Jesus Christ’s willingness to suffer shows His love for the Father and for all of us.
The Savior was accused by Jewish leaders; questioned by Pilate, Herod, and then Pilate again; and sentenced to be crucified. Luke’s account helps us see that even while Jesus Christ was being falsely accused and suffering on the cross, He exemplified self-restraint, compassion, love, and forgiveness.
READ Luke 23:2-3
-What is Jesus being accused of? How does He respond to Pilate?
READ What did Jesus mean in verse 3… in Additional Resources
-Why did the Jewish leaders charge Jesus with Roman crimes?
REVIEW Luke 23:4–11…in Additional Resources
-After Pilate, how did the accusations progress?
-What did Jesus say to Herod? Why?
READ Elder James E. Talmage…in Add’l Res
-How can we follow the Savior’s example when criticized or persecuted?
READ Elder Robert D. Hales…in Add’l Res
REVIEW Luke 23:13–26…in Add’l Res
Only Luke describes Jesus’ appearance before Herod Antipas and Pilate’s subsequent attempt to declare Jesus’s innocence by referring to Herod as a second witness: “I … have found no fault in this man … : no, nor yet Herod … ; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him” (Luke 23:14–15). Luke’s account gives us the clearest understanding that Jesus appeared before Pilate twice—before and after He was sent to Herod. Luke also recorded that Pilate asked the Jews in attendance three times why they wanted Jesus crucified and then, finally giving in to popular pressure, released Barabbas.
Luke 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
The Chief Priests Take Counsel Together, by James Tissot
26-NT SS Lesson: June 19-25 Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19 “It Is Finished”
READ Matt 27:19-26
-Why is Pilate reluctant to punish Jesus
-What happens when Pilate offers to free Jesus in an exchange?
-When Pilate finally accedes to the demands of the Jews what does he do?
-What does he say about his innocence?
-How do the people respond? Have they suffered?
READ Luke 23:27-30
-As He is led away what do His comments mean?
This prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 with the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem.
Ancient prophets foresaw the Savior’s suffering and Crucifixion.
Ancient prophets foretold many of the events in the Savior’s final hours. Look in Matt 27 for fulfillment of those prophecies.
-How do these prophecies strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ?
Matt 27:19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should cask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out athe more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Luke 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Opposition cannot stop the work of God.
READ Luke 23:35-39
These verses are among those describing the persecution the Savior faced.
READ To whom was the Lord referring…in Add’l Res
-What do we learn from the Savior’s responses that can help us face opposition?
READ How do people today mock and deride the Savior?...Add’l Res
-Why is it that opposition to the Savior is often led by the educated and successful (in worldly terms)?
-Who have we learned are often the most susceptible to the sins of pride and envy?
-What other examples of individuals facing opposition can help us?
READ Joseph Smith—History 1:24–25.
Luke 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 ¶ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
JS—History 1:24 However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest breath, that he had both seen a light and heard a voice speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him think or believe otherwise.
25 So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.
Neither Pilate nor anyone else had the power to take the Savior’s life
READ President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
“Pilate, now afraid, said to Jesus: ‘Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?’ (John 19:10).
“One can only imagine the quiet majesty when the Lord spoke. ‘Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above’ (John 19:11).
“What happened thereafter did not come because Pilate had power to impose it, but because the Lord had the will to accept it.
“‘I lay down my life,’ the Lord said, ‘that I might take it again.”
(“Atonement, Agency, Accountability,” Ensign, May 1988, 69).
The Savior offers us hope and forgiveness.
Even in His final moments, the Savior continued to offer hope and forgiveness.
READ Luke 23:34-43---note JST addition
-What did the Savior mean when He told the thief?
READ What was the Lord promising…in Add’l Res
-How can we follow the Savior’s example?
READ Of What do all four of the Gospels unequivocally testify? All four Gospels record the Crucifixion, the death, and the Resurrection of the Savior. All four Gospels declare that Jesus was “crucified, died and rose again the third day.”
(D&C 20:23)
John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
JST Luke 23:35 … they do (Meaning the soldiers who crucified him,) …
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 ¶ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
LAST WORDS:
Elder Packer, at the end of the quote on the preceding page, pointing out the Savior’s power over His own life, further quotes the Savior: “‘No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.’’
Speaking as an Apostle, President Russell M. Nelson drew attention to the significance of the date of the crucifixion of the Savior, when he said, “Pilate delivered the Lamb of God to be crucified at the same time Paschal lambs nearby were being prepared for sacrifice” (“Why This Holy Land?” Ensign, Dec. 1989, 18). At the very hour when the Passover lambs were being sacrificed, the “Lamb of God” began His journey to the cross to make the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote the following about the sign that Pilate hung on the cross (see John 19:19): “In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin—as though to symbolize the fact that here was a message for all nations and tongues—Pilate bore a written testimony of the divine Sonship of our Lord, a testimony which he obdurately refused to change, a testimony which is true and so stands everlastingly” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:817).
The sign was read by many people because the Crucifixion took place “nigh to the city” (John 19:20). Crucifixion in the Roman Empire was for punishment and also for deterrence of crime. The Roman writer, Marcus Quintilian, explained why crucifixions took place where many people could see them: “Whenever we crucify the guilty, the most crowded roads are chosen, where the most people can see and be moved by this fear. For penalties relate not so much to retribution as to their exemplary effect” (cited in The Anchor Bible Dictionary [1992], “Crucifixion”).
Elder Hales (quoted in the lesson) also spoke about how the Savior’s example can show us the way to endure to the end: “Jesus chose not to be released from this world until He had endured to the end and completed the mission He had been sent to accomplish for mankind. Upon the cross of Calvary, Jesus commended His spirit to His Father with a simple statement, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30). Having endured to the end, He was released from mortality.
The Joseph Smith Translation provides important additional insight: “Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice, saying, Father, it is finished, thy will is done, yielded up the ghost” (Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 27:54 [in Matthew 27:50, footnote a]).
“We, too, must endure to the end. The Book of Mormon teaches, ‘Unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved’ (2 Ne. 31:16)” (“The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 6).
We are indebted to our leaders for the truth and light they bring as they teach and expound upon the scriptures and the life of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for their service, for their knowledge and for their love, for they do love us, just as the Father and His son love us. The gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and offers us the only path to salvation and eternal life.
Greg
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Luke 23:4-11
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan.
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 ¶ And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
What did Jesus mean when He responded “thou sayest it” to Pilot? “Although ‘thou sayest it’ can be seen as a qualified response, the JST revision….reveals a Christ who forthrightly acknowledges who and what He is: ‘Thou sayest truly, for thus it is written of me’ in Matthew.” (Huntsman, “Before the Romans,” 296)
Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote about the exchange between the Savior and Herod: “Herod began to question the Prisoner; but Jesus remained silent. The chief priests and scribes vehemently voiced their accusations; but not a word was uttered by the Lord. … As far as we know, Herod is … the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to Him, yet never heard His voice. … For Herod the fox He had but disdainful and kingly silence. Thoroughly piqued, Herod turned from insulting questions to acts of malignant derision. He and his men-at-arms made sport of the suffering Christ, ‘set him at nought and mocked him’; then in travesty they ‘arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate’]. Herod had found nothing in Jesus to warrant condemnation” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 636).
Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) these thoughts on how we might follow the Savior’s example when other people criticize or persecute us:
“When we respond to our accusers as the Savior did, we not only become more Christlike, we invite others to feel His love and follow Him as well.
“To respond in a Christlike way cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent. When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His divinity and purpose. Facing the moneychangers who were defiling the temple, He exercised His divine responsibility to preserve….that which was sacred. Lifted up upon a cross, He uttered the incomparable Christian response: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’.
“Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to ‘love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]’ (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage” (“Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 72).
Luke 23:13–26
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:
19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
To Whom was the Savior Referring when He asked His Father to “Forgive Them?” “When the Lord, in His dying moments, turned to His Father and requested ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,’ He was referring to the [Roman] soldiers who crucified Him (JST, Luke 23:35). They acted under the mandate of a sovereign nation. It was the Jews who were guilty of the Lord’s death.” (“Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, “ 90)
How do people today mock and deride the Savior? “Doubt and cynicism about Jesus, about the reality of His resurrection, and even about His historical reality, have increasingly become the hallmark of our age. We observe with sorrow learned scholars who make a mockery of Christ, denying His virgin birth and resurrection, deriding His commandments, substituting pallid situational ethics for the eternally relevant certainties of the Sermon on the Mount.” (Morrison, “I am the Resurrection and the Life,” 40)
What was the Lord Promising the Thief? “Another mistaken idea is that the thief on the cross was forgiven of his sins when the dying Christ answered: ‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ All the Lord’s statement promised the thief was that both of them would soon be in the spirit world. The thief’s show of repentance on the cross was all to his advantage, but his few words did not nullify a life of sin….Hence the mere display of deathbed faith in not sufficient….How could He forgive them, when were not repentant?” (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 90)