Luke 23 Bible study: Father, forgive them

"The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate." (23:1). "They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”" (23:2). Pilate asks him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" and Jesus answers, "So you say." (23:3). Then "Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”" (23:4) (tap basis for a charge). When Herod has sent Jesus back to him (23:11), Pilate says it again: "I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him." (23:14), and "Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him." (23:15) (tap worthy). And once more, "the third time" (23:22): "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him." (23:22). Here is what almost everyone misses: in the Greek, basis for a charge (23:4, 23:14) and capital crime (23:22) have the same word, and Luke's Gospel has it in these three verses only, all of them Pilate's. Three times Pilate says he has found nothing in him. Later the other of the two criminals says, "this man has done nothing wrong" (23:41). Luke tells how it ended (23:23-25). Favor's Mark 15 asks who handed Jesus over to be crucified, and these notes, like it, make none of these verses a verdict on any people, group or nation today.

Leviticus 4:2→leads toLuke 23:34

This chapter makes a way for sin done "unintentionally" (4:2): an offering, atonement, "and he will be forgiven" (4:26). At the cross Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Later Peter told the people in Jerusalem, "I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers" (Acts 3:17), and "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). Jesus doesn't mention Leviticus 4 or the sin offering; setting his prayer beside this chapter is an interpretation.

αἴτιοςaitiossay AH-ee-tee-os

Thayer lists 23:4, 23:14 and 23:22 under the sense "crime, offence". Strong's: "causative, i.e. (concretely) a causer". Pilate says, "I find no basis for a charge against this man" (23:4), and again, "I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him" (23:14). In 23:22 it is the word behind capital crime: "I have found no capital crime in him", where the Greek has the word with of death. Luke's Gospel has it in these three verses only, all of them Pilate's. The New Testament has it twice more, where the WEB gives it as cause (Acts 19:40) and author (Hebrews 5:9) (counted in RP2018).