Matthew chapter 27

They bring Jesus to Pilate for questioning. Pilate permits the death sentence. The soldiers torture Jesus. They crucify him. He dies. They bury his body.

 


 

THEY BRING JESUS BEFORE PILATE

 

VERSE 1. Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

 

VERSE 2. and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

 

JUDAS TAKES HIS OWN LIFE

 

VERSE 3. Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

thirty pieces of silver. The Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. That was equivalent to $256. Read more »

 

VERSE 4. saying, “I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You see to it.”

What is that to us? The religious leaders have a total lack of empathy.

 

VERSE 5. He threw down the pieces of silver in the sanctuary, and departed. He went away and hanged himself.

pieces of silver. The Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. That was equivalent to $256. Read more »

and hanged himself. People complain that this phrase does not exactly align with the testimony in the Book of Acts:

Acts 1:18. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out.

However, they can both be true. The gruesome details in the Book of Acts could have happened as a result of Judas hanging himself.

See also:

Deuteronomy 21:22. If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree,

 

VERSE 6. The chief priests took the pieces of silver, and said, “It’s not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.”

Zechariah 11:13. The LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in the LORD’s house.

 

VERSE 7. They took counsel, and bought the potter’s field with them, to bury strangers in.

Zechariah 11:13. The LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, the handsome price that I was valued at by them!” I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in the LORD’s house.

 

VERSE 8. Therefore that field was called “The Field of Blood” to this day.

 

VERSE 9. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him upon whom a price had been set, whom some of the children of Israel priced,

 

VERSE 10. and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

 

PILATE QUESTIONS JESUS

 

VERSE 11. Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “So you say.”

the King of the Jews. This title corresponds roughly with “Messiah.”

So you say. In those days, this cryptic answer probably meant “yes,” but with possible qualifications.

 

VERSE 12. When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

 

VERSE 13. Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they testify against you?”

 

VERSE 14. He gave him no answer, not even one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

 

THEY WANT BARABBAS, NOT JESUS

 

VERSE 15. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the multitude one prisoner, whom they desired.

 

VERSE 16. They had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

 

VERSE 17. When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?”

 

VERSE 18. For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up.

 

VERSE 19. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”

the judgment seat. This was a raised platform where magistrates judged.

that righteous man. Jesus is an innocent man.

a dream. In those days, godly people considered dreams as possibly communicating a revelation from God. For that reason, Pilate’s wife might be a godly person.

 

VERSE 20. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

 

PILATE PERMITS THE DEATH SENTENCE

 

VERSE 21. But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”

 

VERSE 22. Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!”

 

VERSE 23. But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

 

VERSE 24. So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”

washed his hands. Like the elders of a city when dealing with a corpse:

Deuteronomy 21:6. All the elders of that city which is nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.

I am innocent. Documents of those days accuse Pilate of corruption, rape, murder, and contempt for the people of Israel. However, early church literature progressively exonerates him.

 

VERSE 25. All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”

May his blood be on us, and upon our children! Some Christians wrongly interpret this to mean that the Jewish people are eternally guilty of executing Jesus Christ. However, it is not the Jewish people who killed Jesus Christ.

It was us. It was all of us.

Jesus Christ died for sins. He died for the sins of all. All have sinned. All of us are involved in the death of Jesus Christ. None are exempt.

We cannot blame his death on the Jewish people. We can only point the accusatory finger at ourselves.

To sin is to violate God’s will for us. It harms our relationship with God. We all have missed the mark and sinned. Here are the verses we’ve found »

 

VERSE 26. Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.

Jesus he flogged. This was done as a punishment, and to weaken a person prior to crucifixion.

 

THE SOLDIERS TORTURE JESUS

 

VERSE 27. Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.

the Praetorium. That is, the governor’s headquarters.

 

VERSE 28. They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.

 

VERSE 29. They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

 

VERSE 30. They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.

They spat on him. This is a universal act of disrespect.

 

VERSE 31. When they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

 

SIMON OF CYRENE CARRIES THE CROSS

 

VERSE 32. As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

Cyrene. This was the capital city of the Roman province of Cyrenaica. In our day, it is called Libya, located in the continent of Africa.

 

VERSE 33. When they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,”

 

VERSE 34. they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

gall. Gall was a bitter herb that was poisonous.

 

THEY CRUCIFY JESUS

 

VERSE 35. When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,

Sometimes people in the Bible made decisions by casting lots. That is, by rolling dice. Dice give a yes-or-no answer. Read more »

 

VERSE 36. and they sat and watched him there.

 

VERSE 37. They set up over his head the accusation against him written, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

 

VERSE 38. Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.

 

VERSE 39. Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads,

wagging their heads. This was a gesture of derision.

 

VERSE 40. and saying, “You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

 

VERSE 41. Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said,

 

VERSE 42. “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. If he is the King of Israel, let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

 

VERSE 43. He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

 

VERSE 44. The robbers also who were crucified with him cast on him the same reproach.

 

JESUS DIES

 

VERSE 45. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

darkness over the whole land. The day of the LORD God will be dark. It will be without joy. Read more »

 

VERSE 46. About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. Have you ever felt forsaken by God? If so, you are not alone. On the cross, the Lord Jesus himself felt forsaken by God the Father. Read more »

 

VERSE 47. Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

 

VERSE 48. Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him a drink.

 

VERSE 49. The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”

 

VERSE 50. Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit.

 

VERSE 51. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.

torn in two. Access to God will no longer be restricted to those who can access the temple. Now God will be available to all people.

 

VERSE 52. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

Wow!

This must have been amazing to see!

 

VERSE 53. and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many.

 

VERSE 54. Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

 

VERSE 55. Many women were there watching from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, serving him.

 

VERSE 56. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Mary Magdalene. That is, Mary from Magdala.

 

THEY BURY HIS BODY

 

VERSE 57. When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea, named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple came.

from Arimathaea, named Joseph. This man, Joseph of Arimathaea, will later be known as Barnabas the Apostle.

 

VERSE 58. This man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up.

 

VERSE 59. Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

a clean linen cloth. They washed and anointed, perfumed and clothed the dead body.

 

VERSE 60. and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock, and he rolled a great stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

The body of Jesus was placed in a donated tomb. It had been carved into a rock. Essentially it was a cave. Some other people in the Bible were buried like that. Read more »

 

VERSE 61. Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

sitting opposite the tomb. These two are seated, immobile, at prayer, facing Jesus, waiting. They form a wonderful picture of Contemplative Prayer.

 

THEY GUARD THE TOMB

 

VERSE 62. Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate,

 

VERSE 63. saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’

 

VERSE 64. Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

the last deception. Actually, the “last deception” is done by those who say this thing. They invent the lie that the body of Jesus was stolen.

 

VERSE 65. Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.”

 

VERSE 66. So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

they went with the guard. After Joshua had trapped the five kings inside the cave and sealed it with a stone, he placed a guard:

Joshua 10:18. Joshua said, “Roll large stones to cover the cave’s entrance, and set men by it to guard them;

 


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MATTHEW

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.