What is the meaning and purpose of Jesus’ death in Luke?
The Passion Narrative dominates the Gospel of Luke: Jesus refers to it in advance multiple times (e.g. Luke
9:21-27, 9:43-45, 17:20-37), much to the confusion of the disciples, and it is the driving source of the text,
with every action pushing the narrative closer to the fulfilment of it. Whilst it can never be confirmed what
Luke truly meant by producing his version of the Passion, and his purpose in writing it, there are a few
theories which hold ground, and can be examined. Namely, Jesus dying as a martyr and/or a prophet, in
order to fulfil God’s divine purpose. In briefly examining Hellenistic martyr conventions, and the way in
which Luke seemingly presents Jesus as both a martyr and a prophet, this essay will conclude that the two
are intertwined in the narrative. Thus, it is convincing to argue that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus died as a
martyred prophet, willingly serving God’s plan, and enabling humanity to escape Satan to receive salvation.
As the conditions for being considered a martyr are often difficult to pin down, it can be helpful to analyse
the conventions of martyrdom which were present in Jewish and Hellenistic accounts, and then evaluate
them with regard to the evangelist’s Jesus. In Greek, ‘martyr’ means ‘witness,’ and this has since been
developed to mean someone who bears witness to a cause, to the point of their death. Jesus is certainly a
witness to God’s message, having an intimate knowledge of the scriptures (Luke 22:37) 1, and warning the
people of what will come from their ignorance. Often, as in Jewish writings, martyrs are presented as
pious, especially in death, and their innocence is emphasised (e.g. the account of Eleazar’s death in 2
Maccabees 6:18-312 and the figures of 4 Maccabees 6:22, 13:10.3) Indeed, this is certainly a feature of
Luke’s presentation of Jesus, as his innocence is maintained explicitly at least seven times by four different
individuals (Luke 23:4, 23:13-14, 23:15, 23:15-16, 23:22, 23:41, 23:47). This establishes that it was an aim
of the evangelist to emphasise Jesus’ innocence in both His actions and death, potentially to demonstrate
that Jesus died a martyr, but also to highlight the way in which Jesus’ innocent death was key in enabling
salvation for all of humanity.
The evangelist’s emphasis on Jesus’ innocence as part of the Passion narrative is notable, and has many
potential theological implications, bringing more clarity on the meaning and purpose of Luke’s writing.
Throughout the trial, it is found that there is “no basis for an accusation” (Luke 23:4) against Jesus, with
even Herod sending Jesus back to Pilate, having found no reason to put Him to death. Even after Jesus’
death, a centurion declares “Certainly, this man was innocent” (Luke 23:47), allowing Jesus’ innocence to
prevail after His earthly death, reinforcing his position as the willing sacrifice.
Indeed, the emphasis on Jesus’ innocence in Luke comes into contrast with Mark’s Gospel, from which Luke
is said to have drawn inspiration. Whilst Luke consistently reasserts Jesus’ innocence, Mark barely
references it, presenting Pilate as a weak man who easily gives in to the crowd’s demands. Further, any
events or references that also appear in Luke, such as the appearance of the centurion, are referred to in
different terms, placing emphasis on another theme. For example, whilst in Luke 23:47, the centurion sees
Jesus’ act of giving His soul into God’s hands as a sign of Jesus’ innocence, Mark 15:39 declares instead
1
“For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me”
2
Sterling, Gregory. “Mors Philosophi: The Death of Jesus in Luke.” The Harvard Theological Review 94,
no. 4. 2001. Pg391.
3
Tabb, Brian J. “Is the Lucan Jesus a ‘Martyr’? A Critical Assessment of a Scholarly Consensus.” The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 77, no. 2. 2015. Pg287.
The Passion Narrative dominates the Gospel of Luke: Jesus refers to it in advance multiple times (e.g. Luke
9:21-27, 9:43-45, 17:20-37), much to the confusion of the disciples, and it is the driving source of the text,
with every action pushing the narrative closer to the fulfilment of it. Whilst it can never be confirmed what
Luke truly meant by producing his version of the Passion, and his purpose in writing it, there are a few
theories which hold ground, and can be examined. Namely, Jesus dying as a martyr and/or a prophet, in
order to fulfil God’s divine purpose. In briefly examining Hellenistic martyr conventions, and the way in
which Luke seemingly presents Jesus as both a martyr and a prophet, this essay will conclude that the two
are intertwined in the narrative. Thus, it is convincing to argue that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus died as a
martyred prophet, willingly serving God’s plan, and enabling humanity to escape Satan to receive salvation.
As the conditions for being considered a martyr are often difficult to pin down, it can be helpful to analyse
the conventions of martyrdom which were present in Jewish and Hellenistic accounts, and then evaluate
them with regard to the evangelist’s Jesus. In Greek, ‘martyr’ means ‘witness,’ and this has since been
developed to mean someone who bears witness to a cause, to the point of their death. Jesus is certainly a
witness to God’s message, having an intimate knowledge of the scriptures (Luke 22:37) 1, and warning the
people of what will come from their ignorance. Often, as in Jewish writings, martyrs are presented as
pious, especially in death, and their innocence is emphasised (e.g. the account of Eleazar’s death in 2
Maccabees 6:18-312 and the figures of 4 Maccabees 6:22, 13:10.3) Indeed, this is certainly a feature of
Luke’s presentation of Jesus, as his innocence is maintained explicitly at least seven times by four different
individuals (Luke 23:4, 23:13-14, 23:15, 23:15-16, 23:22, 23:41, 23:47). This establishes that it was an aim
of the evangelist to emphasise Jesus’ innocence in both His actions and death, potentially to demonstrate
that Jesus died a martyr, but also to highlight the way in which Jesus’ innocent death was key in enabling
salvation for all of humanity.
The evangelist’s emphasis on Jesus’ innocence as part of the Passion narrative is notable, and has many
potential theological implications, bringing more clarity on the meaning and purpose of Luke’s writing.
Throughout the trial, it is found that there is “no basis for an accusation” (Luke 23:4) against Jesus, with
even Herod sending Jesus back to Pilate, having found no reason to put Him to death. Even after Jesus’
death, a centurion declares “Certainly, this man was innocent” (Luke 23:47), allowing Jesus’ innocence to
prevail after His earthly death, reinforcing his position as the willing sacrifice.
Indeed, the emphasis on Jesus’ innocence in Luke comes into contrast with Mark’s Gospel, from which Luke
is said to have drawn inspiration. Whilst Luke consistently reasserts Jesus’ innocence, Mark barely
references it, presenting Pilate as a weak man who easily gives in to the crowd’s demands. Further, any
events or references that also appear in Luke, such as the appearance of the centurion, are referred to in
different terms, placing emphasis on another theme. For example, whilst in Luke 23:47, the centurion sees
Jesus’ act of giving His soul into God’s hands as a sign of Jesus’ innocence, Mark 15:39 declares instead
1
“For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me”
2
Sterling, Gregory. “Mors Philosophi: The Death of Jesus in Luke.” The Harvard Theological Review 94,
no. 4. 2001. Pg391.
3
Tabb, Brian J. “Is the Lucan Jesus a ‘Martyr’? A Critical Assessment of a Scholarly Consensus.” The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 77, no. 2. 2015. Pg287.
