Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• The Servant cast off 53:7-9
  Isaiah continued the sheep metaphor but applied it to the Servant to contrast sinful people and their innocent substitute. Here it is not the sheep's tendency to get lost but its nondefensive nature that is the characteristic...
• A lament concerning Jerusalem's terrible fate 15:5-9
  Invasion and war had already overtaken Jerusalem when Jeremiah wrote this lament, but more destruction was to come (v. 9).15:5 The Lord said that no one would have pity on Jerusalem when she had experienced His judgment (cf. ...
• Judgment on Israel's political symbol 10:3-8
  10:3 When the Lord brought destruction, the people would realize that their self-appointed king had failed them and that they did not respect the Lord. They would acknowledge that no human king could help them. Hoshea would b...
• A. The Judgment of Edom and the Nations vv. 15-18
  References to the work and word of the Lord frame this section. Obadiah announced that a reversal of rolls was coming for Edom and all the nations.v. 15 "The day of the Lord"here is a future day in which God will reverse the ...
• The renewed demand for a sign 16:1-4 (cf. Mark 8:11-12)
  16:1 Matthew introduced the Pharisees and Sadducees with one definite article in the Greek text. Such a construction implies that they acted together. That is remarkable since they were political and theological enemies (cf. ...
• 1. The setting of these revelations 24:1-3 (cf. Mark 13:1-4; Luke 21:5-7)
  24:1 The connective "and"(NASB, Gr. kai) ties what follows to Jesus' preceding denunciation of the generation of Jews that rejected Him and the divine judgment that would follow (23:36-39). However the "apocalyptic"or "eschat...
• 3. The trials of Jesus 26:57-27:26
  Matthew stressed Jesus' righteousness for his readers by highlighting the injustice of His trials."The breaches in law are so numerous as to be unbelievable . . ."1026". . . even the ordinary legal rules were disregarded in t...
• The trial before Pilate 27:11-26 (cf. Mark 15:2-15; Luke 23:3-25; John 18:33-19:16)
  Pilate was a cruel ruler who made little attempt to understand the Jews whom he hated.1047He had treated them unfairly and brutally on many occasions, but recently Caesar had rebuked him severely.1048This probably accounts fo...
• B. The Servant's endurance of suffering 14:53-15:47
  Jesus' sufferings until now had been anticipatory. Now He began to experience pain resulting from His trials and crucifixion. As the faithful Servant of the Lord who came to do His Father's will, His sufferings continued to i...
• Jesus' first appearance before Pilate 15:2-5 (cf. Matt. 27:11-14; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-38)
  15:2 Pilate had absolute authority over Jesus' fate under Roman law. Customarily trials such as this one took place in public.375First, the plaintiffs or accusers made their charges against the defendant. Then the prosecutor,...
• The crucifixion of Jesus 15:21-32 (cf. Matt. 27:32-44; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17b-27)
  15:21 Probably only Mark mentioned Simon's sons because the Christians in Rome knew them or knew of them (cf. Rom. 16:13). Evidently Simon became a believer in Jesus. Mark mentioned very few people by name other than the Twel...
• Outline
  I. Introduction 1:1-4II. The birth and childhood of Jesus 1:5-2:52A. The announcement of John the Baptist's birth 1:5-251. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-72. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-233. The pregnanc...
• 2. Herod's question about Jesus' identity 9:7-9 (cf. Matt. 14:1-3; Mark 6:14-16)
  The crucial issue in the preaching of Jesus and the Twelve during their mission in Galilee was the identity of Jesus. Luke showed the centrality of this issue by placing the present pericope in the center of his account of th...
• 3. Jesus' postponement of the kingdom 13:31-35
  Another comment triggered teaching of a similar nature. The continuing theme is the messianic kingdom.13:31 This incident followed the former one chronologically. Therefore it is probable that Jesus' words about Jews not ente...
• 3. The question of tribute to Caesar 20:20-26 (cf. 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17)
  Luke showed how the religious leaders' antagonism was intensifying against Jesus. This was another attempt to discredit Him (cf. vv. 1-8). Luke may have included it also because it shows that Jesus did not teach hostility tow...
• 2. Judas' betrayal 22:47-53 (cf. Matt. 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; John 18:2-12)
  22:47-48 All the synoptic evangelists noted the close connection between Jesus' praying and the arrival of the soldiers. It was very important that Jesus pray. Judas preceded the arresting mob (Gr. ochlos, crowd) as Jesus had...
• 4. Jesus' first appearance before Pilate 23:1-7 (cf. Matt. 27:2, 11-14; Mark 15:1b-5; John 18:28-38)
  Jesus' trial now moved from its Jewish phase into its Roman phase.497It did not take long for Pilate to determine that Jesus was innocent of any crime worthy of death. Notwithstanding the record stresses how difficult it was ...
• 5. Jesus' appearance before Herod 23:8-12
  Luke alone recorded this aspect of Jesus' Roman trial. He probably did so because Herod Antipas found no basis for condemning Jesus either. Thus Luke cited two official witnesses to Jesus' innocence for his readers' benefit (...
• 6. Jesus' second appearance before Pilate 23:13-25 (cf. Matt. 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; John 18:39-19:16)
  The overall impression that Luke presented with this part of his narrative is that Jesus' condemnation was a terrible travesty of justice. Pilate condemned an innocent man. This decision comes across as specially heinous sinc...
• F. The crucifixion of Jesus 23:26-49
  Luke's account of the crucifixion includes a prophecy of the fate of Jerusalem (vv. 29-31), more emphasis on the men who experienced crucifixion with Jesus (vv. 39-43), and less stress on the crowd that mocked Jesus. It clima...
• The fate of the guilty predicted 23:27-31
  Luke is the only evangelist who recorded this incident. He apparently did so because the fate of Jerusalem was one of his special interests. He had already recorded several warnings that Jesus had given to the people of Jerus...
• The criminals crucified with Jesus 23:32
  This verse constitutes a narrative bridge connecting Jesus' journey to the Cross with His crucifixion. One of its functions seems to be to introduce the two criminals who feature later in the story (vv. 33, 39-43). More impor...
• The mockery of Jesus' crucifixion 23:33-38 (cf. Matt. 27:33-43; Mark 15:22-32; John 19:18-24)
  23:33 Luke alone called the site of Jesus' crucifixion "the place called the skull"(Gr. kranion) rather than referring to it by its Aramaic name, Golgotha, and then translating it. This was undoubtedly an accommodation to his...
• Jesus' self-sacrifice to God 23:44-49 (cf. Matt. 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; John 19:28-30)
  Luke included three things in this heart of the death scene. He gave two evidences of God's displeasure with people for rejecting His Son. He recorded Jesus' prayer of trust in the Father, and he noted three immediate reactio...
• 4. The Father's witness to the Son 5:30-47
  Jesus now returned to develop a theme that He had introduced previously, namely the Father's testimony to the Son (vv. 19-20). Jesus proceeded to cite five witnesses to His identity, all of which came from the Father, since t...
• C. Jesus' civil trial 18:28-19:16
  John reported much more about Jesus' trial before Pilate than did any of the other Gospel writers. He omitted referring to Jesus' appearance before Herod Antipas, which only Luke recorded (Luke 23:6-12). He stressed Jesus' au...
• 1. The Jews' charge against Jesus 18:28-32 (cf. Luke 23:1-2)
  John began his version of this civil trial by narrating the initial public meeting of Pilate and Jesus' accusers.54318:28 "They"(NASB) refers to all the Jewish authorities (cf. Matt. 27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1). They led Je...
• 2. The question of Jesus' kingship 18:33-38a (cf. Matt. 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3)
  Having heard the Jews' charges, Pilate returned to the inside of his headquarters and began interrogating Jesus. His questioning centered on the issue of Jesus' kingship.18:33 The Jews' accusations motivated Pilate's question...
• 3. The Jews' request for Barabbas 18:38b-40 (cf. Matt. 27:12-21; Mark 15:3-11; Luke 23:4-19)
  John condensed the scene in which Pilate declared Jesus innocent, the Jews accused Jesus further, Jesus replied nothing, and Pilate marvelled at Jesus' silence (Matt. 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:4-6). He simply related Pil...
• 4. The sentencing of Jesus 19:1-16 (cf. Matt. 27:22-26; Mark 15:12-15; Luke 23:20-25)
  There is quite a bit of unique material in this pericope. This includes the details of the Roman soldiers' abuse of Jesus (vv. 1-5) and the situation that Pilate's learning that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God instigated (...
• 1. Jesus' journey to Golgotha 19:17 (cf. Matt. 27:31-34; Mark 15:20-23; Luke 23:26-33a)
  John omitted the detail that Simon carried Jesus' cross (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26), which might have detracted from John's presentation of Jesus as the divine Savior. He also made no reference to Jesus' sufferings ...
• 2. The men crucified with Jesus 19:18 (cf. Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33b)
  The horrors and shame of crucifixion are difficult for people who have grown up hearing pleas against "cruel and unusual punishment"to appreciate. It was a deliberately long and painful form of death that humiliated the suffe...
• 2. The discovery of Mary Magdalene 20:10-18 (cf. Mark 16:9-11)
  This is the first of four of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances that John included in his Gospel.Jesus' Post-resurrection Appearances627Easter morningto Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18)to other women (Matt. 28:9...
• Peter's proclamation 3:12-16
  "In his former address Peter had testified to the power and presence of the Spirit of God at work in a new way in the lives of men through Jesus. Now he proclaims the power and authority of the name of Jesus by which his disc...
• The supernatural deliverance of Peter 12:1-19
  "Peter's rescue from prison is an unusually vivid episode in Acts even when simply taken as a story about Peter. Because it is not connected with events in the chapters immediately before and after it, however, it may seem ra...
• 1. The divine appointment of Barnabas and Saul 12:25-13:3
  Luke recorded these verses to set the stage for the account of Barnabas and Saul's first missionary journey that follows."The world ministry which thus began was destined to change the history of Europe and the world."51512:2...
• Ministry in Thessalonica 17:1-9
  17:1 Paul, Silas, Timothy, and perhaps others left Philippi and headed southwest on the Egnatian Road. Luke evidently stayed in Philippi since he again described Paul's party as "they"instead of "we"(cf. 20:5-6). Paul and Sil...
• The riot in the temple 21:27-36
  21:27-28 The Jews from Asia, possibly from Ephesus, were obviously unbelievers. They charged Paul with the same kind of crimes the unbelieving Jews had accused Stephen of committing (6:11, 13-14). The Jews permitted Gentiles ...
• Paul's introduction to Felix 23:33-35
  23:33 The governor (procurator) of Judea at this time was Antonius Felix (52-59 A.D.).890Pontius Pilate occupied this office from 26-36 A.D. Felix had a reputation for being a harsh ruler who had risen from a lowly background...
• The presentation of charges against Paul 24:1-9
  24:1 The heat of the Jews' hatred of Paul is obvious from their speedy trip to Caesarea. The five days seem to describe the period from Paul's arrest in the temple courtyard to this trial (cf. v. 11; 21:27). The Jews' antagon...
• Herod Agrippa II's visit to Festus 25:13-22
  The charges against Paul, and particularly his innocence, are the point of this pericope.25:13 This King Agrippa was Marcus Julius Agrippa II, the son of Herod Agrippa I (12:1-11), the grandson of Aristobulus, and the great g...
• 2. The examples of Jesus and Paul 2:8-10
  Paul proceeded to undergird his appeal to suffer hardship with the examples of Jesus (v. 8) and Paul (vv. 9-10).2:8 The greatest example of suffering hardship for a worthy purpose, of course, is Jesus Christ. Paul urged Timot...
• 1. The first commission to write 1:9-11
  1:9 John now addressed the seven churches to which he sent this epistolary prophecy directly. He described himself to his readers as their brother in Christ and a partaker with them in three things. These were, first, the rel...
• 6. The sixth seal 6:12-17
  The scene now shifts back to earth."The entire passage in every clause utilizes well known prophetic anticipations of the day of the Lord, and by his use of these images John identifies the day for his readers. One may check ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• The Rulers Take Counsel Together'
  And the whole multitude of them arose, and led Him unto Pilate. 2. And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a...
• A Soul's Tragedy
  Then Herod questioned with Him in many words; but He answered him nothing.'--Luke 23:9.FOUR Herods play their parts in the New Testament story. The first of them is the grim old tiger who slew the infants at Bethlehem, and so...
• Jesus And Pilate
  "And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14. Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I having examined Him before you,...
• II. The Second, Weaker Attempt.
  Pilate repeated his proposal of release, but it was all but lost in the roar of hatred. Note the contrast between Pilate spoke' (v. 20) and they shouted.' It suggests his feeble effort swept away by the rush of ferocity. And ...
• Words From The Cross
  And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what ...
• I. The First Word Sets Jesus Forth As The All-Merciful Intercessor And Patient Friend Of Sinners.
  It is very significantly set in the centre of the paragraph (Luke 23:33-38) which recounts the heartless cruelty and mockery of soldiers and rulers. Surrounded by that whirlwind of abuse, contempt and ferocious glee at His su...