Luke 23:22 Meaning and Explanation
“And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →A third time Pilate protests that Jesus has done no evil worthy of death, and again proposes flogging and release.
What Does Luke 23:22 Mean?
Three times now the judge has pronounced the prisoner innocent (verses 4, 14, 22). The question he throws to the crowd — what evil hath he done? — receives, then and ever after, no answer, for there is none.
The threefold acquittal stands in Scripture like a seal: the Lamb is “without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Pilate's question must finally be faced from the other side — not what evil Jesus did, but why the blameless one accepted a criminal's death. The gospel answers: for us. His innocence is what makes his offering able to carry the guilt of others.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 23:22
What does Luke 23:22 mean?
A third time Pilate protests that Jesus has done no evil worthy of death, and again proposes flogging and release.