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    Luke 23:44-56
    Lesson 160

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson: 
     
    Jesus dies and is buried.
    Jesus is taken off the cross. 
    Study Tip:
     
    Don't forget to read the margin notes in blue and click on the links.
    Who was - 
     
    Joseph of Arimathaea -
    Joseph was a wealthy member (Matthew 27:57) of the powerful Jewish high council, the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50-51), and a secret follower of Jesus Christ (John 19:38).  Joseph kept his faith secret out of fear of the Pharisees' (John 12:42) and was absent the night the Sanhedrin convicted the Messiah of blasphemy (Luke 23:50-51).  Joseph "begged" Pilate for Jesus' body, removed Him from the cross, supplied the tomb for Jesus to be buried in (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46), and following Jewish custom (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) saw to His burial.  According to John 19:39-42, Nicodemus, another member of the Sanhedrin, helped Joseph bury Jesus.  Joseph appears in all four Gospels.

    The Gospel According to St. Luke

    The King James Bible    ​

    Luke 23:44-56
    "This was a righteous man"

    44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

    45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

    46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

    47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

    48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

    49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

    50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

    51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

    52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

    53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

    54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

    55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

    ​56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "The sixth hour...until the ninth hour." (23:44) - "From noon...until three p.m. "
     
    "There was a darkness over all the earth." (23:44) - Jim Bishop, author of The Day Christ Died, (Harper & Brothers, New York, New York; page 299) reports this darkness was experienced world-wide.  "The darkness, which was like looking through extra-strong sun glasses, seems to have pervaded the world at this hour.  Phlegon (Greek historian) wrote that in the fourth year of the two hundred and second Olympiad, there was a great darkness over Europe, surpassing anything that had ever been seen.  At mid-day, he said, the stars could be seen.  At the same time an earthquake caused much damage in Nicaea (present day Iznik, Turkey).  Tertullian (author and early Christian) found in the records of Rome a notation of world-wide darkness which the statesmen of the Empire couldn't explain."
     
    "The veil of the temple was rent in the midst." (23:45) - "The Temple veil was torn in the middle."  According to the Quest Study Bible (published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Pg. 1432), "The large blue, purple and scarlet curtain separated the Holy Place (of the temple) from the Most Holy Place, an inner room which symbolized God's presence (Exodus 26:31-33).  Only the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place once a year.  The curtain was, in effect, the barrier that separated people from God."  Tearing the sixty by thirty-foot curtain in two was God's proclamation that humanity was no longer separated from Him, a separation created by Adam and Eve's sin.  Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, the barrier between God and man is gone forever.  We now have direct access to our creator (Hebrews 9:1-15; 10:19-22).
     
    "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." (23:46) - Jesus is reciting the short Jewish prayer found in Psalm 31:5.
     
    "Gave up the ghost." (23:46) - Means Jesus died.
     
    "Beholding the things which were done." (23:48) - "Watching what was happening."
     
    "Smote their breasts, and returned." (23:48) - "Beat their breasts, and went home."
     
    "The women that followed him from Galilee." (23:49) - A reference to Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Joses and James (the less), and Zebedee's wife Salome, mother of James and John (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40-41).  Of course, other women also followed Jesus as He traveled about preaching (Luke 8:1-3).
     
    "That day was the preparation." (23:54) - "The day was Friday, preparation day (for the Sabbath)."
     
    "According to the commandment." (23:56) - The commandments laid out in Exodus 12:16; 20:10 and Leviticus 23:8, which forbid working on the Sabbath.
    Read Matthew 25:27-56 (lessons 60 and 61), Mark 15:20-47 (lesson 98), Luke 23:26-43 (lesson 159), and John 19:16-37 for more on Jesus' crucifixion. 


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Luke 23:44-56
    The Death of Jesus
     
    44 By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock.

    45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.

    46 Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last.
     
    47 When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, "Surely this man was innocent."

    48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.

    49 But Jesus' friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
     
    The Burial of Jesus
     
    50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council,

    51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.

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

    53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock.

    54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath was about to begin.
     
    55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed.

    ​56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
     
    1.  Who were the women that followed Jesus to the sepulcher? (23:55)


    Happy moments, praise God.  Difficult moments, seek God.  Quiet moments, worship God.  Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

    Answer: (Do you agree?) 
    ​​
    1. Two women followed Jesus to His tomb.  They were Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joses (Mark 15:47).  They were part of a devoted group of women who accompanied Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem.  Unlike the twelve disciples who went into hiding, they stayed on Calvary during the crucifixion.  After Jesus succumbed on the cross, both went to the tomb to be close to Him.  After the Sabbath, they planned to return and properly anoint His body with spices and ointment.


    ​Application thought for the day:
     
    What does the death of Jesus teach us?  How should it influence your life?
    ​Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible".  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
    ​    © 2020 evolke