23:1 Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.
23:2 They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation,
forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a
king."
23:3 Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered,
"You say so."
23:4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an
accusation against this man."
23:5 But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching
throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."
23:6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
23:7 And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him off to
Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
23:8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a
long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign.
23:9 He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer.
23:10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
23:11 Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he
put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate.
23:12 That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they
had been enemies.
23:13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people,
23:14 and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the
people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty
of any of your charges against him.
23:15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to
deserve death.
23:16 I will therefore have him flogged and release him."
23:18 Then they all shouted out together, "Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas
for us!"
23:19 (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken
place in the city, and for murder.)
23:20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again;
23:21 but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!"
23:22 A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in
him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then
release him."
23:23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified;
and their voices prevailed.
23:24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.
23:25 He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for
insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.
23:26 As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the
country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.
23:27 A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were
beating their breasts and wailing for him.
23:28 But Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for
me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
23:29 For the days are surely coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and
the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
23:30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us'; and to the hills,
'Cover us.'
23:31 For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is
dry?"
23:32 Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
23:33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there
with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are
doing." And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
23:35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,
"He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen
one!"
23:36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,
23:37 and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
23:38 There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."
23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,
"Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under
the same sentence of condemnation?
23:41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for
our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."
23:42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
23:43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
23:44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon,
23:45 while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
23:46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last.
23:47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,
"Certainly this man was innocent."
23:48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had
taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.
23:49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things.
I'm working on an idea that may not turn out, but here's where I am now. Luke
includes 3 of the 7 last words: Forgive them, You (to a sinner) and I are going
to be companions, and addressing God, into thy hands.... These are good examples
of how to face death. but, Jesus is going to conquer death. Thus, these are good
ways to face life. SY
Well, the idea of words for life didn't work out. As I worked on the sermon,
it became "And the crowd stood watching." SY
I am h=going with the idea that we are willing to follow God, or anyone, as
long as they are what we want them to be. But the minute that they are truly
themselves, or they do not get what they want they turn on you. (Sounds a lot
like church members, and some ministers.)
We try to put God in a box and do not like what happens when he does not stay
there. Especially when he includes people that we do not like. And do we as
pastors follow the crowd or lead them to the place that God wants them to be.
(Where is God in the Creech trial?)
It is interesting to see the passion and crucifixion described as a
spectacle, one from which the crowd left, beating their breasts. It reminds me
of the first Sunday of Lent ( I think) and the temptations, one of which is to
provide a spectacle (waiting for the angels to come and tend God's Beloved). The
spectacle is obscene. This week four people were killed by the State of Florida.
The crowd may have been smaller, but the spectacle no less obscene.
This scene also reminds me of the sense of abandonment many people feel in
deep grief - loss of God's closeness, deep disappointment when cures are not
received -- other times when God appears to be sleeping on the job. It's a
struggle some folks carry for a long time before any sniff of resurrection.
A day to hold up the promise, I think. Maybe a day to acknowledge the
suffering in our congregations and point out who sanctified that suffering.
This scripture gives use a view of three ways to die. 1) Jesus, dying knowing
that he is doing God's will and knowing where true life leads. 2) We have the
criminal who calls for Jesus to save himself, not believeing that Jesus us the
Son of God. 3) And then we see the second criminal defending Jesus and asking
Jesus to remember him "when you come into your kingdom". Here we see that you
can die one of three ways; following God's will, as Jesus did, repenting before
you die, as the second criminal did, or continuing in disbelief as the first
criminal did. I think this can preach.
A seed for a sermon thought focuses on the thief that prays a confession of
his guilt, acknowledges that Jesus is the Messiah, that there is a kingdom after
death, and ask Jesus for life while the three of them are there awaiting death
Jesus in this moment, when most of us would be a little self centered in his own
pain, focuses his attention on this one and promises to his effective today life
after death. The compassion of Jesus for us, so great that he is willing to die.
This reading also confirms for me that Jesus came not just as the son of man but
also as the son of God. Because he cannot die until he offers his spirit up to
the father. Through this action coupled with the promise to the thief we see
that we also have a spiritual life within us that will continue on after the
physical is dead. A life that unless we too shall confess, and accept Jesus
shall otherwise die.
