Luke 23:27
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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While the crowds follow and the women weep, Jesus's primary concern isn't for their immediate sorrow, but for the far greater judgment about to fall on Jerusalem. He redirects their grief from his own suffering to the impending devastation that will cause them to wish for mountains to fall on them.
Jesus has just been condemned by Pilate, who washed his hands of responsibility, and the crowd has demanded Barabbas' release. Now, Jesus, scourged and mocked by soldiers, is being led out to be crucified, with Simon of Cyrene compelled to carry his cross.
As Jesus walks toward his crucifixion, a large crowd follows him. But this isn't just a curious mob; many are openly weeping and mourning for him. What does this tell us about Jesus and the impact he had?
It’s easy to picture Jesus’ final journey as one of isolation, with only his closest disciples by his side. But Luke 23:27 reveals a more complex scene.
A Mixed Multitude
Luke highlights a "great multitude of the people and of women." This wasn't just a few sympathetic onlookers. The mention of "women" specifically calls out those who often played a significant role in public mourning rituals in that culture. Their grief was overt – they "bewailed and lamented him."
More Than Just Pity
This wasn't the typical reaction for someone condemned as a criminal. In Jewish custom, those executed by the Sanhedrin weren't publicly mourned. While Christ was condemned by Roman authority, the intense public weeping suggests that many saw him as more than just a criminal. They recognized his goodness and perhaps understood the injustice of his fate.
This public display of sorrow, even amidst the planned execution, underscores the profound impact Jesus had on ordinary people. Their grief wasn't just pity; it was a testament to the connection and hope he had inspired.
Jesus, facing his own brutal death, turns to the weeping women. His message isn't to stop their tears, but to redirect their grief. Why would he do that?
Jesus’ response to the mourning women is striking. He doesn't dismiss their sorrow but reframes it. His words, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children" (Luke 23:28), are a powerful pivot.
A Warning, Not a Rebuke
This wasn't a reprimand for feeling sympathy. Instead, Jesus recognized a deeper tragedy unfolding. The women were mourning his impending death, a death that, while unjust and painful, was part of God's plan for salvation. However, Jesus saw the consequences of his rejection – the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the immense suffering that would befall the nation.
Understand the original words
plēthos · Greek Noun
A large crowd or throng; in the Gospels, often representing those who are witnesses to Jesus’ ministry or suffering, sometimes fickle in their allegiances.
koptomai · Greek Verb
To express grief, usually through outward, audible wailing or mourning; often associated with funerals or deep distress.
thrēneō · Greek Verb
To beat one's breast or wail in extreme grief; a common cultural expression of intense sorrow or funeral lamentation in the ancient Near East.
The somber procession to the cross, marked by the lamentations of women, highlights the stark contrast between the public's earlier cries for Barabbas and the genuine sorrow of a faithful few, revealing that even in His deepest suffering, Jesus was not entirely abandoned.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Trial and Sentencing
Jesus is tried before the Sanhedrin, then brought before Pontius Pilate and later Herod Antipas, before returning to Pilate, who ultimately condemns Him to crucifixion under pressure from the crowd.
c. AD 30
Scourging and Mockery of Jesus
Before crucifixion, Jesus is scourged by Roman soldiers, forced into a scarlet robe, crowned with thorns, and mocked as 'King of the Jews'. This act intensifies His suffering and humiliation.
c. AD 30
Simon of Cyrene Compelled to Carry the Cross
As Jesus is led to Golgotha, Roman soldiers, unable to bear the weight further or unwilling to touch the cross, force a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, to carry it.
c. AD 30
Crucifixion at Golgotha
Jesus is crucified between two criminals at a place called Golgotha (the Skull). The inscription above His head identifies Him as the 'King of the Jews'.
This passage prophesies the rejection and suffering of the "man of sorrows" who is despised and avoided, mirroring the crowd's turn against Jesus and the isolation he faced even as people followed.
Luke 23:28-31Jesus himself redirects the mourning women's attention from his own suffering to the future devastation that will befall Jerusalem, highlighting the greater tragedy of their sin and God's judgment.
Zechariah 12:10This prophecy speaks of a future mourning in Jerusalem 'as one mourns for an only son,' which the New Testament applies to the pierced One, suggesting a deeper, eschatological sorrow that this scene foreshadows.
John 19:25This verse lists the women who stood by the cross, including Jesus' mother and 'his mother's sister, and Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene,' likely a subset of the larger group who mourned him earlier.
calvinLuke 23:24-32: "And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required."
- But Pilate, perceiving that he gained nothing by it, but that the tumult became the greater, took water, and washed his hands before the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man: see you to it. 25. And the whole people, answering, said, His blood be on us and on our children. 26. Then he released to them Barabbas, and after having scourged Jesus, he delivered him up to be crucified. 27. The…
clarkeLuke 23:27: "And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him."
Bewailed and lamented him - Εκοπτοντο, Beat their breasts. See on Matthew 11:17 (note).
While the crowds follow and the women weep, Jesus's primary concern isn't for their immediate sorrow, but for the far greater judgment about to fall on Jerusalem. He redirects their grief from his own suffering to the impending devastation that will cause them to wish for mountains to fall on them.
Jesus has just been condemned by Pilate, who washed his hands of responsibility, and the crowd has demanded Barabbas' release. Now, Jesus, scourged and mocked by soldiers, is being led out to be crucified, with Simon of Cyrene compelled to carry his cross.
Jesus has just been condemned by Pilate, who washed his hands of responsibility, and the crowd has demanded Barabbas' release. Now, Jesus, scourged and mocked by soldiers, is being led out to be crucified, with Simon of Cyrene compelled to carry his cross.
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The Coming Judgment
Jesus urges them to weep for the spiritual blindness and impending judgment that would lead to such devastation. He paints a grim picture of a future where childlessness would be seen as a blessing, and people would desperately wish for mountains to fall on them (Luke 23:29-30). This wasn't a far-off prophecy; the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD would fulfill these words in terrifying ways.
By redirecting their grief, Jesus highlights the ultimate cost of sin and rebellion – not just for him, but for those who reject God's offer of salvation.
Jesus uses a striking metaphor to explain the gravity of his suffering and the future judgment: 'If they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?' What does this ancient imagery mean for us today?
Jesus employs a common ancient metaphor to underscore the severity of God's judgment. The contrast between the 'green tree' and the 'dry tree' holds profound meaning.
The Innocent Suffering
The 'green tree' represents life, vitality, and in this context, innocence. Jesus, though condemned and suffering, is the 'green tree' – sinless and full of life. If such suffering is happening to the innocent Son of God, what does that say about the fate of those who are 'dry'—those who are corrupt, sinful, and ripe for judgment?
Justice and Judgment
This comparison serves as a stark warning. The suffering Jesus endures is not arbitrary; it's a consequence of sin being laid upon him. If God's justice, unleashed even in this controlled manner on the 'green tree,' is so severe, then the unrestrained wrath of God upon the 'dry tree'—the unrepentant sinner—will be infinitely worse.
It highlights that Jesus' crucifixion is both an act of immense love and a demonstration of God's absolute hatred for sin. The fate of the 'dry' is sealed unless they turn to the 'green tree' for refuge.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Words from the Cross
While on the cross, Jesus speaks several significant phrases, including forgiving His executioners, speaking to the repentant thief, and entrusting His mother to John.
c. AD 30
Darkness and Earthquake
During Jesus' final moments, an unnatural darkness covers the land for three hours, and a violent earthquake shakes the region, tearing the temple curtain.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Death and Burial
Jesus cries out and breathes His last. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple, obtains permission to bury Jesus' body in his own tomb.
"And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him." — While the crowds follow and the women weep, Jesus's primary concern isn't for their immediate sorrow, but for the far greater judgment about to fall on Jerusalem. He redirects their grief from his ow…
