Unshaken: Chapter a Day

Luke 23 Discussion

• Pastor Plek

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Crowds roar, leaders wobble, and a crucified King speaks forgiveness. We step into Luke 23 with open Bibles and open questions, tracing the path from Pilate’s court to Golgotha and a borrowed tomb. Along the way, we confront the uneasy alliance of Herod and Pilate, the charged choice between Barabbas and Jesus, and the shocking grace that welcomes a dying thief into paradise that very day.

We talk candidly about power, politics, and conscience—why Pilate recognizes innocence yet caves to pressure and how “their voices prevailed” remains a warning for every age. The story is grounded in history, not myth; Pontius Pilate is a name carved into stone and creed alike, anchoring the gospel in time and place. Yet this chapter is also deeply personal: one criminal mocks while another turns in trust, Joseph of Arimathea risks reputation to honor Christ, and the women prepare spices before resting on the Sabbath, their quiet faith pointing to the rest won by the cross.

Our conversation presses toward application you can carry into your week. Reject the tyranny of crowd noise. Honor Jesus with costly love. Embrace the great exchange—Jesus for Barabbas, Jesus for us—and let the promise of paradise steady your heart. Whether you feel like Pilate under pressure, Herod chasing spectacle, or the thief clinging to hope, there is mercy here stronger than the mob and truer than our fears.

If this journey through Luke 23 helps you see Jesus more clearly, share it with a friend, subscribe for more chapter-a-day studies, and leave a review to tell us what moved you most.

Text us at 737-231-0605 with any questions.

Pastor Plek:

And welcome back to a chapter a day. Keeps the devil away. Uh, we are looking at Luke 23. I'm Pastor Pleck. That's Pastor Holland. We are going to outline it. We are going to observe it. We're going to interpret it. And then we are going to apply it where you live, work, and play. All right. So let's take a look at some of the outline here. Verses 1 through 5, we see Jesus before Pilate. And then verses 6 through 12. Jesus is before Herod. Then verses 13 through 25. He goes back to Pilate, and Pilate tries to release Jesus. And then verses 26 through 31, we got the way of the cross, including Simon of Cyrene, and he gets compelled to bear his cross. Okay, then you got verses 32 through 43. We got the crucifixion at the place of the skull, otherwise known as Golgotha. Then you got verses 44 through 49. Jesus on the cross, the death of Jesus, and he cries out, Father, into your hands, uh, and then glorifies God. He's a righteous man, is what people say. And then the crowd beats their breasts, acquaintances watch from afar. You got this incredible scene sort of laid out of all these different people taking on uh whenever Jesus dies. Then finally, in verses 50 through 56, you've got the burial of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea. The council's good, honest member. He was way in the kingdom. He boldly positions, petitions Pilate for his body, wraps him in linen, and then lays him in a tomb that was unused, that was probably prepared for himself. Then uh you've got the women of Galilee. Uh they witness it, prepare spices, but rest on the Sabbath per the commandment. Now, let's get into some observation.

Pastor Holland:

What do you see here, Holland? The last verse on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. There's something really beautiful and powerful about you know that Jesus' body being laid to rest, buried, uh, on the Sabbath day, and about this resting that comes from the death of Christ. So there's a connection there with we we experience eternal rest because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, dying and being buried, we can rest because he saved us.

Pastor Plek:

That's good. Um, I I just thought there's like interesting how you've got Jesus uh who is you know the son of the father, and then you've got uh Barabbas, and some of your King James versions would tell you that's uh Jesus Barabbas, uh that it's Jesus also son of the father, Barabbas bar son of Abba is father. And so you've got two Jesus, son of the fathers, which one will be released, the insurgent Barabbas, or the innocent Jesus, and the crowd cries out for the insurgent uh because of of what the the Pharisees get them all riled up. Um what else do you see?

Pastor Holland:

Uh yeah, just it's it's striking how much Pilate is just like not wanting to kill Jesus. Yeah. He is just like, What is what is wrong with you people? Like they he didn't do anything, you know, and um and yet he goes forward with it just to kind of uh appease the crowds.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, I just notice how he it's just he's wanting so badly not to mess this up. Right. Yeah. And and just the history of Pilate is that he had he wasn't against bloodshed, he would kill people right all the time, but he knew Jesus was this powerful person that the crowds love, and he knew that the religious people hated him, and he knew that he had a uh riot just about to break out on his hand, and he was just caught and didn't know what to do.

Pastor Holland:

And you know what? It's it's so interesting. Pilate is included in the Apostles' Creed. Yeah, you know, the earliest kind of doctrinal statement of the church has this line that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate.

Pastor Plek:

Was crucified, died, and was buried.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, and so it that this really roots the the gospel message in history. Pilate is a name that you can tie to a particular point in history, right? It's not just the Christianity, it's not just ideas, right? It's not just theories about how to live your life, it is anchored to a historical reality.

Pastor Plek:

And there's archaeological evidence that supports Pontius Pilate as being the guy. Yeah. And so it's not, again, it is tied to reality, it's tied to history. Um, and Pilate had to deal with Jesus.

Pastor Holland:

Okay, here's my last observation that I think is just so funny. Verse 12. Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that day. They were enemies beforehand, but they united in friendship. Uh, just the way it words it is funny to me, but they united in friendship over what are we gonna do about Jesus? I mean, it's yeah, I mean, I think both of them didn't want to mess with Jesus.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, both of them were like, listen. I mean, Herod had already killed John the Baptist, right?

Pastor Holland:

So he's like it's not like they really care. Like you're saying, like, they're okay, if we're gonna kill him, fine, but neither of them really wanted to at first. Yeah, and I think it's because they wanted to see a sign. He's like, I Jesus, if he shows me a miracle, yeah, bring bring Jesus over. I like the guy. Yeah, yeah. But then he's fine with just letting him die.

Pastor Plek:

It's wild. It's wild how you know, I don't know, we don't want to get into um interpretation yet, but it's like we are people are just pawns in political power plays, I think is how a lot of this translates for me. Um, what else you got here?

Pastor Holland:

Uh uh, I love Joseph of Arimathea. Um, and uh the way he's presented as really just being this righteous man who wants to honor Jesus, and he he gets to lay the body of Jesus in a tomb. Um, what a special honor.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah.

Pastor Holland:

Uh how about the two criminals on the cross?

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. Uh you got one of them like, save yourself and us, you know, aren't you the cross? And the other one rebuked him, Don't you fear God? And then he somehow understands that Jesus is the King of the Jews. That it says on top of his cross, Remember me when you come into your kingdom. And he said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Yeah. What a wild conversion, what a wild promise. All of this is so crazy.

Pastor Holland:

Right. And you I just imagine him getting to heaven and there's, you know, Stephen martyred. Yeah. You know, Paul who was beaten and thrown in jail and endured all these things. Uh, you know, you see all these, you know, Hebrews 11, Hall of Faith people who endure these crazy, and then this guy shows up and he's like, I just thought I don't know, guys. I uh I met this guy like an hour ago, and here I am. Yeah. Um, so pretty glad.

Pastor Plek:

Something I've noticed, he wasn't baptized, just FYI, and he was guaranteed heaven. So just throwing that out there for all those who kind of like, if your baptism is your seal of heaven, it's it's something that you look back onto, but it's not something that guarantees you didly squat. It's a symbol of your salvation.

Pastor Holland:

It's true. Technically, Jesus hadn't commanded them to baptize yet. He does that after the resurrection and the Great Commission, but still a true point that we're saved by grace through faith, not by works, including baptism. Nice. All right. Uh, let's get into what other observations?

Pastor Plek:

Any other observation you can see here? I think let's keep it moving. All right, okay. So, what about the truth of the nature of man? What we got?

Pastor Holland:

Man, the the the bloodlust that you see here for wanting Jesus to be the hatred of God and the bloodlust when they say, set the murderer free, we want Jesus dead. Yeah. Like imagine the level of anger and hatred and you know, rebellion against God to say, we want to, we want to crucify the son of God.

Pastor Plek:

Do you think these are the same people who are coronating him are now crying out, crucify him?

Pastor Holland:

You know, that makes for a really punchy, great sermon point, you know, about the fickleness of human nature. Um, I I don't know that you can to me, I go, I we don't know exactly who was in these crowds, but uh is it possible? Very possible. I I think that reality of our human nature is man, we can love God one day and turn on him the next, the moment we're you know, we can capitalize on something selfish, you know.

Pastor Plek:

The crowd draws a crowd. So when you see someone like they may not have not known who was on the cross or who was being put up there, like, yeah, kill him. I want to see some blood today. You know, I mean, who knows? Yeah.

Pastor Holland:

Um, so it could be our our hearts are that fickle to where it could be.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. Um, okay, what about uh we have this like when presented with truth, we're gonna look out for our own selves over proclaiming truth. Like Pilate and Herod were just looking to get whatever would come to their advantage.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, verse 23, it says, their voices, the the the crowds, their voices prevailed. I just go, man, this is where you you can just totally ruin your life, is when the voices of the crowds get louder than the voice of God. Wow, nice.

Pastor Plek:

And it's not like Pilate wasn't warned. Right. Pilate had his wife having like dreams and all sorts of crazy things, going like, let this guy go, have no part of this man, get out of here, let's go. Um, all right, what about uh character character of God? Um I appreciated that he uh intercedes among the insults on the cross. Uh and he uh even when he's uh going through ultimate anguish, he pardons a crucifier who is clueless of his own crime.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Um Jesus was sinless and perfect. You know, even even the centurion recognizes this man's innocent. You know, Jesus did not sin. Um so the character of God, he's pure, he is innocent, he's holy. Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

Um heaven is the destination for those who trust Christ. I know that seems like a simple thing, but I I just wanted to echo in our hearts that when you choose Jesus as a son that choose him as the son of God, when he when you recognize him as the son of God, uh then heaven is your home, and no matter what hell you're going through on earth, take heart. He's overcome the world.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. It's related to the one you brought up, but just the the mercy of Jesus, Father, forgive him. Yeah, you're saying he intercedes for us, but even just kind of deeper into his character, if he's a merciful, forgiving God. Nice. That's great news.

Pastor Plek:

Let's get into spec. Uh a sin to confess, uh promise to claim, example to follow, command obey, knowledge to believe. Uh knowledge to believe is that there is the great uh exchange. Right uh Jesus for Barabbas, Jesus for me, yeah, Jesus for you, and just understanding that he took what I deserved.

Pastor Holland:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um a sin to avoid here is letting the voices of the crowds crowd out the voice of God and what you know is right. Good.

Pastor Plek:

How about example to follow? Follow the thief's timely turn. He turned to Jesus even at the last second. Uh, I pray you would turn way before the last second because you don't know when your hour will come. What else you got?

Pastor Holland:

Love that. Um I love the very last few verses, um, just the honor that Joseph and the women give to Jesus and um his his dead body. Yeah. You know, they don't just leave him hanging on the cross. They they want to um honor him in death and uh lay him in a tomb, prepare spices and ointments to honor him. Yeah, I think that's a follow. Honor Jesus.

Pastor Plek:

Um, yeah, I love that. Um Yeah, I I think that really speaks to it because you see, on the flip side, Herod doesn't honor Jesus. He likes Jesus, but he doesn't honor him. Yeah, right. Pilate looks to get Jesus off, but he doesn't honor Jesus. He honored that both those guys honor themselves. So honor Jesus. So, you know, that's the thing. As you go about your work or you work, live, and play, wherever you're listening to this, I want your heart to kind of think out how am I going to honor Jesus today? And maybe someone might need to hear the good news that heaven is their home. All right. Hey, thanks so much for watching. We'll see you next time on a chapter a day.

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