Luke Chapter 23: Luke's Account to Theophilus on the Real Reason for Jesus' Death

Luke Chapter 23: Luke's Account to Theophilus on the Real Reason for Jesus' Death

2 They began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king."

22 For the third time, he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him punished and then release him."

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.

27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is God's Messiah, the Chosen One."

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar

37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: "This is the King of the Jews."

41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Luke informs Theophilus of the three external reasons for Jesus' crucifixion (verse 2): misleading the Jewish nation, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be the Messiah, a king. Luke might have felt some embarrassment writing this to Theophilus, knowing that these charges were insufficient grounds for crucifixion. Theophilus, a Roman official, would immediately question why Jesus was crucified upon reading verse 2. The charge above Jesus' head was not one deserving of crucifixion in Roman eyes (verse 38). Theophilus already knew that Jesus did not oppose paying taxes to Caesar (Luke 20). The accusations would not hold up under Roman scrutiny. Naturally, Theophilus would be curious about the deeper reasons for Jesus' death.

In making Theophilus curious about Jesus' death, Luke somewhat defends Pilate. This is understandable, as Theophilus, the reader of his letter, is a Roman. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent but chose crucifixion as a political decision influenced by the Jewish leaders. This was a calculated and understandable choice for a Roman governor tasked with maintaining order in a colony. Luke continues to portray Pilate as reasonable, noting that he did not refuse Joseph of Arimathea's request to bury Jesus' body, despite it being the body of a crucified criminal (verses 50-55).

The true reasons for Jesus' crucifixion were the political threat he posed to the Jewish leaders and Pilate's political decision. Luke, having led Theophilus to this point, takes it a step further. Jesus faced a test from Satan at the start of his ministry (Luke 4) and again at his death. What was the test? "If you are the Son of God and the Messiah, prove it." Jesus submitted a blank answer sheet, which was not what the examiners wanted. They discarded his answer, but it became the cornerstone of salvation for all creation.

Luke now wants Theophilus to ponder why Jesus, like at the start of his ministry, did not perform any miracles for himself as he faced death. Luke seeks Theophilus' evaluation. It would have been commendable to take care of oneself first and then others, yet the so-called Messiah of the Jews refrained from performing miracles. The one who fed and healed others suddenly became powerless. Theophilus might have thought Jesus had a Messiah complex so severe that he even accepted crucifixion.

There is a parallel in the Old Testament. Moses' prayer (Exodus 32). He risked his soul, almost threatening God, to secure forgiveness for the Israelites. In the New Testament, Paul prayed to be cut off from Christ if it meant the salvation of Israel (Romans 9). Jesus' words about the greatest love being to lay down one's life for friends (John 15) include not just physical death but also the death of the soul, as seen in Moses and Paul. In Gethsemane, Jesus sweated blood over not just physical death but the death of the soul. Even after giving up the performance of miracles, heaven remained silent, prompting Jesus' final words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani). Like Job in the Old Testament, Jesus etched this final question into his very being. Shakespeare, who wrote "The Merchant of Venice," seems to have read the Bible extensively.

Luke, who likes the number three, uses it in the crucifixion scene. Three groups respond to Jesus' death: a Jewish criminal, a Roman centurion, and nature itself. Jesus' death, according to Luke's intention, encompasses all creation.

There are two points seemingly unrelated to Theophilus that I want to consider. First, the women following Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, mourning and beating their chests. This scene overlaps with the current situation in South Korea. Today's greatest educational event for children is the election. Elections are a grand educational festival where adults teach children, much like the Olympics. Jesus' words, "Do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and your children," remain true today. In 2024, South Korea's educational event has failed. Education is a long-term plan, yet we may be groping in darkness for a century. What have Korean adults taught their children?

Second, despite Jesus' death, which called for liberation from the Sabbath law, the Sabbath law was still observed. Human habits are indeed formidable.