The leaders accused Jesus of perverting the nation. Some scholars think they believed Jesus caused people to fight against their Roman rulers. Other scholars think these leaders believed Jesus caused the Jewish people to riot and fight against the Jewish leaders.
Jesus was taken to Herod. Some scholars think Pilate sent Jesus to Herod so Herod would have something to report to Pilate about Jesus. Other scholars think Herod asked to meet Jesus so Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Other scholars think Pilate sent Jesus to Herod so that Herod could determine whether the things said about Jesus were true.
Jesus did not answer Herod’s questions. Some scholars think this was because he knew that he was going to die. He knew that he needed to die so that people could be at peace with God. Other scholars think Jesus did not answer Herod’s questions because he knew Herod wanted to do something evil.
The soldiers dressed Jesus in the type of robe that only kings wore. They did this to mock Jesus. They did not think he was a king. They wanted other people to think this also.
Some ancient copies of Luke have the words in verse 17. More and older ancient copies of Luke do not have these words. Scholars do not think Luke wrote these words. However, Matthew and Mark wrote these words (see: Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6).
Barabbas was a criminal who was in prison. Luke said that Barabbas had been involved with a rebellion. Scholars think he was also a violent person who fought against the Roman empire. They think the Jewish people asked for Barabbas to be freed because Barabbas was a hero to some of them. He was a hero because he tried to free Israel from Roman rule.
The soldiers grabbed Simon from the crowd and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. Some scholars think the soldiers had Simon carry one piece of the cross while Jesus carried the other piece. Other scholars think Simon was made to carry one piece and the other piece was at the place where Jesus was going to be crucified. Other scholars think Simon carried one end of the cross while Jesus carried the other end.
Jesus told the women not to weep for him because God wanted Jesus to suffer and die. This was God’s will. However, they needed to weep because the people of Jerusalem would soon experience great suffering. Scholars think Jesus was speaking about when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. This happened about forty years after Jesus died.
Luke wrote about people speaking to the mountains and hills. This was a metaphor. Scholars think that they were going to greatly suffer and because of this they would want to die quickly.
Jesus talked about a green tree and a dry tree because he warned the Jewish people they will suffer. The green tree was a metaphor for Jesus. When Jesus talked about the green tree, he wanted people to know that he was going to greatly suffer, but he did not do anything wrong. When Jesus talked about the the dry tree, he was speaking about people who did the wrong things. These people will suffer more than Jesus.
Scholars think the place they took Jesus was called “the skull” because it was a hill that looked like a skull. Other scholars think the place was called the skull because the Romans had executed many people there. It was not because there were human skulls lying on the ground.
1. Some scholars think that offering Jesus vinegar to drink was an act of compassion because the drink was thought to satisfy thirst better than water.
1. Some scholars think the soldiers offered Jesus vinegar to drink in order to mock him. That is, only the common people drank vinegar, or sour wine. A king would never be offered vinegar or sour wine to drink.
Scholars think the soldiers put a sign over Jesus so people would know why he was crucified. Some scholars say Pilate wanted to mock Jesus with the sign. Other scholars think Pilate wanted to mock the Jewish leaders because they put their own king to death.
The criminal asked Jesus to remember him because the criminal wanted to enter the kingdom of God. That is, he wanted Jesus to remember him when he returned to rule as the Messiah.
The sixth hour was midday. The ancient Jews divided a day into twelve parts. The hours varied in length according to the time of the year so that midday was always the sixth hour. It was about noon.
Luke wrote about the sun’s light fading. Some scholars think God used a strong wind that caused large amounts of dust to blow up and block the light of the sun. Other scholars think God used a miracle to blocked the light of the sun.
Scholars think the curtain of the temple was an inner curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was very thick. Nothing could tear this curtain except God.
Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God. He was expecting the coming of the kingdom of God. Some scholars think Joseph may have believed that Jesus was the Messiah.
The Day of Preparation was the time to prepare for the Sabbath. It began on Thursday evening and lasted until Friday evening. People cleaned houses, bought supplies, and cooked food so that they did no work on the Sabbath.
The women prepared spices and ointments to put on the body of Jesus. The spices and ointments helped to hide the smell of a decaying body. It was also a sign of honor to anoint a body with spices and ointments, and was thought to preserve the body.
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