Matthew Chapter 27
1 In the morning, the chief priests and the elders of the people developed a strategy for getting Jesus executed.
2 They bound him and delivered him to Pilate, the governor.
Mt 26:67-27:2
The Death of Judas
3 When Judas the traitor saw Jesus was condemned, he regretted it and took the 30 silver shekels back to the chief priests and elders, 4 “I’ve sinned. I betrayed innocent blood.”
They said, “What’s that to us? That’s your problem.”
5 He threw the shekels into the sanctuary and went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the shekels and said, “It’s against the Law to put them in the Temple Treasury since they’re blood money.” 7 They talked it over and decided to use them to buy a potter’s field as a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That’s why it’s still called the Field of Blood.* 9 That fulfilled what Jeremiah the prophet said,
“I took the 30 silver shekels,
the price of the One as evaluated by the people of Israel,
10 and theyms bought a potter’s field,
like the LORD instructed me” [Zech 11:12-13; cp Jer 32:6-9].
Mt 27:3-10
The First and Second Trials
in Front of Pilate
11 Jesus stood in front of the governor, who asked him, “Are you king of the Jews?”
“Yes.”
12 While the chief priests and elders were accusing him, he didn’t respond.
13 Pilate said, “You hear all the things they’re accusing you of, don’t you?”
14 He didn’t answer him on a single charge. The governor was really surprised.
Mt 27:11-14
15 At each Passover Festival the governor had a custom of releasing one prisoner the crowd wanted. 16 At the time they were holding a notorious prisoner called [Jesus]ms Barabbas. 17 So while they were assembled, Pilate said, “Who do you want me to release to you, [Jesus]ms Barabbas or Jesus, called Messiah?” ( 18 He knew they’d delivered him up out of envy.)
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, “Don’t do anything with that innocent man. I suffered a terrible nightmare last night because of him.”
20 The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and execute Jesus.
21 Pilate asked them, “Who do you want me to release?”
“Barabbas.”
22 “What do you want me to do with Jesus, called Messiah?”
“Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What’s he done?”
They started shouting louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw he wasn’t getting anywhere, but a riot was brewing, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, “I’m innocent of this man’s blood. This is your problem.”
25 The people answered, “His blood’s on us and our descendants.”
26 Then he released Barabbas, had Jesus scourged, and turned him over to be crucified.
Mt 27:15-26
Torture by the Roman Soldiers
27 The governor’s soldiers took him into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet military robe on him. 29 They twisted together a crown made out of thorns and put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand, knelt to him, and made fun of him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spit on him and took the reed and kept beating him over the head with it.
Mt 27:27-30
The Way to Golgotha
31 When they got done making fun of him, they took the robe off, put his clothes back on him, and led him off to crucify him.
32 As they were coming out, they found a Cyrenian named Simon and made him carry the cross. 33 When they got to a place called Golgotha (“Place of the Skull”), 34 they offered him wine mixed with gall; but, after tasting it, he wouldn’t drink it. 35 After they crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots 36 and sat down to keep watch. 37 They put his accusation above his head: “Jesus, King of the Jews.”
38 They crucified two insurgents with him, on his right and left.
Mt 27:31-38
The Death of Jesus
39 The ones passing by were ridiculing him, shaking their heads, 40 “You that tear down the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you’re God’s Son, come down from the cross!”
41 The chief priests as well as the scribes and elders were making fun of him too: 42 “He saved other people; he can’t save himself! He’s king of Israel! Let him come down from the cross, and we’ll believe it. 43 He has trusted in God; let God rescue him now if he wants him”—because he said, “I’m God’s Son.” 44 The insurgents that were crucified with him were denouncing him.
45 From noon till 3, it got dark over the whole country. 46 About 3 p.m., Jesus shouted, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani (My God, my God, why have you deserted me)?” [Ps 22:1]
47 Some of the ones standing there heard him, “He’s calling for Elijah.”
48 One of them ran to fill a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. 49 The rest were saying, “Let’s see if Elijah will comep to save him.”
50 Jesus let out another loud cry and quit breathing.
Mt 27:39-50
Miracles Accompanying His Death
51 The sanctuary curtain tore in two, top to bottom; the ground tremored, and the bedrocks ruptured. ( 52 Tombs came open, and the bodies of many saints resurrected. 53 They left their graves after his resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared to many people.) 54 The centurion and the ones on watch with him were scared to death when they saw the earthquake and the other things that were happening.
55 Several women were watching from a distance. They’d traveled with Jesus from Galilee to wait on him. 56 Among them were Mary the Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Mt 27:51-56
The Burial of Jesus
57 That evening a wealthy man named Joseph from Arimathea came; he was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body, and Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 He took it and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 He put it in his own new, rock-hewn tomb, rolled a large stone against the entrance, and left. 61 Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting across from the grave.
Mt 27:57-61
The Watch at the Tomb
62 The next day, the day after Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees got together with Pilate, 63 “Sir, we’ve remembered that while he was alive, the deceiver said he’d resurrect after three days.’ 64 Have the grave sealed till the third day so his disciples can’t steal the body and tell the people he arose from the dead. The last deception would be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate told them, “You have a guard. Secure it as well as you know how.” 66 They secured the tomb with a guard and put a seal on the stone.
Mt 27:62-66