Luke 23:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I will therefore punish and release him."

NIV: Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."

NASB: Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.'

CSB: Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him."

NLT: So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.'

KJV: I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

NKJV: I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”

The chief priests, elders, and scribes brought Jesus to Pilate, insisting that He is committing crimes that will lead to a revolt against Pilate. Pilate considered the evidence and determined their accusations are meritless. He even sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee, for confirmation (Luke 23:1–11). Antipas, too, thinks Jesus is innocent (Luke 23:15)—a strong testimony for someone who had little love for Jesus or His followers (Mark 6:17).

Having fulfilled the procedure of a legal Roman investigation, Pilate again declares Jesus innocent. But he proposes a compromise: to have Jesus "punished" before releasing Him.

"Punish" is from the Greek word paideusas which means "discipline." It means to educate someone so they make wise life choices, but "educate" often means to whip or scourge someone. Historical sources say that the extent of the punishment was left to the authority. Pilate may have meant to have Jesus beaten. He just wants to satisfy the blood lust of the Jewish leaders and their energetic crowd. He would prefer Jesus stop antagonizing them. The Sanhedrin will react in much the same way to the disciples when they refuse to stop talking about Jesus' resurrection (Acts 5:40–41).

Jesus' accusers are not so easily satisfied. They insist Pilate crucify Jesus: that He die the worst possible death. It's not clear if Pilate has Jesus beaten here. When he finally agrees to send Jesus to the cross, Jesus is scourged: whipped to the point that the flesh is torn away from His body (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1–5). Whether because of his respect for Jesus or because of Theophilus's sensitivities, Luke glosses over details about the violence Jesus suffers.

Luke 23:13–19 contains Pilate's next attempt to convince the Sanhedrin that Jesus has done nothing worthy of death. He even offers to scourge Jesus before releasing Him. The Sanhedrin won't listen. Instead of Jesus, they'd rather Pilate release the insurrectionist Barabbas. Matthew 27:15–21 and Mark 15:6–11 roughly follow the same timeline, but John 18:39—19:5 includes details about what Jesus endures at the hands of Pilate's guards.

Luke 23 records the remaining trials, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. He is examined by the Roman governor and the local appointed King, neither of whom are interested in passing a death sentence. Local religious leaders incite the crowd, pressuring the governor, Pilate, to authorize crucifixion. Jesus accepts the faith of another condemned man and dies. Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus body and buries it in a tomb cut from rock.

Luke 23 records Jesus' civil trials, crucifixion, and burial. The members of the Sanhedrin have put Jesus through three trials in their attempt to convince Pilate He's a threat (Luke 22:47–71). Their case is weak, but their political influence is powerful enough to force Pilate's hand. Jesus is executed. Three days after Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus, Jesus reappears on the road to Emmaus where He explains Messianic prophecies in Jewish Scriptures. After spending time with His followers, Jesus ascends into heaven (Luke 24) and the disciples build the church (Acts).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.