According to The Gospel of Luke

Cheryl Mason © April, 2016

Luke was the only non-Jewish Gospel writer. He claimed that his Gospel would provide an orderly narrative of the life of Jesus which he says is based on eye-witness accounts (Luke 1:1-3).

The Gospel of Luke is addressed to the ‘Most Excellent, Theophilus’, it is unclear who exactly this Theophilus is, but obviously it is someone important.

Chapter 22

Verse 1 —- The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) draws near

Verse 2 —- Chief Priest and Scribes sought to kill Jesus

Verse 4 —- Judas Iscariot goes to the High Priests to betray Jesus

Verse 5 —- The High Priests agree on a price for Jesus

Verse 6 —- Judas Iscariot sought an opportunity to betray Jesus

Verse 8 —- Jesus tells His disciples to go prepare for the Passover meal

Verse 13 — The disciples prepare the Passover meal in the upper room

Verse 15 — Jesus predicts His suffering

Verse 18 — Jesus and the disciples partake of the fruit of the vine (the cup)

Verse 19 — Jesus and the disciples partake of the bread and give thanks (the bread)

Verse 31 — Jesus predicts Simon (Peter) will be sifted like wheat

Verse 33 — Simon (Peter) says he will not deny Jesus, not even to death

Verse 34 — Jesus says … “Simon (Peter) you will deny me three times.”

Verse 39 — Jesus and the disciples arrive at the Mount of Olives

Verse 40 — Jesus calls on His disciples to pray

Verse 41 — Jesus Himself kneels down to pray

Verse 42 — Jesus prays … take this cup from me, not my will but your will be done

Verse 43 — Jesus is comforted by an Angelic being

Verse 44 — Jesus sweats drops of blood because of the agony He was experiencing

Verse 46 — When Jesus returns to His Disciples He finds them sleeping

Verse 47 — Judas arrives with a crowd and draws near to kiss Jesus (Luke does not mention who the crowd consists of, but in verse 50 he states that one of the disciples cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest)

Verse 51 — Jesus heals the ear of the High Priest’s servant

Verse 53 — Jesus says … “I was daily with you in the Temple and you didn’t try and seize me”

Verse 54 — Jesus is brought to the house of the High Priest (Caiaphas), Simon (Peter) follows in a distance

Verse 62 — Peter’s denial of Jesus is fulfilled, after denying Jesus three times, Peter goes out and weeps bitterly

Verse 63 — “The men who hold Jesus” (Luke seems reluctant to name the Chief Priests, Scribes and Elders, but we already know that Jesus is being held in Caiaphas’s Palace). Jesus is mocked and beaten

Verse 64 — An interrogation of sorts takes place, where Jesus is blindfolded asked to Prophesy! And asked to identify who struck Him

The Next Morning: The day before Passover

Verse 66 — The next day, Jesus is led into the Council of the Chief Priests, Scribes and Elders. This would be the Sanhedrin.

Verse 67 — “Tell us if you are the Christ (Messiah)”. Jesus said … “If I did, by no means will you believe me.”

Verse 68 — “And, if I ask you, you will in no ways answer me or let me go.” Jesus knew whatever He said at this point would be of no use, He was going to die no matter what.

Verse 69 — Jesus replies, “It is as you say … nevertheless you will see the Son of Man, sitting at the right hand of Power”, (Messianic Expectation – Daniel 7:13)

Verse 70 — “Are you then the Son of God?”, they knew exactly what Jesus was talking about, Jesus replied, “You, rightly say that I AM”, in other words … You are right (correct). So many people misunderstand this verse, they think that somehow Jesus was avoiding the question. Not so, it makes perfect sense when you look at it in the light of the situation and ask yourself this one question: What would Jesus be doing there, if the Chief Priests, Scribes and Elders didn’t believe He was the Son of God?

Verse 71 — “What further testimony do we need?” they said.

People still question as to whether Jesus ever said that He was the Messiah. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Jesus declares that He is the Messiah, the Anointed One and the Chief Priests, Scribes and Elders refused to believe Him and yet by their actions they did believe Him.

 

Chapter 23

Verse 1 —- Jesus is taken to Pilate, the crowds follow

Verse 2 —- The accusations here are: A threat to the Nation; not paying taxes to Caesar and declaring Himself to be a King

Verse 3 —- Pilate asks Jesus … “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answers, “It is as you say” meaning You are right (correct).

Verse 4 —- Pilate says to the crowd … “I see no fault in this man”.

The way I understand Pilate’s comment is ─ that Pilate saw absolutely no threat from Jesus. Jesus didn’t look like a King, act like a King, live like a King or possess a physical Kingdom. Jesus and His disciples were itinerant preachers, who roamed the countryside and healed people, they had no interest in material possessions, military rule or earthly powers. They didn’t even have a house to live in let alone a Kingdom.

I’ve read much about the history of Rome and their fear of Kings. And, those in favour of a Roman only trial and crucifixion for Jesus say that Rome feared Jesus, so they killed Him. In the Gospel of John (John 18:36) Jesus clearly tells Pilate, “My Kingdom is NOT of this world, IF, My Kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight etc.” Clearly, Jesus and His Disciples were not fighters.

The Romans did have a King once-upon-a-time and it didn’t work out well for them. They vowed never to have a King again and opted for a Republic instead. I do not believe the Romans viewed Jesus as a threat, a Galilean trouble makes perhaps, but not a threat to the Republic. I believe the term ‘King of the Jews’ was used to ridicule not only Jesus but the Jewish people in general.

Verse 5 —- They (?) again Luke does not mention who stirs up the people, but we know who stirs up the people from the other Gospels. They (?) accuse Jesus of stirring up the people through His teaching, in all Judea and they let Pilate know that Jesus is a Galilean. Jesus is not part of Pilate Jurisdiction; all Galilean’s were under Herod’s Jurisdiction.

Verse 7 —- Jesus is marched off to see Herod, Herod just happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.

Verse 8 —- Herod seems glad to see Jesus and is hoping to see a miracle of some kind

Verse 10 — The Chief Priests accuse Jesus before Herod

Verse 11 — Herod mocks Jesus, places a robe on Him and sends Him back to Pilate

Verse 12 — Herod and Pilate develop a friendship after being enemies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend ─ something like that.

Verse 13 — Pilate calls in the Chief Priests, rulers and the people

Verse 14 — After stating the reasons as to why Jesus was brought to Him in the first place (misleading the people) Pilate stated that he found no fault with Jesus

Verse 15 — Pilate says neither did Herod find any fault with Jesus

Verse 16 — Pilate decide to chastise Jesus and then release Him

Verse 17 — It appears from this verse that Luke wishes to release Jesus under the Passover Prisoner Amnesty –  the releasing of one prisoner

Verse 18 — The crowds were having no part of it, they wanted Barabbas released instead, Luke mentions Barabbas was imprisoned for rebellion and murder (verse 19)

Verse 20 — Pilate makes another attempt to release Jesus a second time

Verse 21 — But the crowds shouted “Crucify Him!”

Verse 22 — Pilate tries a third time to release Jesus, asking … “What evil has He done?”

Verse 23 — The crowd was insistent and the voices of the men and the Chief Priests prevailed

Verse 24 — Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified

Verse 25 — Barabbas is released and Jesus is delivered for crucifixion as they wished

Verse 26 — Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross

Verse 27 — a large crowd of people followed, women mourned and lamented

Verse 28 — Jesus turns to them and says … “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me but weep for your yourselves and for your children”

Verse 29 — Jesus makes a prediction about the coming suffering upon the woman of Jerusalem … “For the days are coming when barren wombs and breasts that never sucked would be considered blessed.”

Verse 30 — Jesus predicts that they will say to the mountains fall on us and to the hills cover us. And, if this happens in the green wood how much worse would it be in the desert regions

Verse 33 — Jesus arrives at Calvary (Golgotha) there are two other criminals being crucified with Him

Verse 34 — Jesus prays for the people … “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” They cast lots of His garments

Verse 35 — Jesus is mocked by the people and rulers about His Messianic claims

Verse 36 — The Roman soldiers also mocked Him and offered Him sour wine

Verse 38 — The inscription above Him was written in Greek, Latin and Hebrew: This is Jesus the King of the Jews.

Verse 43 — Jesus assures the repentant thief on the cross salvation in Paradise

Verse 44 — Luke says … there was darkness from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, the sun was darkened and the Temple Veil was rent in two (verse 45)

Verse 46 — Jesus cries out “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” Luke says … Jesus died about the ninth hour (Matthew 27:46; Luke 23: 44 and John 19:14 say ninth hour, but Mark 15:25 says third hour, it’s just a case of whether Jewish standard time or a Roman standard time was used) For a more detailed explanation please refer to Apologetics Press.

http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=584

Verse 50 — Joseph of Arimathea a prominent council member gets permission from Pilate to remove the body of Jesus and lay it in his own new tomb. Jesus was buried before Passover in accordance with Judaic Law. Jews removed the body and buried it before sunset, Roman Law dictated that crucified bodies remained on the cross as a deterrent to would-be offenders. Eventually carrion eating animals and birds consumed the bodies.

This is not where this story ends, but in this instance it will end here, because I’ve provided you with a breakdown verse by verse of the important events in the trial and subsequent crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, according to the Gospel of Matthew.

If you get nothing else out of this, please understand that this man suffered the full force of Judaic and Roman Law under two trials. Something that was unheard of even at a time when these cultures were steeped in cruelty.

In the words of the Apostle Paul … “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Jesus Christ of Nazareth, could never be a curse for us if He didn’t take on every aspect of the Curse of Judaic Law. If He was crucified and died under Roman Law, then we would have a Roman deity, and a Roman deity becoming a curse for us is irrelevant and carries no spiritual benefit to us.

The End:

Images used in this article were purchased and used with permission from iStock by Getty Images.

---