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- Luke Chapter 23
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
Read Chapter 23 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
Access previous notes on Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
This is the hierarchy of power and the political system during Jesus' lifetime, along with who held these positions:
The Emperor was the supreme ruler of the Roman Empire, holding ultimate authority over all Roman territories. During the time of Jesus, Tiberius was the Roman Emperor.
Kings were local rulers who governed specific regions within the Roman Empire on behalf of the emperor. They were responsible for maintaining order and collecting taxes but had a significant degree of self-governance. Herod the Great was the king of Judea at the time of Jesus' birth. He is the Herod who tried to kill Jesus as a baby.
Governors were appointed by the emperor to oversee provinces. Their duties included maintaining law and order, collecting taxes, and administering justice. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea from AD 26 to AD 36.
Tetrarchs had less power than a king and ruled a smaller part of a larger kingdom. They controlled their regions but were not full kings. Herod Antipas (Herod the Great’s son) was the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea and ruled during Jesus' ministry and crucifixion.
The Sanhedrin was the highest Jewish religious and judicial council in Judea, consisting of priests, elders, and scribes, and it had both Pharisees and Sadducees among its members.
The high priest was the chief religious leader of the Jewish people, typically a member of the Sadducees. The high priest when Jesus was crucified was Joseph Caiaphas.
The religious leaders immediately tried to portray Jesus as a political threat to Rome to convince Pontius Pilate to take action against Him.
They accused Jesus of calling Himself a king, suggesting He was a rival to Caesar. While Jesus spoke of His kingdom, He made it clear that His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).
They said Jesus was against paying taxes to Caesar, but this wasn’t true. Jesus actually said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God" (Luke 20:25).
“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”
Jesus neither denies nor outright confirms the title in a way that would accuse Him of political rebellion. Still, He’s not rejecting the spiritual truth of His kingship.
Herod Antipas was typically based in Galilee (70-80 miles away), where he ruled as a tetrarch. However, he was in Jerusalem during Jesus' trials, likely because of the Passover festival.
During major Jewish festivals like Passover, Jewish leaders and rulers would travel to Jerusalem to participate in the celebrations and religious observances. Herod’s presence in Jerusalem during this time was probably to maintain political and social influence and to ensure order during the large gatherings.
The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
I can’t shake the fact that this was all driven by the religious elite. It was the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes who orchestrated these hasty trials.
They knew the Old Testament better than anyone.
And as we’ll see later, Jesus was fulfilling prophesies right and left… and they missed it.
We can read the Bible,
We can go to church every Sunday,
We can even sing in the choir,
But if we don’t believe in Jesus,
We
Miss
It
All
“I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”
Based on the political power the tetrarch and governor held, it’s surprising the Sanhedrin persisted.
Jerusalem was very crowded for Passover, so the potential for unrest was high. Herod and Pilate would have been aware of the need to prevent incidents that could lead to riots or rebellion.
Estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands traveled to the city for the festival. While ancient sources like Josephus claimed over 2 million people, modern estimates suggest it was likely several hundred thousand.
But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”
We’ve all seen the movies.
We’ve read the gospels.
We’ve watched the plays at church.
Have you wondered how one minute the crowd is yelling "Hosanna!" and days later they’re yelling "Crucify Him!"?
How did the crowd turn so fast?
The crowd expected Jesus to be a political leader who would free them from Roman rule. When He didn't meet these expectations, they might have become disappointed.
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes saw Jesus as a threat and persuaded the crowd to turn against Him (Matthew 27:20).
The quick change of the crowd also fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah's suffering and rejection (Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 118:22).
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
Cyrene was a city in modern-day Libya, North Africa, which indicates that Simon was likely a Jew from the Diaspora—meaning Jews who lived outside of Israel. He was probably visiting Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
Mark’s Gospel mentions that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, which suggests that his family might have been known to the early Christian community.
Simon's carrying the cross has been interpreted symbolically as an example of discipleship, illustrating the call to take up one's cross and follow Jesus.
Let’s take Daughters of Jerusalem one verse at a time
But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."
Jesus is telling the women not to cry for Him but for themselves and their future generations, warning that they will face greater suffering.
"For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’"
Jesus warns of a time of such extreme hardship that people will consider it a blessing to be childless, as they won’t have to see their children suffer.
"Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’"
This vision shows a desire to escape unbearable suffering. People will wish for the mountains and hills to cover them, preferring death over the torment they face.
"For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
This metaphor compares the time when Jesus was with us (like "green wood") to a future time when He wouldn't be here (like "dry wood"). If bad things happened while He was here, imagine how much worse it would be when He’s not around.
Jesus is probably talking about the upcoming destruction of Jerusalem, which happened about 40 years later in AD 70 when the Romans attacked the city and caused a lot of suffering for the Jewish people. Even while He was suffering, Jesus showed compassion and gave a prophetic warning about how severe the coming trials would be.
The place where Jesus was crucified is called Golgotha, which means "the place of the skull."
Golgotha, believed to be where Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem.
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
While Jesus was dying on the cross, He practiced what He preached about forgiving your enemies. He showed compassion and forgiveness, even to those crucifying Him. This wasn't just for those directly involved, but for all of humanity, showing love and mercy for everyone, no matter what they had done to Him.
He was also fulfilling prophesy.
"Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors."
"They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
Casting lots was an ancient practice of making decisions, kind of like drawing straws or rolling dice. People used marked stones or sticks, and the outcome was seen as fair and unbiased.
The prophesy in Psalm 22 was written 1000 years before Jesus.
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Wait. What???
He’d lived a life of crime.
He’d never been baptized.
He’d never become a member of a church.
He didn’t go to a single Wednesday night Bible study.
Yet Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
“The Man on the middle cross said, I can come.”
And that’s enough.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
That’s it for today.
I wanted to finish Chapter 23 so badly! I’m still trying to catch up from a whirlwind month, and my promise to you is to take my time. For the first time in my life, I’m not rushing through scripture. Fair deal?
I would love to see your face tomorrow night!
I spent ten days in Cuba to see where the Lord was guiding us.
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Cuba, with Catholicism being its largest denomination, except none of that's actually true.
A simple Google search of "Santería practiced in Cuba" shows 70%!
What is Santería?
"Santería is a religion that has fused African beliefs with Catholic traditions. It started in Cuba when African people were brought there as slaves.
One of the African religions that make up Santería is Vodun, sometimes spelled Voodoo.
Cuba is drowned in Communism and Santeria which is witchcraft in disguise.
Studies have shown that just 5% of Cubans identify as Protestant or Evangelical. But that's not completely true either.
A significant portion of the 5% is believed to originate from megachurches, which are strongly associated with the Prosperity Gospel.
So what do you do?
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"
Join us tomorrow night, Wednesday, May 22, at 7 PM (Guatemala and Colorado time) and 9 PM (Eastern NYC time).
I'll be sharing what I uncovered in Cuba and its significance for Vonda and me moving forward. It was truly life-changing.
This is a Zoom session you won’t want to miss!
Join the Zoom Meeting with this link:
Meeting ID: 861 2783 3023
Passcode: 516672
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros serves as a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He is the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.