Luke 23:46-50

Luke 23:46 (KJB)
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.

(John 19:30 KJV) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. When they gave Him the vinegar, He stated it was finished, that is, the sacrifice for all the Elect of God. God’s salvation program was now complete, all He had to do from now on is to apply salvation to those He named before the foundation of the world. So now the mockers have had their time, but that is now over and now that Jesus had physically died, they are now going to make sure His disciples do not steal the body and then claim He arose. Even in death, His enemies could not leave Him alone.

Luke 23:47 (KJB)
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.

(Mat 27:54 KJV) Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. A Centurion was a Roman commander of 100 soldiers. We do not know what triggered the centurion to make the statements which he did. Maybe when he saw the heaven darkened by means of the darkened sun, he knew something was different about Jesus. This Centurion may be one who became a believer like Cornelius or the one in Capernaum who came to Jesus asking for the healing of his servant (Luke 7:1-10). Whoever this Centurion was, his actions were God glorifying which could signify that he was a believer.

Luke 23:48 (KJB)
And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

There were many different groups who had attended the events and these people may have seen and heard the words of the Centurion. Many of the followers of Jesus were there and they had seen what was done to Him and smote their breasts. The smiting of the breasts was a sign of remorse or sorrow. Once they had expressed their sorrow, they returned to the places from where they came, probably many came down from the area of the Mount of Olives and returned in sorrow. What was to be a joyous feast of Passover had now turned out to be a sorrowful event.

Luke 23:49 (KJB)
And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Jesus did not only travel with His disciples but He also had many women in the company to help out. They had to stand away at a distance from the cross probably for their own protection. They were now witnesses of the fact that Jesus really died on the cross as they saw the spear pierce Him and heard Him give up the Ghost as He commended His spirit into the hands of His Father. (Luke 23:46 KJV) 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. They would also help in preparing the body for burial the best they could with the little time they had before sundown and the approaching Sabbath and Passover when they could do no work.

Luke 23:50 (KJB)
And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just:

Then Joseph of Arimathaea, being a just man and a follower of Jesus knew that it was against the law for a body to hang on a tree overnight. (Deu 21:22-23 KJV) And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: {23} His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. Since Joseph was a man of means, he wanted to give Jesus a proper burial. They would not have much time to prepare the body with the spices because the sabbath was now approaching. (John 19:39-40 KJV) And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. {40} Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Joseph had a tomb in Jerusalem which meant that he probably moved there and wanted to be buried there.

Back