Luke 23; Luke 24

Luke 23

1 Then the whole group got up and led Jesus off to Pilate.

2 They began to bring charges against Jesus. They said, "We have found this man misleading our people. He is against paying taxes to Caesar. And he claims to be Christ, a king."

3 So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.

4 Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd. He announced, "I find no basis for a charge against this man.

5 But they kept it up. They said, "His teaching stirs up the people all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was from Galilee.

7 He learned that Jesus was from Herod's area of authority. So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. At that time Herod was also in Jerusalem.

8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased. He had been wanting to see Jesus for a long time. He had heard much about him. He hoped to see Jesus do a miracle.

9 Herod asked him many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there. With loud shouts they brought charges against him.

11 Herod and his soldiers laughed at him and made fun of him. They dressed him in a beautiful robe. Then they sent him back to Pilate.

12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends. Before this time they had been enemies.

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people.

14 He said to them, "You brought me this man. You said he was turning the people against the authorities. I have questioned him in front of you. I have found no basis for your charges against him

15 Herod hasn't either. So he sent Jesus back to us. As you can see, Jesus has done nothing that is worthy of death.

16 So I will just have him whipped and let him go."

18 With one voice the crowd cried out, "Kill this man! Give Barabbas to us!"

19 Barabbas had been thrown into prison. He had taken part in a struggle in the city against the authorities. He had also committed murder

20 Pilate wanted to let Jesus go. So he made an appeal to the crowd again.

21 But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!

22 Pilate spoke to them for the third time. "Why?" he asked. "What wrong has this man done? I have found no reason to have him put to death. So I will just have him whipped and let him go."

23 But with loud shouts they kept calling for Jesus to be crucified. The people's shouts won out.

24 So Pilate decided to give them what they wanted.

25 He set free the man they asked for. The man had been thrown in prison for murder and for fighting against the authorities. Pilate gave Jesus over to them so they could carry out their plans.

26 As they led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon. Simon was from Cyrene. He was on his way in from the country. They put a wooden cross on his shoulders. Then they made him carry it behind Jesus.

27 A large number of people followed Jesus. Some were women whose hearts were filled with sorrow. They cried loudly because of him.

28 Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children.

29 The time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the women who can't have children! Blessed are those who never gave birth or nursed babies!'

30 It is written, " 'The people will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" They'll say to the hills, "Cover us!" ' (Hosea 10:8)

31 People do these things when trees are green. So what will happen when trees are dry?"

32 Two other men were also led out with Jesus to be killed. Both of them had broken the law.

33 The soldiers brought them to the place called The Skull. There they nailed Jesus to the cross. He hung between the two criminals. One was on his right and one was on his left.

34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing." The soldiers divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood there watching. The rulers even made fun of Jesus. They said, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him. They offered him wine vinegar

37 They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

38 A written sign had been placed above him. It read, this is the king of the jews

39 One of the criminals hanging there made fun of Jesus. He said, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself! Save us!"

40 But the other criminal scolded him. "Don't you have any respect for God?" he said. "Remember, you are under the same sentence of death.

41 We are being punished fairly. We are getting just what our actions call for. But this man hasn't done anything wrong."

42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43 Jesus answered him, "What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise."

44 It was now about noon. The whole land was covered with darkness until three o'clock.

45 The sun had stopped shining. The temple curtain was torn in two.

46 Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my very life." After he said this, he took his last breath.

47 The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, "Jesus was surely a man who did what was right."

48 The people had gathered to watch that sight. When they saw what happened, they beat their chests and went away.

49 But all those who knew Jesus stood not very far away, watching those things. They included the women who had followed him from Galilee.

50 A man named Joseph was a member of the Jewish Council. He was a good and honest man.

51 He had not agreed with what the leaders had decided and done. He was from Arimathea, a town in Judea. He was waiting for God's kingdom.

52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.

53 He took it down and wrapped it in linen cloth. Then he put it in a tomb cut in the rock. No one had ever been buried there.

54 It was Preparation Day. The Sabbath was about to begin.

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph. They saw the tomb and how Jesus' body was placed in it.

56 Then they went home. There they prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath day in order to obey the Law.

Luke 24

1 It was very early in the morning on the first day of the week. The women took the spices they had prepared. Then they went to the tomb.

2 They found the stone rolled away from it.

3 When they entered the tomb, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

4 They were wondering about this. Suddenly two men in clothes as bright as lightning stood beside them.

5 The women were terrified. They bowed down with their faces to the ground. Then the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?

6 Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how he told you he would rise. It was while he was still with you in Galilee.

7 He said, 'The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day he will rise from the dead.' "

8 Then the women remembered Jesus' words.

9 They came back from the tomb. They told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others.

10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them were the ones who told the apostles.

11 But the apostles did not believe the women. Their words didn't make any sense to them.

12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent over and saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. Then he went away, wondering what had happened.

13 That same day two of Jesus' followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem.

14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

15 As they talked about those things, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.

16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

17 Jesus asked them, "What are you talking about as you walk along?" They stood still, and their faces were sad.

18 One of them was named Cleopas. He said to Jesus, "You must be a visitor to Jerusalem. If you lived there, you would know the things that have happened there in the last few days."

19 "What things?" Jesus asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet. He was powerful in what he said and did in the eyes of God and all of the people.

20 The chief priests and our rulers handed Jesus over to be sentenced to death. They nailed him to a cross.

21 But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to set Israel free. Also, it is the third day since all this happened.

22 "Some of our women amazed us too. Early this morning they went to the tomb.

23 But they didn't find his body. So they came and told us what they had seen. They saw angels, who said Jesus was alive.

24 Then some of our friends went to the tomb. They saw it was empty, just as the women had said. They didn't see Jesus' body there."

25 Jesus said to them, "How foolish you are! How long it takes you to believe all that the prophets said!

26 Didn't the Christ have to suffer these things and then receive his glory?"

27 Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets.

28 The two men approached the village where they were going. Jesus acted as if he were going farther.

29 But they tried hard to keep him from leaving. They said, "Stay with us. It is nearly evening. The day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30 He joined them at the table. Then he took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them.

31 Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. But then he disappeared from their sight.

32 They said to each other, "He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. Weren't our hearts burning inside us during that time?"

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them. They were all gathered together.

34 They were saying, "It's true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon!"

35 Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when he broke the bread.

36 The disciples were still talking about this when Jesus himself suddenly stood among them. He said, "May peace be with you!"

37 They were surprised and terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost.

38 Jesus said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do you have doubts in your minds?

39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is really I! Touch me and see. A ghost does not have a body or bones. But you can see that I do."

40 After he said that, he showed them his hands and feet.

41 But they still did not believe it. They were amazed and filled with joy. So Jesus asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"

42 They gave him a piece of cooked fish.

43 He took it and ate it in front of them.

44 Jesus said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything written about me must happen. Everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must come true."

45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

46 He told them, "This is what is written. The Christ will suffer. He will rise from the dead on the third day.

47 His followers will preach in his name. They will tell others to turn away from their sins and be forgiven. People from every nation will hear it, beginning at Jerusalem.

48 You have seen these things with your own eyes.

49 "I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But for now, stay in the city. Stay there until you have received power from heaven."

50 Jesus led his disciples out to the area near Bethany. Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them.

51 While he was blessing them, he left them. He was taken up into heaven.

52 Then they worshiped him. With great joy, they returned to Jerusalem.

53 Every day they went to the temple, praising God.