Luke 24

Luke 24:2

Another man saw him and said - Observe here, in order to reconcile the four evangelists, that divers persons concurred in charging Peter with belonging to Christ. The maid that led him in, afterward seeing him at the fire, first put the question to him, and then positively affirmed, that he was with Christ. Another maid accused him to the standers by, and gave occasion to the man here mentioned, to renew the charge against him, which caused the second denial. Others of the company took notice of his being a Galilean, and were seconded by the kinsman of Malchus, who affirmed he had seen him in the garden. And this drew on the third denial.

Luke 24:3

And about one hour after - So he did not recollect himself in all that time.

Luke 24:7

Matthew 26:67; Mr 14:65.

Luke 24:8

And having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face - This is placed by St. Matthew and Mark, after the council’s condemning him. Probably he was abused in the same manner, both before and after his condemnation.

Luke 24:9

Many other things blasphemously spake they against him - The expression is remarkable. They charged him with blasphemy, because he said he was the Son of God: but the evangelist fixes that charge on them, because he really was so.

Luke 24:10

Matthew 26:63; Mr 14:61.

Luke 24:14

They all said, Art thou then the Son of God? - Both these, the Son of God, and the Son of man, were known titles of the Messiah; the one taken from his Divine, and the other from his human nature.

Luke 24:17

Matthew 27:1; Mr 15:1; John 18:28.

Luke 24:20

Then said Pilate - After having heard his defence - I find no fault in this man - I do not find that he either asserts or attempts any thing seditious or injurious to Cesar.

Luke 24:21

He stirreth up the people, beginning from Galilee - Probably they mentioned Galilee to alarm Pilate, because the Galileans were notorious for sedition and rebellion.

Luke 24:23

He sent him to Herod - As his proper judge.

Luke 24:24

He had been long desirous to see him - Out of mere curiosity.

Luke 24:25

He questioned him - Probably concerning the miracles which were reported to have been wrought by him.

Luke 24:27

Herod set him at nought - Probably judging him to be a fool, because he answered nothing. In a splendid robe - In royal apparel; intimating that he feared nothing from this king.

Luke 24:31

He hath done nothing worthy of death - According to the judgment of Herod also.

Luke 24:32

I will therefore chastise him - Here Pilate began to give ground, which only encouraged them to press on. Matthew 27:15; Mr 15:6; John 18:39.

Luke 24:38

He said to them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? - As Peter, a disciple of Christ, dishonoured him by denying him thrice, so Pilate, a heathen, honoured Christ, by thrice owning him to be innocent.

Luke 24:42

Matthew 27:31; Mr 15:21; John 19:16.

Luke 24:46

Hosea 10:8.

Luke 24:47

If they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? - Our Lord makes use of a proverbial expression, frequent among the Jews, who compare a good man to a green tree, and a bad man to a dead one: as if he had said, If an innocent person suffer thus, what will become of the wicked? Of those who are as ready for destruction as dry wood for the fire?

Luke 24:50

Then said Jesus - Our Lord passed most of the time on the cross in silence: yet seven sentences which he spoke thereon are recorded by the four evangelists, though no one evangelist has recorded them all. Hence it appears that the four Gospels are, as it were, four parts, which, joined together, make one symphony. Sometimes one of these only, sometimes two or three, sometimes all sound together. Father - So he speaks both in the beginning and at the end of his sufferings on the cross: Forgive them - How striking is this passage! While they are actually nailing him to the cross, he seems to feel the injury they did to their own souls more than the wounds they gave him; and as it were to forget his own anguish out of a concern for their own salvation. And how eminently was his prayer heard! It procured forgiveness for all that were penitent, and a suspension of vengeance even for the impenitent.

Luke 24:51

If thou be the Christ; Lu 23:37. If thou be the king - The priests deride the name of Messiah: the soldiers the name of king.