23:1-2 The accusations against Jesus are without base, truth or even logic. These adversaries of his want to be powerful and they want to oppress others in order to become wealthy... Jesus stands in the way of their ability to do so and therefore they fabricate lies against Him.
This still a problem in today's world. Many religions and religious figures are corrupt, only pretending to be holy but actually do not live out God's word in their lives. Many are corrupted by desire for fame, power and control. Fancy churches are perfect examples where people are neglecting the suffering of the world in order to build impressive, ornate buildings.
Read the word of God for yourself and study with Him so that you are never led astray by these false teachers.
23:3 Pilate simply asks Jesus if He is this person... and Jesus responds that Pilate is correct in assuming that Jesus is that He is indeed the teacher who led the people of Judea (but also the world as humanity spread throughout it).
23:4 Pilate, being a sensible man, cannot find fault in Jesus (because there was no fault to find!)
23:5 Jesus' enemies however, were firm in wanted Him gone... they demanded His death despite being able to justify it.
23:6-7 Pilate did not want to be a part of the corrupt situation... He knew that Jesus was innocent in did not want to condemn and innocent man. Pilate had Jesus relocated to Galilee.
23:8 In Galilee, Herod was amazed to have Jesus... he wanted Jesus to prove himself.
23:9 We already know that Jesus will not prove Himself to teach the word of God... Jesus wants people to believe based on the love and healing that He gives them. Jesus wants people's love... He does not desire to impress them with tricks.
23:10-11 Herod and the rest of Jesus' adversaries began again to behave aggressively toward Jesus. They wanted a show and Jesus would not deign to deliver such a farce to them. If they wanted proof of God, they would have to behave and learn just as everybody else did. Their evil and impatience revealed them as horrible souls.
Jesus does not defend Himself because He knows that He cannot be killed or harmed by men... Jesus is protected by God always. So are you.
23:12 Greedy as he is, Herod does not want to do the corrupt deed of killing Jesus and so he refers Jesus back to Pilate.
23:13-16 Neither Pilate nor Herod could find fault in Jesus and rather than give into the angry, senseless crowd of adversaries' demands, they refuse to kill Jesus. Pilate agrees to chastise Jesus (in order to try to placate their anger) but will not kill Him.
23:17 Pilate will have the opportunity to release Jesus as cultural tradition allowed for the release of a prisoner during the feast.
23:18-20 However, instead of allowing Jesus' release... the evil crowd demands the release of an actual criminal, Barabbas.
23:21 They demand for Jesus to be crucified... out of their greed and evil they seek to kill an innocent person.
23:22-25 Pilate refuses... he does not to kill an innocent man, but the crowd is persistent and Pilate weakens in his resolve to do the right thing. Jesus is handed over to His enemies and his death becomes even more visibly imminent.
23:26-27 Those who love Jesus are with Him right through the end. Expressing their love and despair at this despicable circumstance.
23:28 Even facing what He was, Jesus continues to teach. Jesus wants His students (even until now!) to remain vigilant. Do not weep for those who leave the earth because they reunite with God. Jesus wants us to be prepared to face life here on earth, where it is our job to defend goodness.
23:29 This a metaphor: Our spiritual union with God is symbolized here as a marriage. Blessed are the people who do not "divorce" the true God, and produce the works of a false (and corrupt) god.
23:30 Jesus explains that when the true God presents Himself to humanity on the earth, many people will be so ashamed at their wicked behavior but will not be able to hide from it or God.
23:31 Be brave, Jesus teaches, because if evil was strong while He was here... imagine how much more they will try to get away with once He appears to be gone. We do not have to fear anything... when we develop our faith we can face all things with success and purpose. We can drive out darkness and evil with our light and compassion.
Jesus is the greenwood: the healthy, thriving, eternal youth of God... His time away from Earth with God, will be a metaphorically "dry" time for earth and humanity.
23:32-33 Jesus is positioned between two actual criminals. This is placement makes me think of couple of things: 1) Jesus came to earth, in the midst of evil, and yet He came alive through God... and He brought so many to life with His love and wisdom despite the bleak situation. 2) It also makes me thing about how blind and ignorant humans can be... to have the right decision, the truth right in front of their eyes but evil and greed corrupting their ability to admit it.
23:34 One of the most beautiful, forgiving, revealing moments in the Bible. Jesus has compassion on even His brutal enemies. Jesus requests forgiveness for them. Wow. Jesus loves Humanity, He came to earth and taught despite knowing He would suffer for it. He came for all of humanity... He extends His love even to the people who do not seem to deserve it. His love is so strong... even for His enemies, imagine what it will do for those who love Him back!
Jesus is given many gifts from God (all of them are also offered to us, as devout, compassionate students) and He forgives people who are too corrupt to see and earn them. Amazing. Once again, it's quite obvious why God loves Jesus so deeply. He's perfect in compassion, patience, humility and love.
While He prays for them, they harm Him... He is so strong, so kind. He teaches a message in everything He does and says.
23:35 The brutal mocking continues. These people are so ignorant of God's omnipotence... that He controls everything and that they would not even exist without His creation.
23:36-38 Jesus did not take anything from them, symbolic because we should not accept anything from a corrupt situation or person. Also: Jesus does not need saving. When we love God, we cannot be killed... we live eternally, spiritual in and with God. Actually, corrupt men, Jesus is the ruler of the world!
23:39 One of the criminals beside Jesus, who believes, asks Jesus to save Himself and them also with Him. In doing this, he reveals his faith.
23:40 The other criminal grows worried but also shows his faith in this way: he's worried because he's done wrong in his life and truly believes he will have to face God and explain his actions. He's actually humbled to be punished along with Jesus... and fearful because he will arrive before God at the same time as Jesus and look all the more... lackluster and corrupt.
23:41 This criminal admits that he deserves disappoint because he did do wrong... but he reveals his faith by admitting that Jesus is innocent.
23:42 This man, even though he had committed wrongdoings, is faithful and owns up to his mistakes. He reveals his faith by asking Jesus to think of Him... to forgive him.
23:43 We know that Jesus and God are forgiving and kind. Jesus perceives that the man is earnest and therefore he is forgiven and welcome into God's home.
Side note: This is a perfect place to point out that while the process of baptism can be beautiful symbolic pronunciation of your faith, it is your heart, soul and efforts on earth which earn you a place heaven. This criminal had not converted until the very end of his life, never had the chance for baptism, yet was welcomed yet.
23:44 This was an unusual natural occurrence; the earth turned dark in the middle of the day for several hours. God is the creator of everything: the entire universe reacts when His will comes into fruition.
23:45 The corrupt temple was torn, split... revealed for its corruption. God wanted to make it entirely clear to everyone that these people were corrupt and evil and their establishment was representative of that.
23:46 Jesus used His last breath on earth to profess His love and commitment of His soul to God. We trust our lives in God's hands. His will supports, protects and inspires us.
23:47-48 The events inspired some people then and there to recognize the truth of Jesus' message. There were passionate reacts from all of the crowd. There reactions of conversion to God's side, fear, anger, sadness... the entire universe was shaken.
23:49 Jesus' followers remained watchful and brave. They remained with Him, physically and spiritually. As God's children, we must also watch. The world is desperate for compassion right now and we must be brave and aligned with God in everything we do and experience. His love will support us through the suffering of the world today. He will work with us to bring joy and saftey to those who need it -- and what a blessed opportunity.
23:50-52 Joseph, a faithful, compassionate man claims Jesus' body to ensure it is respected.
23:53 Jesus' body was brought to a resting place (the kind of place that was cultural reserved for wealthy people). This is symbolic because even those Jesus was born "poor," in a manger, His love of God became His wealth... He accomplished so much success.
23:54-56 Those most faithful to Jesus, never left His side. Symbolic: never leave His side, He never leaves yours (even though He isn't physically visible... His love is strongly felt).
