Luke 24:20

KJV

And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.

KJV (with Strong's)

And how {G3704}{G5037} the chief priests {G749} and {G2532} our {G2257} rulers {G758} delivered {G3860} him {G846} to {G1519} be condemned {G2917} to death {G2288}, and {G2532} have crucified {G4717} him {G846}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Our head cohanim and our leaders handed him over, so that he could be sentenced to death and executed on a stake as a criminal.

Berean Standard Bible

Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him.

American Standard Version

and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 24:20 captures the profound bewilderment and disappointment of the Emmaus disciples as they recount the recent, devastating events in Jerusalem to what they believe is a fellow traveler. This verse articulates their understanding of the historical facts surrounding Jesus' crucifixion, explicitly identifying the chief priests and Jewish rulers as those responsible for His condemnation and execution. It reflects their initial, raw perception of a tragic end to their hopes for a Messiah who would redeem Israel, prior to their full comprehension of the redemptive purpose of His suffering and the reality of His resurrection.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the pivotal narrative of the Emmaus road in [Luke 24](/luke/24 "Luke 24 - The Resurrection Account"). Two disciples, Cleopas and another unnamed companion, are walking away from Jerusalem, discussing the recent events of Jesus' death. Their conversation is filled with sorrow and confusion, as their hopes for Jesus as the Messiah have been shattered by His crucifixion. Unbeknownst to them, Jesus Himself joins them, but their eyes are "restrained" from recognizing Him ([Luke 24:16](/luke/24-16 "Luke 24:16 - Their Eyes Were Restrained")). Luke 24:20 is their direct answer to Jesus' question about what they are discussing, laying bare their immediate, uncomprehending perspective on the crucifixion, setting the stage for Jesus' profound exposition of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the suffering Messiah.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The crucifixion of Jesus occurred under Roman occupation, yet the verse highlights the significant role of Jewish religious and political authorities—"the chief priests and our rulers." The Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish judicial and administrative body, was led by the chief priests and elders (rulers). While the Romans held the ultimate power of capital punishment, the Jewish leadership actively sought Jesus' death, seeing Him as a threat to their authority and a potential instigator of Roman intervention ([John 11:47-48](/john/11-47-48 "John 11:47-48 - The Sanhedrin's Plot")). Their "delivery" of Jesus to the Roman authorities for condemnation was a strategic move to ensure His execution while maintaining a semblance of religious purity, avoiding direct responsibility for a capital sentence under Jewish law. Crucifixion itself was a brutal Roman method of execution, designed to inflict maximum suffering and public humiliation, serving as a deterrent to rebellion.
* **Key Themes:** Luke 24:20 contributes to several key themes within Luke's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the **historical reality of Jesus' death**, emphasizing that His crucifixion was a verifiable public event orchestrated by specific human agents. Secondly, it highlights the theme of **human agency and responsibility** in the rejection and execution of God's Anointed One, contrasting sharply with God's sovereign plan. The disciples' words reveal their profound **disappointment and misunderstanding** of the Messiah's true mission; they expected a conquering king, not a suffering servant. This sets up the dramatic revelation by Jesus that the Messiah "must suffer these things and enter into his glory" ([Luke 24:26](/luke/24-26 "Luke 24:26 - The Necessity of Suffering")). The verse thus serves as a poignant illustration of the disciples' pre-resurrection spiritual blindness regarding the prophecies concerning Christ's suffering and resurrection.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **delivered (Greek, _paradídōmi'_):** This verb (G3860) means "to surrender," "to yield up," "to entrust," or "to transmit." In the context of Jesus' passion, it frequently carries the connotation of "to hand over" for judgment or punishment, often implying betrayal or an act of formal legal transfer. Here, the chief priests and rulers formally handed Jesus over to the Roman authorities, effectively surrendering Him to their jurisdiction for the purpose of condemnation and execution. The term emphasizes the active role of the Jewish leadership in initiating the legal process that led to the cross.
* **condemned (Greek, _kríma'_):** This noun (G2917) derives from the verb "to judge" (κρίνω) and refers to a "decision" or "judgment," whether for or against. In this context, it specifically means a "condemnation" or "sentence" to death. The disciples are stating that the Jewish authorities ensured Jesus received a formal, legal judgment that resulted in His execution. This word highlights the judicial process, however unjust, that Jesus underwent.
* **crucified (Greek, _stauróō'_):** This verb (G4717) means "to impale on the cross." It is the specific method of execution that the disciples recount. The use of this word is stark and direct, leaving no ambiguity about the brutal reality of Jesus' death. It signifies the ultimate act of public humiliation and suffering, serving as a historical anchor for the disciples' sorrow and for the later Christian understanding of the atonement.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And how the chief priests and our rulers":** This clause identifies the primary human agents responsible for Jesus' death from the disciples' perspective. "Chief priests" refers to the leading priestly families, including the high priest, who held significant religious and political power. "Our rulers" likely refers to the elders and other members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court. The disciples clearly understood that the Jewish leadership, their own people's authorities, were instrumental in orchestrating Jesus' demise.
* **"delivered him to be condemned to death":** This phrase describes the act of handing Jesus over to the Roman authorities (specifically Pilate) for a capital sentence. The Jewish leaders lacked the authority to execute someone under Roman rule, so they "delivered" Jesus to the Roman governor to secure a death penalty. This highlights the legal, albeit corrupt, process that led to the cross, emphasizing the deliberate actions taken by the Jewish authorities to ensure Jesus' condemnation.
* **"and have crucified him":** This final clause states the ultimate outcome of the process initiated by the Jewish leaders: Jesus' execution by crucifixion. This is the stark, undeniable fact that has shattered the disciples' hopes. It underscores the brutal reality of Jesus' death, a death that, in their minds at this moment, represented the failure of their messianic expectations.

#### Literary Devices
The language of [Luke 24:20](/luke/24-20 "Luke 24:20 - The Disciples' Account of Jesus' Death") is imbued with **Pathos**, conveying the disciples' deep sorrow and sense of loss. Their words are a lament, reflecting shattered hopes and profound confusion. There is also a strong element of **Irony** present, as the very person to whom they are recounting these tragic events is Jesus Himself, the resurrected Christ. Their inability to recognize Him, combined with their detailed yet incomplete understanding of His death, creates a dramatic **Dramatic Irony** for the reader. The verse also functions as a **Narrative Hook**, drawing Jesus into their conversation and setting the stage for His subsequent, transformative teaching on the necessity of the Messiah's suffering and resurrection. This initial expression of despair is crucial for highlighting the magnitude of the revelation that follows.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 24:20, spoken by the Emmaus disciples, underscores the foundational truth of the historical crucifixion of Jesus, a truth central to Christian theology. Their bewildered account highlights the human culpability in Jesus' death, specifically the role of the Jewish religious and political leadership. However, from a broader theological perspective, this human agency, though sinful, was paradoxically part of God's sovereign plan for salvation, fulfilling ancient prophecies regarding the suffering Messiah. The disciples' initial despair over Jesus' death reveals their limited understanding of God's redemptive purposes, setting the stage for Jesus' revelation that the cross was not a defeat but a necessary step towards glory and the redemption of humanity. This tension between human action and divine purpose is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, culminating in the cross as the ultimate act of both human depravity and divine love.

* [Acts 2:23](/acts/2-23 "Peter's Sermon on God's Plan")
* [Isaiah 53:5-6](/isaiah/53-5-6 "Isaiah 53:5-6 - The Suffering Servant")
* [1 Corinthians 15:3](/1_corinthians/15-3 "1 Corinthians 15:3 - Christ Died for Our Sins")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The Emmaus disciples' raw recounting of Jesus' crucifixion in [Luke 24:20](/luke/24-20 "Luke 24:20 - The Disciples' Account of Jesus' Death") offers a profound mirror for our own faith journeys. Like them, we often encounter circumstances that shatter our expectations or defy our understanding of God's plan. Their disappointment, though rooted in a limited perspective, was genuine. This reminds us that faith is not the absence of doubt or confusion, but the willingness to walk with God even when His ways seem inscrutable. The subsequent revelation by Jesus on the road to Emmaus transforms their despair into burning hearts and profound understanding. This narrative encourages us to bring our questions and disappointments to Christ, trusting that He will illuminate His purposes, often revealing that what appears to be a setback is, in fact, a divinely orchestrated step towards a greater glory. Our faith is not just in the historical facts of the cross, but in the redemptive meaning and the triumphant resurrection that transforms tragedy into victory.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What expectations or preconceived notions about God's plan have you held that have been challenged or seemingly shattered by life's circumstances?**
* **How do you typically respond when your understanding of God's work seems incomplete or contradictory to your hopes?**
* **In what ways might God be revealing a deeper purpose in your current challenges, even if it's not immediately apparent?**
* **How does understanding the "necessity" of Christ's suffering and death (as Jesus later explained) change your perspective on personal trials?**

### FAQ

**Why were the disciples on the road to Emmaus so focused on Jesus' death and not His resurrection?**

Answer: The disciples' focus on Jesus' death and their apparent ignorance of His resurrection in [Luke 24:20](/luke/24-20 "Luke 24:20 - The Disciples' Account of Jesus' Death") stems from several factors. Firstly, their messianic expectations were primarily political and nationalistic; they hoped Jesus would be the one to "redeem Israel" from Roman oppression ([Luke 24:21](/luke/24-21 "Luke 24:21 - The Disciples' Hopes")). A crucified Messiah was a contradiction to this expectation, a sign of failure, not triumph. Secondly, while they had heard reports of the empty tomb and angelic messages ([Luke 24:22-24](/luke/24-22-24 "Luke 24:22-24 - Reports of the Empty Tomb")), these were "idle tales" to them, difficult to reconcile with the brutal reality of the crucifixion they had witnessed or heard about. Their minds were not yet open to the spiritual truth of a suffering and rising Messiah, a concept that required divine illumination, which Jesus later provided by expounding the Scriptures to them ([Luke 24:27](/luke/24-27 "Luke 24:27 - Jesus Explains the Scriptures")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 24:20, while articulating the disciples' pre-resurrection confusion, powerfully sets the stage for the Christ-centered fulfillment revealed by Jesus Himself. The "chief priests and our rulers" delivering Jesus to be "condemned to death" and "crucified" was not merely a tragic historical event, but the divinely ordained means by which God's eternal plan of salvation was accomplished. Jesus, the true Lamb of God, was "delivered up for our offenses" ([Romans 4:25](/romans/4-25 "Romans 4:25 - Jesus Delivered for Our Offenses")) according to the "determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" ([Acts 2:23](/acts/2-23 "Acts 2:23 - God's Foreknowledge and Plan")). The cross, which the disciples saw as a stumbling block, was in fact the pivotal act of cosmic redemption, where Christ bore the sin of the world ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")) and triumphed over sin and death ([Colossians 2:14-15](/colossians/2-14-15 "Colossians 2:14-15 - Christ's Triumph Over Powers")). Thus, the very act of condemnation and crucifixion, recounted with such despair by the disciples, is the glorious fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the suffering servant ([Isaiah 53:4-6](/isaiah/53-4-6 "Isaiah 53:4-6 - The Suffering Servant")), leading directly to His resurrection and ascension, securing eternal life and reconciliation for all who believe ([Romans 5:8-10](/romans/5-8-10 "Romans 5:8-10 - Reconciliation Through Christ's Death")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 3:13

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go.

Acts 3:15

And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 13:27

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [him].

Acts 13:29

And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took [him] down from the tree, and laid [him] in a sepulchre.

Luke 23:13

¶ And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

Matthew 27:20

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

Acts 4:8

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,