Chronological Gospels: Luke 23
We jump back into the gospel story with Luke’s account of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. So many things can be seen by studying each account, reading each perspective deeply, comparing them, and appreciating the unique ways each person presented the same story. By the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the testimonies of others who were present, Luke captures aspects of these moments that the other accounts don’t always do the same way, yet they all speak of the same true story that changed everything for all of mankind.
Something that struck me today is that Pilot said multiple times that Jesus was innocent and did not deserve death. Because of the reaction of the crowd and religious leaders, though, Pilot caved and sent Jesus to His death. But on the flip side, the religious leaders asked for a murderer to be released and for Jesus to be killed. Think about that for a moment.
Barabbas, a known murderer, was demanded to be released while Jesus, who was innocent of all sin, was demanded to be killed in the most brutal and humiliating way. Barabbas walked free, a killer, a criminal, whose crimes were known by those who demanded his release instead of Jesus’. Jesus, knowing this, allowed Himself to be taken away, beaten, mocked, and murdered for telling the truth that the religious leaders did not want to hear or believe.
Jesus was the Truth that the religious leaders had studied the scriptures about, taught their flocks about, and waited and prepared for the coming of – yet, they had become so corrupted and hard-hearted that they could not see the Truth right in front of them. They chose a murderer over the Messiah they’d waited so long for. They were guilty of the blasphemy they accused Jesus of and killed Him for, and they released a murderer and murdered Jesus.
They mocked Him, beat Him, and told Him that if He was really the Son of God that He should save Himself, but what they did not realize is that He was sacrificing Himself in order to save them. The most mind-boggling part of this is that He knew more than we ever will. He knew their sin, their evil, and He knows yours and mine as well. As He hung on the cross in agony, He prayed for God to forgive them.
Reflecting on Luke’s account of Jesus’s arrest and crucifixion, what does this teach you about Jesus that you may not have seen before?
