Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 27 Mean?

The events of Matthew 27 all take place in a single, exhausting day, during which the Son of God will die.

The council that condemned Jesus the night before had not followed official procedure. Part of their error was not passing a death sentence during the day. To meet the letter of the law, they meet once more after sunrise to make it official. Jesus is tied up and marched over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The Jewish religious leaders need him to sentence Jesus to death, since they do not have the authority to do so on their own (Matthew 27:1–2).

Meanwhile, Judas has changed his mind. When he hears that Jesus has been condemned, he takes the 30 pieces of silver back to the leaders who paid him to betray Jesus. He admits that Jesus is innocent, but they don’t care. Jesus’ enemies are certainly not going to admit that they’ve bribed anyone. Judas helplessly throws the money down and leaves to commit suicide. The chief priests and elders use the money to buy a field for burying foreigners in Israel (Matthew 27:3–10).

Pilate asks Jesus directly if He is the King of the Jews. Jesus affirms, “You have said so.” Other than this, Jesus has little to say in His own defense. John’s account adds details showing how Pilate investigates Jesus’ claims to be a “King,” and finds them harmless (John 18:33–38). Jewish religious leaders heap accusations on Christ, attempting to secure a death sentence. Pilate is amazed that Jesus won’t answer. In part, he might hope Jesus will dispute the charges enough to convict the religious leaders of deceit. Jesus knows this would be pointless and says almost nothing (Matthew 27:11–14).

It was custom for Pilate to release a prisoner to the people at Passover every year. This is likely an attempt to outmaneuver the manipulating religious leaders. Part of Pilate’s caution might be superstition, as his wife warns about a dream she has had. Pilate assumes the people would rather see a controversial teacher be set free, rather than a convicted murderer. He has not found anything to charge Jesus with, and he knows that the Jewish religious leaders want Jesus killed out of envy and not because of any legitimate crime against Rome. Offering a confirmed insurrectionist would strain their claims against Jesus. He does not realize the mob is being directed by Jesus’ enemies (Matthew 27:15–20).

The Roman governor gives the crowds a choice: Jesus or Barabbas. Spurred on by Jerusalem’s religious leaders, they shout for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate finally gives in to this pressure, though he does not believe Jesus is guilty. In a pointless attempt to avoid responsibility for Jesus’ death, he symbolically washes his hands. The frenzied mob, coached by Jerusalem’s leaders, carelessly brush off the seriousness of what is happening. Jesus is viciously humiliated by Roman soldiers, beaten again, and taken away to be crucified (Matthew 27:21–31).

Crucifixion victims were often made to carry their own cross, though usually this was just the horizontal beam. That, itself, could be anywhere from 35 pounds—or 16 kilograms—to the size of a railroad tie. Since Jesus was horribly mutilated beforehand, He can’t keep pace with the other prisoners (John 19:1–4). Taking advantage of Roman law (Matthew 5:41), the soldiers force an innocent bystander to drag the cross the rest of the way (Matthew 27:32).

On the cross, at a place called Golgotha, Jesus refuses to drink a bitter wine. This was probably a sedative, and Jesus does not want His mind dulled. The soldiers split up His clothes and gamble over the last piece. A sign over Jesus’ head carries the crime for which He is “officially” being executed: being “King” of the Jews. People passing by, including several Jewish religious leaders, mock Jesus for not being able to save Himself while claiming to be the Son of God. Even the criminals being crucified alongside Jesus make fun of Him (Matthew 27:33–44).

As this occurs, an unexplained darkness falls over Israel for about three hours. Jesus cries out in Aramaic, quoting the words of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some misunderstand Jesus and think He is calling for the prophet Elijah to come and save Him. Finally, Jesus voluntarily gives up His spirit and dies. At that moment, the enormous curtain in the temple which symbolically separates men from the presence of God is ripped in two from top to bottom. A potent earthquake breaks open the graves of some of Israel’s saints. Roman soldiers, filled with awe, fearfully declare that Jesus must have been divine (Matthew 27:45–54).

Joseph of Arimathea, a rich follower of Jesus, asks Pilate for Jesus’ body. Pilate agrees, and Joseph buries the body in his own, never-used tomb. Pilate also agrees to the request of some Jewish religious leaders to post a guard at the tomb. Their intent is to keep the body from being stolen, preventing the disciples of Christ from faking a resurrection (Matthew 27:55–66).

In an ironic twist, the extra measures taken after Jesus’ death succeed: they entirely rule out any possibility that someone may have stolen His corpse. When Jesus’ tomb is found empty, it will be clear evidence of a miracle (Matthew 28:1–10).

Chapter Context
Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus’ condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.

During a hasty sham trial, conducted in the night at the home of the chief priest, Jesus had been found guilty and deserving of death. This involved at least some members of the Jewish ruling council known as the Sanhedrin. Using language from Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13, Jesus had “confessed” to being the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. Since the Jewish religious leaders refused to believe this could possibly be true, they convicted Him of blasphemy (Matthew 26:57–68).

However, that trial was not technically legal. Traditional Jewish law of that time required any trial involving a death penalty offense to be held openly during the day. Such an event would normally have taken place in the temple. So, when morning arrives, a second, ceremonial “trial” is convened. They simply affirm the verdict the group had made under the cover of darkness, which is also the same sentence determined long before (John 11:53): Jesus was to be put to death.

Verse 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

The Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling body, had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy for His claim to be the Messiah. Although the trial was entirely false (Matthew 26:57–68), and the verdict decided long before (John 11:53), they agreed on a sentence of death. Jewish law of the time, however, said such trials had to happen in openness and during the day. To wiggle around this requirement, a hasty repeat of the verdict is given after morning breaks (Matthew 27:1).

Jesus’ enemies have another problem. Under Roman law, they did not have the authority to put prisoners to death. Only the Romans could perform legal executions. To accomplish their death sentence, Jerusalem’s religious leaders will need the Roman governor of their region to give the order. To that end, they send a captive Jesus to Pontius Pilate for yet another verdict and sentence.

Christ’s predictions about these events continue to be fulfilled exactly as He said: “The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles” (Matthew 20:18–19). Jesus continues to offer no resistance to those who accuse, beat, and march Him from place to place. He knows He is exactly where His Father means for Him to be.

Pontius Pilate served as the governor of the region of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. Sources outside the Bible describe Pilate as cruel, unfavorable to the Jewish people, and sometimes insecure. His tenure was marked by acts of violence, and he was eventually replaced. In 1961, an inscription was discovered in Caesarea Maritima that mentioned Pilate as a prefect in the region. He apparently only came to Jerusalem during feasts or festivals or when there was likely to be trouble that required his attention.

Context Summary
Matthew 27:1–2 briefly describes events taking place on the morning following Jesus’ conviction and condemnation during the night. Jewish legal procedure of the time required a death penalty trial to be held during the daytime. For the sake of appearances, the council again condemned Jesus and sentenced Him to death. They did not have the authority to enact such a sentence, however. They needed Roman approval to do that. So, they tie Jesus up and march Him over to Pilate, the Roman governor of the region, in hopes he will agree to have Jesus executed. Mark 15:1, Luke 23:1, and John 18:28 offer the same information.

Verse 3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

As before, Matthew shifts the scene away from Jesus to one of His disciples. The previous chapter ended with Peter denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, just as the Lord said he would (Matthew 26:69–75). He then escaped, weeping bitterly at his failure to stand with Jesus at the risk of his own life.

Now the scene turns to Judas, again labeled as a disloyal traitor. Unlike Peter, Judas did not lose a struggle with himself to stay true to Jesus. He made a commitment to betray Jesus, in advance, then followed through with it (Matthew 26:14–16). Only after the betrayal was complete did Judas begin to regret his choice.

Seeing Jesus’ death sentence from the Sanhedrin apparently changed Judas’ mind. It is unknown what he expected to happen to Jesus. Perhaps he could not imagine any crime for which Jesus could be found guilty. Perhaps he wanted to force Jesus to use His extraordinary powers in a confrontation that would finally bring Him to the throne of Israel. He might simply have come to realize the hateful evil of what he had done. In any case, it is only now, after the fact, that Judas seems to believe Jesus should not die (Matthew 27:4).

The chief priests and elders had given Judas thirty pieces of silver for his role as a traitor. Now Judas brings it back, hoping to reverse his action in some way. Here, as well, it’s unclear what he hoped to accomplish.

Verse 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

Matthew’s gospel is the only one to reveal that Judas came to regret betraying Jesus to the chief priests and elders. Luke also takes note of Judas’ eventual suicide in his second volume (Acts 1:16–20). Once Judas understood that Jesus had been condemned to death, he was devastated. It’s not known what Judas expected to happen. For whatever reason, he either did not expect that Jesus would be killed, or he finally scrapes up enough of a conscience to see his error.

Judas has returned to the Jewish religious leaders who gave him the thirty pieces of silver to turn Jesus over to them (Matthew 26:14–16). He wants to give the money back, seeming to wish he could reverse what he has done. He confesses to them openly that he was wrong, and that Jesus is innocent. In a courtroom setting, Judas would have been condemned to death for this (Deuteronomy 19:18–19). Now, far too late, he tried to convince those who could do something about it.

The religious leaders Judas meets with, however, are not interested in his confession. Their response can be taken in more than one way. In Greek, expressions such as “what does this have to do with me?” implied the speaker had no reason to be involved (John 2:4). Now that the deed is done, Jesus’ enemies might have been pretending that it never happened. If Jesus’ innocence is clear, their payment to Judas could be seen as a bribe (Exodus 23:8). If they acknowledge that Judas worked under their orders, it will stir suspicion. While that seems unlikely, these men would have every reason to want Judas to take his guilty conscience elsewhere.

The other possibility is that their response is coldly literal: “oh, well, that’s not our problem.” They may simply be telling Judas to “deal with it.”

Bible teachers disagree about the extent of Judas’ repentance. He clearly feels remorse and confesses he is guilty of genuine sin. On the other hand, he does not express belief that Jesus is the Messiah or that he was wrong to abandon his master and the rest of the twelve. Mostly, he seems shocked and surprised by what has come from his actions. Only the degree of punishment Jesus suffers appears to be Judas’ motivation for a change of heart. The only clear point is that whatever remorse Judas experienced was not enough to lead him to genuine faith in Christ (Matthew 26:24; Mark 14:21).

Verse 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

Judas is distraught. When he heard Jesus had been condemned to death, he regretted his decision to take thirty pieces of silver as payment for turning Jesus over to His enemies (Matthew 26:14–16). He has tried to give the money back, but the Jewish religious leaders who paid him don’t want it. They also don’t want to hear Judas’ confession that he has sinned by betraying an innocent person (Matthew 27:1–4). Whether they are denying being involved, or merely callous, the religious leaders aren’t taking the money back, or changing their minds.

His conscience is shouting at him, however, so Judas will not keep the money. He throws it down in the temple on his way out. He immediately goes off and commits suicide. His chosen method is hanging, likely meaning he jumped from a high ledge with a rope tied around his neck. The Book of Acts supports this theory with grisly details: as part of this suicide—or not long after—Judas’ body fell and was splattered on the ground (Acts 1:16–18).

Some cultures have seen suicide as a noble way to end one’s life under specific circumstances. Highly honor-driven cultures have used it to atone for shameful actions. Others see it as an acceptable way to avoid submissive death at another’s hand. The strictest religious Jews of Judas’ era, however, held a similar view of suicide as that of modern Christianity. Namely, that suicide is an act of tragically misguided despair, at best. It is a sinful rebellion against God’s control over life, at worst. Especially tragic is that Judas’ remorse led him to suicide, but not to real repentance (Matthew 26:24; Mark 14:21).

Verse 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.”

The chief priests demonstrate once more that Jesus was exactly right in condemning them for hypocrisy. They were willing to pay “blood money” to capture Jesus. Now, it seems, they are once again interested in legalism. They insist on following the law about not putting blood money in the treasury. The law they seem to have in mind is from Deuteronomy 23:18, “You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog [male prostitute] into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.” A more general sense of the rule is that money made from immoral activity was not meant to be taken to the temple.

Hypocrisy aside, this incident reflects humanity’s traditional view of traitors. Despite Judas’ actions being exactly what the religious leaders always wanted (John 11:48–53), and those they actively encouraged (Matthew 26:14–16), they were still seen as noxious. Even those who benefitted from the betrayal, condemned the person who did it. Referring to this payment as “blood money” only highlights the shame of what Judas has done.

Verse 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter ‘s field as a burial place for strangers.

Religious leaders who had paid Judas for betrayal (Matthew 26:14–16) still saw his actions as despicable and immoral. When Judas attempted to return the money, they refused it (Matthew 27:3–6). Not only that, but they also saw the money as tainted by Judas’ actions and unsuitable to put in with other temple funds. Most likely, they don’t want to leave more evidence of their illegal plot (John 11:48–53). So, they put their heads together and come up with a creative legal solution.

Apparently, interpretations of laws such as Deuteronomy 23:18 only meant the coins could not be “brought into” the temple. They did allow for such money to be used outside of Judaism for the common good of the community. The chief priests use Judas’ returned fee to buy a field to be used as a burial place for foreigners in Israel. It’s not known why it is called the “potter’s field.” Scholars speculate that it may have once belonged to a potter or it is possible that potters took clay from the field for their pots.

Verse 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

It doesn’t necessarily follow that a tract of land used as a burial place for foreigners would be called the “Field of Blood.” However, this land was bought using money Judas returned after suffering remorse for his betrayal of Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16; Matthew 27:3–7). The priests called it “blood money,” recognizing its use for a tainted purpose, and chose not to use the coins in the temple (Deuteronomy 23:18). It’s possible that the location acquired its nickname once the truth of what had happened became clear.

Another possible explanation comes from Acts 1:18–19. This gives more details about Judas’ suicide. In an aside, Luke, the writer of Acts, indicates poetically that Judas bought the field in question—as it was his money that purchased it—and then states that his guts burst out as he fell. The result of the payment to Judas was the acquisition of the field. That was the fruit of his labor. It doesn’t mean he completed the transaction himself. Luke’s description does suggest, though, that perhaps the priests bought the potter’s field because that’s where Judas hanged himself.

Bible scholars suggest several explanations for the vivid end to Judas’s hanging. It may be that after he died, nobody wanted to defile themselves by touching the body for a time and the sun caused Judas’ body to quickly decompose, fall, and burst open. Or, perhaps, Judas hanged himself from a limb over a ravine, common in the area, and the branch gave way before or after his death. Or, most simply of all maybe, Judas simply fell to his death while attempting to hang himself.

In any case, the name “Field of Blood” connects to the tragic circumstances of its purchase.

Verse 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,

Verses 9 and 10 take an approach to Old Testament Scripture which seems to lose something in translation. Matthew begins by saying that the purchase of the potter’s field for the price of thirty pieces of silver is the direct fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 27:3–8). He credits this, in literal terms, to Jeremiah. Jeremiah 19:1–13 deals with these same themes. However, the exact words Matthew cites seem to come almost directly from Zechariah 11:12–13.

Scholars suggest that Matthew blended the two prophecies and mentioned only the more prominent of the two prophets. Apparently, this was not an unheard-of practice. Mark 1:2–3 does something similar, mentioning the prophet Isaiah, but quoting from both Isaiah and Malachi. The primary point Matthew means to show is that this was yet another moment in the story of Jesus which was alluded to hundreds of years earlier by the prophets.

The designated amount of thirty pieces of silver was a reference to the market value of a maimed slave (Exodus 21:32).

Verse 10 and they gave them for the potter ‘s field, as the Lord directed me.”

This concludes the prophecy Matthew references beginning in the previous verse (Matthew 27:9). The words come close to Zechariah 11:11–13. However, Matthew formally credits the prophetic prediction to the prophet Jeremiah. Bible scholars note direct parallels to the story of Judas and the content of Jeremiah 19:1–13. It’s likely that Matthew referenced both prophets, seeing divine foresight in both, and mentioned only the more prominent of the two. This seems to have been a normal practice of the time, as Mark 1:2–3 makes a similar choice when citing Isaiah and Malachi.

Matthew’s larger point is about the content of prophecy. Those statements closely connect to the story of Judas’ death and the purchase of the potter’s field (Matthew 27:3–8). This is yet more evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew, especially, has taken great care to connect prophecies from the Old Testament to many aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry as a way of establishing for Jewish readers the validity of Jesus’ claims to be the Christ.

Context Summary
Matthew 27:3–10 reveals Judas’ deep regret for betraying Jesus. He brings the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders who paid him for his cooperation. They don’t want the money back, and they’re not interested in Judas’ confession. Judas throws the money down in the temple and hangs himself. The priests use the money to buy a field for burying foreigners. They call it the Field of Blood. Matthew states that this fulfills prophesy and quotes from Zechariah. The book of Acts also recounts Judas’ death (Acts 1:16–20).

Verse 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”

After describing the end of Judas’ tragic story (Matthew 27:3–10), Matthew returns to Jesus. He is standing before the Roman governor Pilate. Early in the morning, some of the chief priests brought Jesus, bound, to Pilate’s headquarters in Jerusalem. They will not enter, so Pilate comes out to see what they want. He asks what accusation they have against Jesus and why they don’t judge Him according to their own Jewish law. They respond that Roman law will not allow them to put Jesus to death (John 18:28–32).

They tell Pilate, falsely, that Jesus has been misleading the Israelites and forbidding them from paying taxes to Caesar. They add that Jesus has been proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a king (Luke 23:2). The religious leaders are trying to come up with accusations that will convince Pilate that Jesus is a danger to Rome. One example is the issue of paying taxes. Jesus had famously replied to a trick question by saying the people should give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, referring specifically to money (Matthew 22:15–22).

Jesus’ enemies are closer to the truth in saying that He claims to be a king. He has stated that He is the Messiah. Jesus, though, has no interest in taking the throne of Israel or overthrowing the Romans. Matthew picks up the story as Pilate turns to Jesus and asks about this issue. Jesus gives the same answer He gave to the high priest: the equivalent of “you are the one who said it.” His answer clearly means yes, though there’s more to be said than what Jesus offers. John notes that Jesus’ answer made it clear He was not seeking a political overthrow of Rome (John 18:36).

Paul referred to this as a significant moment of revelation. He called this Jesus’ “good confession” before Pilate (1 Timothy 6:13), a moment Jesus revealed His identity to the Gentiles.

Verse 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer.

Matthew’s book is full of the words of Jesus. In His teaching, Jesus spoke paragraph after paragraph of great and hard truth. His teaching was wise and powerful and weighty. Now, though, Jesus knows that the time for teaching has passed. Since being arrested (Matthew 26:47–56) His most common response to accusations and abuse has been silence. He does not resist. He knows He is bound for the cross to die for the sins of humanity, and He is not trying to escape it. What needs to have been said and done is obvious. His enemies know the truth about His teaching; they lie anyway to have Him killed (Matthew 26:59–65). The Roman governor, who can see clearly that Jesus is innocent (Matthew 27:18) will soon ignore justice for the sake of stability (Matthew 27:24).

This is why Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be silent: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

It bothered Pilate that Jesus would not defend Himself against the repeated accusations of the chief priests and elders. How was He to decide if Jesus was worthy of death or not if Jesus would not respond? Details in other gospels, combined with Matthew, suggest that Pilate might have hoped to catch those religious leaders in their own lies (John 19:10–11).

Verse 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?”

Pontius Pilate was no friend to the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. History depicts Pilate as harsh and cruel. He was reported not to like the Jewish people, in general. Prior to Jesus’ arrival, he was associated with incidents of civil unrest prompted by his own arrogant insults of the Jewish people. Afterwards, he was removed from his position, apparently due to another such ugly scene. He recognizes the personal vendetta Jesus’ enemies are pursuing (Matthew 27:18). He was not the kind of politician to condemn a prisoner just to satisfy a high priest. However, the fragility of his political position may have been known, and one reason the religious leaders have come with an agitated crowd (Matthew 27:24).

The question Pilate asks here is incredulous. The real meaning is “aren’t you going to respond to this?” Pilate wants Jesus to answer. He has every reason to hear the other side of the story. The Jewish leaders were basically accusing Jesus of being a rebel who was trying to stir up the people to overthrow Rome. Jesus, though, did not have the look of that kind of man. He was calm, resolved, and silent.

Verse 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Matthew only records one statement from Jesus to Pilate during this impromptu trial at the governor’s headquarters. Pilate had asked if Jesus was the King of the Jews. Jesus said, classically, “You have said so,” effectively meaning “yes” (Matthew 27:11–13). While writers such as John include other details of the conversation (John 18:33–38), that was the gist of His response. Beyond that, He had little to say to Pilate. He listened as the Jewish religious leaders reigned down accusations on Him, anything they could think of to get the Roman governor to condemn Jesus. Jesus did not refute or answer even one of the charges, though it’s obvious some were simply false.

Pilate was amazed. Why wouldn’t this prisoner defend Himself? It was almost like Jesus was ready to be condemned and killed. That, in fact, is exactly the case. Jesus knows that His enemies have abandoned truth to seek His death (John 11:48–53; Matthew 26:59–65). He knows the Gentile governor will eventually choose stability over justice (Matthew 27:24). No further statements would matter—so there’s little point in making them (Matthew 7:6).

Verse 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

These events are happening near Passover, a major Jewish holiday (Matthew 26:1–5). This is likely the only reason Pontius Pilate, an infamously cruel and prejudiced Roman governor, is here rather than in his more usual seat of power. Pilate might have been arrogant, but he was not stupid. By this time, he would have already known about Jesus’ popularity (Matthew 21:10–11). He can see through the obvious vendetta of the religious leaders (Matthew 27:18). If for no other reason than to resist being manipulated, he seems committed to having Jesus released, rather than killed.

The following verses show one of the attempts Pilate made to go around the Jewish religious leaders to free Jesus. He would use a custom to give the crowd a chance to call for Jesus’ release. Roman law allowed certain leaders to pardon prisoners as they saw fit. The gospels suggest a standing tradition existed in Judea in which the Roman governor would release one prisoner during the Passover celebration. Perhaps the prisoner was selected, at least in part, according to popular opinion. What Pilate does not realize—yet—is that the people present appear to have been brought by Jesus’ enemies to present a hostile scene (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15).

Verse 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

Pilate has been amazed at Jesus’ virtual silence in the face of an onslaught of accusations from the Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 27:11–15). Jesus will simply offer no defense, no resistance. Pilate seems to want to release Jesus, however, perhaps because of what he sees in Jesus. Or perhaps he just wants to spite the Jewish leaders. History depicts Pilate as a cruel and relatively condescending politician, who would eventually be removed from his role for inciting unrest. He’s no fool, however. He already knows Jesus is popular (Matthew 21:10–11), and this is a personal feud (Matthew 27:18). His discussions with Jesus showed no threat of insurrection (John 18:36). For a variety of reasons, the governor wants to see Jesus released instead of executed.

Every year at Passover, the governor of Judea would release one prisoner in custody. The choice of which prisoner was up to the crowds, or so it seemed. Pilate takes advantage of this to give the crowds a choice. His idea is to offer someone obviously guilty, and distasteful, assuming the gathering crowd will choose Jesus. If so, he can be done with the matter. What Pilate is about to realize is that the crowd assembling at his court is hostile (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15), likely because Jesus’ enemies have called them for this purpose.

Matthew mentions another prisoner in custody called Barabbas. Several translations describe Barabbas as “notorious.” He was apparently well known, anyway. The other Gospels describe him as an insurrectionist and a murderer (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19). If he was known for trying to start an uprising against Rome, Barabbas may have been popular with the Jewish people and thought of as a Jewish hero. And yet, in this situation, he was far more guilty of what the religious leader were claiming about Jesus: to be a threat to Roman rule. More than likely, this man was scheduled to be crucified that very day.

Adding intense symbolism to this moment, many manuscripts of Matthew name the guilty prisoner as “Jesus Barabbas,” meaning he had the same common given name as Jesus of Nazareth. Pilate is about to offer the people a choice between a Jesus the people know is innocent and one they know is guilty, and they will choose to reject the Messiah (Matthew 27:21–23). In an almost crass way, the world will reject goodness in favor of someone more to their liking.

Verse 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”

Pilate is trying to figure out what to do with Jesus, who has been brought to him by the Jewish religious leaders. They are demanding a death sentence (Matthew 27:11–16). Pilate cannot find anything wrong with Jesus (John 18:33–38), and Jesus won’t say much in His own defense. Rather than be blatantly manipulated by a religious feud (Matthew 27:18), Pilate has another idea. Every year at Passover, he releases a prisoner as a kind of gift to the people. Since the religious leaders are claiming Jesus is a rebel against Rome, Pilate will offer a true insurgent as an option. Presumably, there’d be no question which was more deserving of release.

The man Pilate suggests as an alternative is a confirmed rebel and murderer (Mark 15:7), so vile that he’s described as “notorious” (Matthew 27:16). It’s certain Pilate knew that Jesus of Nazareth had been followed by great numbers of people throughout Israel (Matthew 21:10–11). At the same time, the other prisoner being offered was an insurrectionist who had been convicted of participating in an uprising against Rome. It’s possible some thought of him as a hero.

Pilate’s alternative is Barabbas, who in some manuscripts is identified as “Jesus Barabbas,” meaning he shared the same common given name as Jesus of Nazareth. This creates a potent symbolism in the choice now facing the people. Do they want Jesus the Messiah, or Jesus the Rebel? Jesus the clearly innocent man, or Jesus the fallible, even evil man? The One previously known to be innocent, or a man likely already scheduled for death? Do they want the Truth (John 14:6) who is the Son of God (Matthew 16:15–17), or someone better aligned with their own preferences?

Pilate poses the question to the crowds. His addition of the title “Christ” might be a taunt to the Jewish people. This comes from the Greek Christos, itself a translation of the Hebrew term Mashiyach, from which we also derive the term “Messiah.”

Verse 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

Pilate is trying to come up with a scheme to release Jesus from custody. At least part of that is common sense: according to this verse, Pilate understood that the Jewish religious leaders were trying to use Roman power to eliminate a rival. Given his existing awareness of Jesus (Matthew 21:10–11) and private interviews (John 18:33–36), Pilate has seen through their false accusations.

On the other hand, Pilate had to be careful. History notes that Pilate habitually antagonized the Jewish people, resulting in several ugly incidents. This was not ideal in the eyes of higher Roman authorities. With a swollen population, and an impending religious holiday (Matthew 27:15), Jerusalem would have been like a fuse waiting to be lit. As Pilate is likely realizing, there is a considerable crowd forming, and they are being manipulated by Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15). Adding to the complexity, Jesus’ enemies are making claims about insurrection (Luke 23:2). If he appears to be going soft on such crimes, the region could become unstable. Pilate does not want to release Jesus without good cause and risk provoking the powerful chief priests to stir up trouble of their own.

The easiest way out would be if the people themselves, the crowds, would select Jesus as their choice for the prisoner to be released at Passover. Pilate released one every year according to the people’s wishes. He could be done with the entire issue if they would call for Jesus. The selection of a “notorious” murderer and rebel (Matthew 27:16; Mark 15:7) is a clear attempt to make the choice obvious.

Verse 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”

One of Pilate’s hopes was that by giving the crowds an obvious choice between two prisoners, the people themselves would choose to release Jesus. If they agree to keep Barabbas, a “notorious” murderer (Matthew 27:16; Mark 15:7), in prison, Pilate will have averted an incident—and stymied Jerusalem’s religious leaders. Pilate certainly knows how popular Jesus had become (Matthew 21:10–11).

From the beginning of this encounter, Pilate has been inclined to release Jesus instead of condemning Him to death. He is not fooled by the Jewish religious leaders and their overt lies. Pilate knows they are using him to eliminate a rival (Matthew 27:24). He doesn’t honestly believe Jesus is a threat to Rome (John 18:33–36). And yet, Pilate is in an awkward position. His tenure as governor was marked with violence, something which his Roman superiors did not appreciate. With an impending religious holiday (Matthew 27:15) and swollen crowds, any threat of a riot in Jerusalem is heightened (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15).

The Gospels record two other factors that are added into Pilate’s hesitation. One comes from the gospel of John and suggests that Jesus claiming to be “Son of God” may have aroused pagan superstition (John 19:7–9). The fear that Jesus just might be supernatural, or favored by some deity, struck him with fear.

The other incident is depicted here, though we don’t know exactly when it occurred during the proceedings. At some point, Pilate receives a message while sitting on the judgment seat. It’s from his wife. She has been greatly troubled by a dream. She tells her husband, in effect, to keep away from doing any harm to Jesus of Nazareth. The only details Scripture records are the contents of her message. We cannot say for sure whether this was a supernatural message from God, a coincidence, or something else. We do know that many people of that era, including pagans, took dreams with deadly seriousness.

Regardless of the unknown details, this message only confirms what Pilate is already inclined to do. He wants to release Jesus. And yet, any sense of morality, conscience, or fear of the divine will soon be overwhelmed by Pilate’s fear of political trouble (Matthew 27:22–24).

Verse 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

Pilate has offered the people a choice. Every year at the Passover, he releases one prisoner in Roman custody as a sign of good faith to the people (Matthew 27:20). This year, he has given the crowds a choice. This is a calculated decision. One option is Jesus, popular, a healer, and clearly innocent (Matthew 21:10–11; 27:18). The other is Barabbas, the insurrectionist and murderer (Matthew 27:16; Mark 15:7). Pilate’s goal is to have Jesus released.

While this seems to be an easy decision, there are factors to consider. Barabbas’ participation in an attempt to overthrow Roman rule may have made him a hero to many. The fact that the entire Jewish religious leadership had condemned Jesus may have turned some of His former fans into skeptics. And, so far as this mob was concerned, it was not a neutral issue. The chief priests and elders have quickly gone to work. It’s entirely possible that most who arrived at the governor’s home in the early morning (Matthew 27:1–2; John 18:28) were specifically invited by Jesus’ enemies. These religious leaders use their influence to persuade the people to ask for the release of Barabbas and the destruction of Jesus, the Son of God.

Verse 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”

Pilate has allowed some unspecified time to pass for the message to get out: he will be releasing one prisoner today, either Jesus the teacher or Barabbas the insurrectionist (Matthew 27:15–18). Hs clear intent is to see Jesus released. Now Pilate asks for a decision. They cry out “Barabbas!” Pilate will seem surprised by this answer. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been. Though Jesus was popular with many (Matthew 21:10–11), it’s likely that many of those at the governor’s headquarters early in the morning were invited there, by Jesus’ enemies, for this very purpose.

Even those with little knowledge of Jesus might have been swayed by the accusations of the Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:20). The influential members of Jewish religious leadership wanted them to vote for Barabbas. It’s not surprising that many people would side with longstanding priests and leaders, against both Roman occupiers and an accused blasphemer. All the same, it’s hypocritical for the people to claim loyalty to Rome (John 19:15) while demanding the release of a confirmed rebel.

Verse 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

Despite Jesus’ popularity (Matthew 21:10–11), obvious innocence (Matthew 27:18; John 18:33–36), and comparison to a confirmed murderer (Matthew 27:15–16; Mark 15:7), the crowd has asked to release the convicted man (Matthew 27:17–20). Pilate seems surprised. He seems to have thought that if given the choice, the people would surely want Jesus to be freed instead of killed.

Records from outside the Bible indicate Pilate showed little respect for Jewish religious leaders, let alone the people themselves. Most likely, he underestimated the influence of Jerusalem’s priests among the people. Shocked by the cries to release Barabbas, Pilate calls out to ask the people what should be done with Jesus. They shout back, as they have been coached to do by the members of the Sanhedrin, that Jesus should be crucified. This is an especially shocking demand, as crucifixion was purposefully designed to be humiliating and agonizing. John’s account of this moment shows Pilate responding with outrage (John 19:6; Matthew 27:23).

Pilate will attempt to ask more questions of the crowd, but you can’t have a conversation with a mob. They have made their choice. Pilate’s options are dwindling. Jewish religious leaders are taking advantage of Pilate’s strained political tenure; the threat of civil unrest will become a deciding factor in the governor’s decision (Matthew 27:24).

Verse 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

There is little question that Pilate truly wanted to release Jesus. However, he made a fatal mistake when choosing to involve the crowds. It was in his power to simply let Jesus go when he could find nothing legally wrong (John 18:33–36). He did not believe the false accusations of the Jewish religious leaders, and understood they wanted to use political tricks to kill off a rival teacher (Matthew 27:18). This pressure was heightened by Pilate’s own poor governorship. Years of disrespect and several ugly incidents of violence likely had his Roman superiors watching closely. Another major riot would likely result in consequences.

Knowing this, Jerusalem’s religious leaders are whipping up a mob to create a tense, hostile scene (Matthew 27:24; Mark 15:11, 15). Instead of simply making the truthful, just call, Pilate tried to avoid being accused of ignoring Israel’s leaders by pushing the decision to the people. He underestimated that some might want the rebellious Barabbas released. He failed to consider the pressure applied by Jewish leaders (Matthew 27:20) The crowd had not hesitated to ask for Barabbas and to shout that Jesus should be crucified (Matthew 27:22).

Pilate’s response here might be a last-ditch attempt at reason. Of course, it’s impossible to reason with a mob. More likely, this is simply an expression of disbelief (John 19:6). What possible reason could there be for someone like Jesus to be given such a brutal, shameful death? Likely coached by the chief priests, the mob simply shouted even louder: crucify Jesus!

It seems unlikely that Jesus could become so unpopular so quickly. Only days before, He was welcomed like a long-awaited Savior (Matthew 21:8–11). Most likely, those present at the governor’s estate early in the morning (John 18:28) were there at the invitation of Jesus’ enemies. They were likely brought to pressure the governor with the threat of a riot. Some may have even come specifically to advocate for Barabbas and knew little about Jesus. It’s also possible that otherwise-neutral people realized their own priests wanted Barabbas, but the Roman governor wanted to release Jesus. Such people would be unlikely to back Rome over their own leaders.

All these count as reasons, but not excuses. Everyone present in that moment owns a measure of responsibility for Jesus’ execution. That includes Pilate, the Roman Empire, Judas, and the Jewish religious leaders of the Sanhedrin. As it turns out, it also includes the sins of everyone for whom Christ died (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8). Many share the blame for Jesus being sentenced to death.

Verse 24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man ‘s blood; see to it yourselves.”

This gesture by the Roman governor is both cowardly, irrational, and cruel. He knows Jesus is innocent (John 18:33–36; Luke 23:13–14). He recognizes the manipulation of Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 27:18). He sees the absurdity of a mob willing to set loose a “notorious” murder instead of a peaceful teacher (Matthew 27:15–16; Mark 15:7). And yet, history notes that Pilate’s position as governor was not secure. His harsh, violent acts had resulted in unrest in the past. His superiors had most likely threatened to remove him if there was further chaos. Most likely, the chief priests know this and are whipping the mob into a frenzy, to intimidate the governor into choosing so-called-peace over justice.

In the end, political risks kept Pilate from doing what he knew was right. After attempting to challenge the crowds—in what must have been a shouting match—about choosing to have Barabbas released instead of Jesus, he realized they were on the verge of a full-blown violent mutiny. It wasn’t just that they preferred Barabbas; the assembled crowd is angrily, aggressively demanding Jesus be sentenced to death.

Pilate gives up and gives in. Condemning an innocent man is already an act of weakness. What he does next is almost embarrassing: trying to dodge responsibility for his own decision. In an act of great theatre, Pilate dramatically washes his hands, symbolizing that he refuses any responsibility for Jesus’ death. Even as he signs a death warrant for a truly guiltless man, Pontius Pilate has the nerve to declare himself innocent of Jesus’ death.

Of course, merely saying “it’s not my fault” does not absolve Pilate, in any way. He will give the order for Jesus to be executed. He could have done otherwise—but chose his own comfort and position over upholding justice. His soldiers will carry out that order. He will share the responsibility for Jesus’ death with the people in that crowd, everyone else involved, and every other sinner in history whose sins were part of Christ’s atonement (2 Corinthians 5:12; Romans 5:8).

For their part, the assembled mob will unthinkingly wave off their own guilt, downplaying the immorality of this scene (Matthew 27:25).

Verse 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

This verse is at once terrifying, thoughtless, and sad. It is also deeply controversial due to its abuse by those promoting “antisemitism:” a hatred of Jewish people. Given that twisted perspective, and nearly twenty centuries of worldwide persecution of the people of Israel, a modern reader might well wince when reading these words.

Jesus was clearly innocent and declared so multiple times by the Roman governor (John 19:4; Luke 23:4, 22). Still, in response to incitement by religious leaders, an assembled mob demanded Jesus be crucified (Matthew 27:22–23). Pilate, the governor, gave in to that pressure with a laughable attempt to avoid taking responsibility (Matthew 27:24). In response to this, the near-rioting crowd makes a dismissive, careless remark about their willingness to bear that blame.

In some ways, all the people of Israel, not merely those present when Jesus was condemned, have suffered terribly ever since the moment depicted in this Scripture. In 70 AD, Rome would bring slaughter and desecration to Jerusalem. The twenty centuries since have included anti-Jewish persecution on every conceivable scale, up to and including the horrors of the holocaust. Scripture nowhere indicates Israel’s historic troubles have been a result of their condemnation of Jesus. However, shortly before being arrested, Christ did predict catastrophic judgment was about to fall (Matthew 23:37—24:2). He will make a similar prediction on His way to the execution site (Luke 23:27–31).

The Bible is clear, however, that God has not abandoned His chosen people (Romans 11:1–2). They are still part of God’s plan of salvation (Romans 11:26). Nothing in the Bible—implicitly or explicitly—suggests Jewish people are collectively to be blamed for the death of Christ. No part of Scripture supports hatred, persecution, derision, or prejudice against Israel on account of these events. Matthew records a painfully careless remark shouted by a frenzied mob—this has never been any sort of mandate for future generations to follow.

Verse 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

The Jewish religious leaders, and the crowds they incited to call for Jesus’ death, have seemingly won (Matthew 27:11–25). Pilate, against clear evidence, his own judgment, and even his wife’s dream (Matthew 27:19), has calmed the frenzied crowd by giving the order to release a convicted murderer (Mark 15:7), Barabbas, and for Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus had already been scourged, as noted by John, in another failed effort to play on the crowd’s sympathy (John 19:1–5). This was a form of torture itself. Jewish law often considered 40 lashes to be the equivalent of beating someone to death (2 Corinthians 11:24), using a standard whip. The Romans had no stroke limit. The person being punished would be stripped and tied to a post. They would then be beaten by a professional, trained soldier, using a flagrum: a multiheaded leather whip braided with weights, bones, metal, hooks, or glass. Aggressive use of a scourge could strip flesh from bone and expose organs. Some scourging victims died from injuries, others from resulting infections. Flogging was sometimes used before crucifixion to weaken the victim but was more often a dire punishment needing no other measures.

Despite the brutality and unfairness, it’s important to remember that God’s plan is succeeding through all of this (Matthew 16:21; 26:39). The Father sent the Son to the earth to suffer and die as the sacrifice for the sins of humanity (Philippians 2:8). Jesus is quickly moving toward that step, and soon after to resurrection from the dead (John 2:19–22).

Context Summary
Matthew 27:11–26 describes Jesus’ trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The Jewish religious leaders are asking Pilate to condemn Jesus to death, hurling accusations. Pilate is amazed that Jesus remains silent, barely saying anything in His own defense. Pilate offers the Passover crowds the choice between releasing Jesus or releasing Barabbas. They choose Barabbas and call for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate recognizes the obvious feud driving this persecution; he is more concerned with civil order than with justice. He agrees to execute Jesus while claiming no responsibility for the decision. Further details are found in Mark 15:1–15, Luke 23:1–25, and John 18:28—19:16.

Verse 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor ‘s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

Pilate’s soldiers take Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters, also known as the Praetorium. All of them gather to participate in mocking Jesus as the King of the Jews. A full battalion of Roman soldiers would have included 600 men at full strength. It’s unclear whether that many were stationed there at this time. Given the crowds coming into Jerusalem for Passover (Matthew 26:17), that’s entirely possible.

John notes that Jesus was scourged and humiliated before Pilate issued his final sentence (John 19:1–5). Matthew’s account, in keeping with his style, seems to arrange Jesus’ experiences by theme, instead. So, he details these physical abuses in a single block, continuing through the crucifixion.

That so many soldiers are present in this mockery adds to the list of those who could be held directly responsible for Jesus’ torture and death. The list begins with Judas and the Jewish religious leaders. It includes, as well, Pilate, his soldiers, and all the people in the crowd who called for Jesus’ crucifixion. On a larger scale, though, those responsible for Jesus’ death include everyone who has ever lived. Jesus became the sacrifice for human sin, something of which every person is guilty (Romans 3:23). Everyone who comes to faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin benefits from His death, as well. We would be lost without it.

Even knowing this, it can be difficult to imagine Him being mistreated with such profound cruelty by the vicious Roman soldiers in the following verses.

Verse 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

Matthew has written that all the soldiers in the battalion stationed at the governor’s headquarters in Jerusalem have taken Jesus inside. Now they strip off the clothes He is wearing and drape a robe over His shoulders.

Much is made over the gospel accounts alternately describing the cloth as “purple” or as “scarlet” (Mark 15:17; John 19:5), as if this were a contradictory detail. It should be noted that color words can be vague, even in the modern world. Likewise, cultures don’t assign individual words to a color unless they consider them notably different. Ancient peoples referred to the sea as “green,” when modern people almost universally call the exact same colors “blue.” The color “orange,” likewise, was depicted as a shade of red or yellow until relatively recently. To ancient eyes, the difference in these terms is no more meaningful than modern debates over whether something is green-blue or blue-green.

Bible scholars suggest the robe was one of those worn by Roman military and civilian officials. The purpose is to dress Jesus in a deliberately silly caricature of a king. By giving Jesus a shoddy version of royal robe and crown, the soldiers can even more thoroughly mock Him for His “crime” of claiming to be the King of the Jews.

Verse 29 The idea that a battalion of Roman soldiers would come together to so elaborately mock one prisoner may be hard to imagine. And yet, these are Gentiles stationed in a predominately Jewish area, over which Rome has control. Their commander, Pontius Pilate, is noted by history for his cruelty and derision towards Jews. They may well be bored, being stationed in Jerusalem only because it’s a major religious holiday for Israel (Matthew 26:17; 27:15). Pilate’s act of handing Jesus over to them is almost like throwing a toy in front of a dog.

Taking full advantage of the opportunity, the soldiers have stripped off Jesus’ own clothes and have draped a cloak on Him to represent a king’s robe. Now they twist together a wreath made of stems with thorns on them, perhaps palm spines or similar. When the crown is complete, they force it down onto Jesus’ head. Finally, they put a reed in Jesus’ hand to represent a royal scepter to complete the look. The point of the entire cruel joke was to mock Jesus for His “crime” of claiming to be “king of the Jews” (Matthew 27:11). To hammer the joke home, the Roman soldiers kneel before Jesus and sarcastically pretend to honor Him.

Jesus had already been flogged at this point (John 19:1–4). He would have stood before them as a bloody, bleeding mess of a human being, now dressed in a robe and crown and with a scepter. It is remarkable that a Being who could have called for angel soldiers of His own simply refuses to do so (Matthew 26:53–54). He remains resolved to endure any suffering to see His mission through.

Verse 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.

The abuse of Jesus by a battalion of Roman soldiers was not complete even after they had sarcastically hailed Him as King of the Jews (Matthew 27:27–29). After torturing Jesus (John 19:1), they laughed at Him. They piled on more and more mockery. And then they gave Jesus one last beating, hitting the Lord with the reed they’d made Him hold as a mock scepter and spitting on Him. All of this corresponds to Jesus’ predictions (Mark 10:34; Luke 18:32).

John’s account places this moment ahead of Pilate’s final decision to have Jesus crucified. Matthew is, again, grouping his gospel by theme rather than by time. Pilate brings Jesus out before the crowds dressed as a mock-king and presents Him to the people with the words, “Behold the man!” (John 19:4–5). It’s likely Pilate hoped that when the people saw a ragged, mutilated, shamed figure, they would decide further cruelty was unneeded. Instead, it only seemed to increase their blood lust (John 19:6).

Verse 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

There is deep irony in how Roman soldiers mocked Jesus. On the surface, they were shaming a prisoner who they assumed had claimed to be King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11). Their jeering and humiliation said, to anyone who might notice, that it was laughable to think about overcoming the might of the Roman empire. Likewise, they are sneering at the culture and history of Israel by defiling their claimed leader.

What the soldiers don’t grasp is that they are mocking the true and long-promised King of the Jews. Matthew began this book by establishing the fact that Jesus was, indeed, the rightful heir to the throne of David over Israel (Matthew 1:1–17). The soldiers also do not know that Jesus will one day rule as king of all nations (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11) or that He is the Lord to whom they will answer for their eternal souls (Revelation 20:11–15).

Jesus’ most impressive demonstration of power may be His resolve to do nothing in response to this cruel torture and evil mockery. He did not strike back. He did not defend Himself in word or action (Isaiah 53:7). He merely endured to the very limit of His human body, rather than raining down fire on all who disrespected Him (Luke 9:53–55; Matthew 26:53–54). In fact, as He hangs dying on a cross, Jesus will say of these men, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Once the soldiers are done humiliating Jesus, they took back the robe and returned Jesus to His own clothes. Normally, prisoners were stripped naked on their way to crucifixion. This would pile on additional shame and make it easier to inflict pain via flogging along the way. Bible scholars speculate the men may have been ordered to put clothes back on Jesus for the sake of the Passover crowds by which He would pass (Matthew 26:17; John 19:19–20). His clothes will be removed once more, however, when He is placed on the cross (John 19:23–24; Matthew 27:35).

Context Summary
Matthew 27:27–31 describes Roman soldiers abusing Jesus inside the governor’s headquarters. Most of this mistreatment occurred before His final sentencing, but Matthew continues to group events by theme more than by time. The soldiers strip off Jesus’ clothes and dress Him as a mock king. They place a robe on Him, along with a crown made of thorns, and a reed for a scepter. Then the soldiers kneel before Jesus and sarcastically praise Him as the “King of Jews!” Finally, they spit on Jesus and hit Him with the reed before putting His own clothes back on His tattered body and leading Him off to be crucified. Further details are found in John 19:1–6.

Verse 32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.

In most cases, Roman crucifixion involved a vertical post permanently attached to the ground. This would make executions much easier and more efficient. Condemned prisoners would typically carry the horizontal crossbeam, which could be nailed to their arms and then attached to the post. Even if the beam was relatively small, it would have weighed around 35 pound, or 16 kilograms. Though Jesus was weakened by that point (John 19:1–4), He apparently managed to carry the beam from Pilate’s headquarters (Matthew 27:2) to the city gates. He could not carry it any further, though. The fact that He remained upright at all after the flogging and beatings (Matthew 27:27–31) is remarkable.

The soldiers picked a man coming into the city from the country to carry Jesus’ cross for Him. Under Roman law, soldiers could force any subjugated person to carry things for them, for up to a mile. This is part of the background to Jesus’ teaching on submission and service for others (Matthew 5:41). Cyrene was a city in North Africa. For this reason, many suppose Simon was of African descent. Cyrene had a large Jewish population, and Simon was very likely in Jerusalem for the Passover, along with so many others. Mark adds that Simon was the father to Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21). They may or may not be the Alexander and Rufus mentioned by Paul in Acts 19:33 and Romans 16:13.

Verse 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),

Jesus is being escorted by an execution squad of four Roman soldiers and accompanied by a stranger named Simon, who was forced to carry His crossbeam (Matthew 27:32). Finally, they arrive at the place of the crucifixion. We know little about the exact location of Jesus’ death. The location is named “Golgotha,” a word referring to a skull, possibly because it was often used for this purpose. The location is visible to many people (John 19:19–20; Matthew 27:39), in keeping with Rome’s use of crucifixion as a terrifying warning. In Latin manuscripts, the term was translated using the word calvaria, from which the location has come to be called “Calvary” in English.

This spot was certainly outside the ancient city limits. Hebrews 13:11–12 makes a connection between Israel’s animal sacrifices for sin, burned outside the camp, and Jesus’ crucifixion outside the walls of Jerusalem: “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.”

Scripture’s lack of detail over the exact spot of the crucifixion is likely a deliberate choice. Humanity has a habit of idolizing physical things (2 Kings 18:4); sites traditionally associated with Jesus’ birth, death, and burial already attract such attention.

Verse 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

Matthew provides no detail about the process of the crucifixion itself. Some of that is decency: crucifixion was considered so vile and hateful that it was rarely spoken of directly, or in mixed company. Likely, Matthew’s original readers were all too familiar with Roman crucifixion and didn’t need Matthew to diagram it for them.

Roman crucifixion was one of the most painful, longest lasting, and shameful ways a person could be killed. It was universally feared by Rome’s enemies. It was so terrible that Roman citizens themselves could not be crucified unless specifically ordered to be so by Caesar. It was highly effective in deterring crime and uprisings among the conquered peoples during the time of the Roman empire. The process was at once an act of terror, torture, and cruel precision.

The victim’s hands would be nailed to the crossbeam, typically just under the bones of the wrist. In some cases, the palm of the hand would be nailed, but the wrist was a more secure attachment point. Care was taken to pierce nerves and avoid blood vessels, to enhance pain and extend suffering. The crossbeam would then be hoisted onto an upright pole. The feet were nailed in place, using similar care as the hands. The knees would be slightly bent, and the victim’s weight would hang entirely on those three points.

This began a slow, excruciating process of suffocation. With outstretched arms being pulled apart, exchanging air in the lungs required the victim to strain against the nails to pull his body up, bringing intense pain. Over time, this became more and more difficult. Eventually, the prisoner simply could not take in any more air and choked to death. Crucifixion victims could linger for hours, or even days, as infection, shock, scavengers, thirst, and blood loss took their toll.

Those dying on the cross would naturally become terribly thirsty. Soldiers would sometimes offer a drink of wine mixed with bitter-tasting myrrh or gall. Scholars speculate this wine mixture was offered as an act of mercy, perhaps by local Jewish women, to dull the pain. Others point to the prophecy in Psalm 69:20–21 to show that there was no comfort on the cross, including in the offer of the wine: “I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”

Jesus refused to drink this once he realized what it was. He would be in full control of His mind, and under the full agony of His body, for the entire experience.

Verse 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.

Victims were almost always crucified naked. Jesus is almost always depicted wearing some minimal clothing in artwork. However, the balance of history and Roman practice suggests He was stripped nude as part of the shame and humiliation of crucifixion. The number of items being dispersed is given as five, in John 19:23–24. This would correspond to an entire outfit, including the undergarment. This, the tunic, seems to have been the subject of the gamble. Rather than tear the cloth, the soldiers each take an item and the last object is assigned by a game of chance.

It’s believed that executioners at a crucifixion could take the victim’s remaining clothing or personal effects as a bonus payment. The Roman soldiers perfectly and unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy found in Psalm 22:18: “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” Luke records Jesus praying for forgiveness for these men (Luke 23:34).

Verse 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.

That the soldiers who nailed Jesus to the cross are assigned to “keep watch” is not an unusual part of the process. In fact, this is a necessary aspect of crucifixion. This method of execution was meant to stretch an agonizing death over a long period of time. Crucifixion nails were applied to deliberately avoid major blood vessels, so the victim would suffer filthy, bleeding wounds, but not a quick death. A person taken off the cross not long after being nailed could survive if they were able to fight off infection. Historical records report a rare fraction of victims surviving crucifixion in this way, as difficult as that is to imagine.

This meant that a crucified person, left unattended, could possibly be rescued by friends or family. Matthew adds this detail to counter those who might question the validity of Jesus’ death or resurrection. The suggestion that He did not actually die, but was taken down and later appeared, cannot withstand reason. He was under watchful guard all the way through to His final breath. He was never alone or unattended while still alive. John, who was very close to the cross at the moment of Jesus’ death (John 19:25–27), witnessed further details confirming this fact (John 19:31–37).

Verse 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

The charge against the prisoner being crucified was often put on a sign above his head. This ensured that the populace would see the price of such crimes. Crucifixion’s entire design was centered around terror, humiliation, pain, and dominance. Merely ending life was not the point; its greatest benefit to Rome was as a deterrent. Hanging mutilated corpses where they could be seen sent a clear message about what happened to those who defied the Empire.

Pilate, as the Roman governor, may or may not have personally written down these charges. Whether that was the case with Jesus, or if Pilate “wrote” this by dictation is irrelevant. Pilate faced an unexpectedly difficult choice of what to write. He openly declared Jesus was innocent of the crimes for which He was accused (Luke 23:4, 14). Once he gave in to mob pressure, however, the governor shifted to focus on the idea of Jesus as a self-appointed King (John 19:14–15).

Matthew’s reference to Jesus’ crucifixion label was “Jesus, King of the Jews.” John further clarifies that Jesus’ identity was specified as “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (John 19:19). Written in three languages, it was meant to be clearly seen and understood. Ironically, this was exactly the truth, published for all who saw it. At the urging of the Jewish religious leaders, Rome had crucified the Christ, the Messiah, the rightful king of Israel.

The phrase “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” translates into Latin as Iēsus Nazarēnus Rēx Iūdaeōrum, initialized as I.N.R.I. This shorthand version is often seen in artistic representations of the crucifixion.

Stating that Jesus was Israel’s King irritated Jewish religious leaders even further. Pilate might even have chosen this wording out of spite. Those who saw the sign, without knowing all that had happened before, would assume Rome was crucifying Israel’s actual, recognized king. The chief priests hated that and asked Pilate to change it to clarify that Jesus claimed that role. Pilate’s reply was, “What I have written I have written.” (John 19:21–22.)

Verse 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

Two men were executed alongside Jesus, one on each side (Matthew 27:31–35; Luke 23:32). The Greek word used for robbers here, lēstai, was occasionally used in this era for revolutionaries. Some scholars believe these two men had worked with Barabbas (Luke 23:18) as insurrectionists to overthrow Rome. It’s possible the three crosses had been prepared for Barabbas and these two men, and Jesus had taken Barabbas’ place in the last-minute switch (Matthew 27:15–23). Other scholars see no reason to read anything else into this Greek word for robbers besides the men being common thieves.

Ultimately, the exact identity of these men is irrelevant. They were criminals, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:12 that the Messiah would be put in the same category as criminals. The same verse goes on to say that He “bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for transgressors.” Other gospel accounts note that Jesus eventually promised one of these men, who changed his mind and attitude, he would be with Jesus in paradise (Luke 23:43).

Verse 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads

Crucifixion victims were intentionally subjected to public ridicule. Human beings are naturally drawn to abuse those perceived as weaker, especially if they can accuse the other person of wrong. That habit enabled other public displays of criminals, such as the stocks: locking a person’s head and hands into a wooden frame, forcing them to endure laughter and abuse from those who passed by.

Executed persons were usually placed where they could be easily seen (John 19:20). Here, the accusation posted on Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:37) likely brings even more jeering. This naturally occurring torment was part of the humiliation of crucifixion. It is one of many reasons this was considered such a shameful way to die.

Matthew’s account echoes fragments from the Psalms which describe the suffering and death of the Messiah:

“All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads” (Psalm 22:7).
“I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads” (Psalm 109:25).

In this case, to “wag the head” seems to indicate a rude gesture, or a sneering movement of the face. That came along with insults, teasing, and other abuse. Their comments in the following verses show disgust at another supposed Messiah who was not even powerful enough to avoid getting killed, let alone leading the nation in overthrowing Rome.

Opinion about Jesus in Jerusalem was sharply divided (Luke 12:51; John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19). It’s true that many people praised Jesus, fewer than seven days prior, during what is now called the triumphal entry (Matthew 21:8–11). And yet, many screamed at Pilate to crucify Jesus until the governor gave in and did as they said (Matthew 27:21–26). It’s possible that some loved Jesus while they thought He was going to overthrow Rome, then hated Him when it became clear this was not going to happen. Other might have despised anyone who risked bringing Rome’s fury down on them all.

In any case, Jesus was accomplishing in that moment exactly what He had come to do (Philippians 2:8; Matthew 16:21). His willingness to do so (Matthew 26:39) would make it possible for the sins of those who mocked Him to be forgiven (Romans 5:8–11).

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

Those throwing these insults at Jesus as they walked past His cross (Matthew 27:35–39) likely had no knowledge about Jesus’ middle-of-the-night trial before the Sanhedrin. He had been accused there of saying that He would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days (Matthew 26:59–62). They were more likely aware of when Jesus made His actual statement after driving away corrupt businessmen (Matthew 21:12–17; John 2:13–22). John clarifies that Jesus was talking about His own body: they would destroy it, but in three days, He would be resurrected and make that promise true.

Others refer to Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God (Matthew 14:43), something He had said in public, but which also came up in His sham trial the night before (Matthew 26:63). The religious leaders who stood by to watch the execution (Matthew 27:41, 43) may have inspired others to point out this irony.

Strikingly, some of Jesus’ roadside mockers also use the same basic approach taken by Satan while tempting Jesus in the wilderness. Satan said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:3) and “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” (Matthew 4:6). Now those who taunt Jesus on the cross offer the same temptation, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

How fearsome it would have been if Jesus had suddenly used His power to miraculously revive Himself, come off the cross, and strike down His enemies. Modern readers should be awed by His powers of self-control, in submission to the Father, not to do that (Matthew 26:53–54). His purpose was to make complete God’s plan for bringing salvation to all people (Philippians 2:8).

Verse 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,

Matthew pictures a parade of mockers walking past the cross and hurling insults at Jesus (Matthew 27:35–40). Some might have been random travelers coming and going from the city (John 19:20). Others could have been those who recognized Jesus and had never liked His message (John 7:43; 9:16; 10:19). As shown here, some of this abuse was likely encouraged or even inspired by the religious leaders who had conspired to have Jesus executed (John 11:48–53).

Among the local leaders participating in this hate are chief priests, scribes, and elders. All three groups are represented on the Sanhedrin: the Jewish ruling body which condemned Jesus to death (Matthew 26:63–66) and coerced the Roman governor to carry out the execution (Matthew 27:24). Their words are hurtful, echoing the very same approach used by Satan. He had taunted Jesus to prove Himself as the Son of God by using His power contrary to God’s will (Matthew 4:1–11).

Their mockery of Jesus takes the form of talking to each other, not directly to Him. They believe they have won, and Jesus has lost. They have come to viciously celebrate the results of their conspiracy (John 11:48–53).

Verse 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.

Insults coming from Jewish religious leaders would have been the most galling to hear (Matthew 27:35–41). Of all people in the world, they ought to have known the truth of who Jesus was (John 5:39–40). And yet, not only have they denied His identity as the Messiah, but they condemned Him to death (Matthew 26:63–66). As He hangs mutilated on a cross, they go so far as to mock even the healing miracles He has done in Israel.

Their reference to saving others likely means the countless people Jesus healed from diseases, afflictions, and demon possession. Their meaning is either to dismiss that such miracles happened, or that Jesus’ supposed power to heal was not really a sign of divinity. These acts were impossible to deny, however, since so many people saw them take place, including many of the religious leaders themselves (John 11:45–46; Matthew 9:1–8)? These men saw Jesus’ benevolent displays of God’s power as threats to their own meager power.

These Jewish religious leaders are making light of their lack of faith in Jesus as the King of Israel. They sarcastically claim if He would come down from the cross, they would believe in Him. Given their rejection of prior miracles and other evidence, even that is unlikely (John 5:39–40).

Their use of language is ironic. By not saving Himself from the cross, Jesus is saving many others from their sins (Matthew 26:53–54; Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Matthew made it clear from the beginning of his book that this is what Jesus came to do: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The Hebrew name Yeshua, Iēsous in Greek, or Jesus in English, literally means “The Lord is Salvation.”

A further irony is that because Christ stayed on the cross, faith in Him will become the way for every person to come into a true relationship with God (Philippians 2:8). If He were to rescue Himself, now, to earn the belief of these men, it would undo God’s intended plan for sinners to be welcomed into the family of God.

Verse 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

In English, the expression “putting on a clinic” means to demonstrate something in a definitive way. The religious leaders who condemned Jesus to death are “putting on a clinic” in cruel mockery. As a mutilated (John 19:1–4), crucified man (Matthew 27:35–38) hangs in agony, they join in viciously insulting and making fun of Him (Matthew 27:39–42). Now they add one more hurtful insult to the list. They joke that if God really wants Jesus, who trusts in Him, then God should save Him now. After all, Jesus claimed to be God’s Son.

At this point, the religious leaders are not speaking to Him, they are laughing with each other about Him within His hearing. To them, His dying on the cross is evidence He was never the Messiah He claimed to be. The fact that He can be killed in this way means that His power must have been false. They are patting themselves on the back for convincing Pilate to crucify the man (Matthew 27:24).

We’re not told Jesus’ emotional reaction to any of these insults. One can assume, though, this one would be especially hurtful. Jesus is the Son of God, and He knows that God the Father is the one ultimately responsible for His death on this cross (Matthew 26:39). God the Father is sacrificing God the Son to offer salvation to humanity (Romans 5:19). Jesus even alluded to this when Pilate claimed authority to have Jesus crucified: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). Isaiah, describing the will of God the Father in this moment, put it this way, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10).

Jesus is dying on the cross by His own choice and in submission to the will of God the Father. In some impossible to understand way, there is at least a feeling of separation between Him and the Father, as He is being crushed, which would have been devastating. Jesus will soon cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Verse 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Matthew has described the mockery of the crowds and the religious leaders as they pass by Jesus dying on the cross (Matthew 27:35–43). Their insults have a certain internal logic. If someone was truly the Son of God, why would He be so easily killed on a Roman cross? The idea of a sacrificial death is one they have not considered, so the only conclusion they have is that Jesus is not truly the Messiah. Nobody approaching the issue from their perspective could imagine the Son of God would willingly die on a Roman cross to pay for the sins of the world.

A detail given here highlights how ridiculous Jesus’ claims must have seemed to His opponents. Even the criminals on either side of Jesus—men at that very moment dying in terrible agony—mocked Him in the same way as the observers. Luke shows one of these men later repented and acknowledged who Jesus was: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong…Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:40–42). And Jesus did.

Context Summary
Matthew 27:32–44 describes Jesus’ march to the cross, aided by a man named Simon of Cyrene. Jesus is offered a numbing, bitter wine, but refuses it, and is nailed to the cross. Soldiers gamble for His clothes. A somewhat sarcastic sign above Him reads “the King of the Jews.” Observers, including several Jewish religious leaders, mock Jesus for not being able to save Himself. Even the criminals being executed on either side of Jesus insult Him. Mark 15:20–32, Luke 23:36–43, and John 19:16–27 cover this same process.

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

In Jewish Scriptures, darkness symbolizes God’s judgment or great tragedy. In this case, it represents both. The prophet Amos delivered these words from God to Israel: “‘And on that day,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight’” (Amos 8:9). In a similar way, God used a plague of oppressive, three-day darkness in Egypt to communicate His power and judgment against Israel’s enemy (Exodus 10:21–23).

As the Son of God hangs on a Roman cross, dying for the sins of humanity, a sudden darkness falls over the land of Israel. The One being judged is Jesus Himself; He suffers the consequence for sins He never committed (Romans 5:18–21; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Commentors speculated about what might have caused the darkness, though conventional explanations don’t seem to work. A natural eclipse of the sun is physically impossible near a full moon, as would have been the case close to Passover. No mention is made of clouds, fog, or other obvious weather issues. This is simply “darkness.” Whatever mechanism was involved, God brought it about.

Roman time was aligned differently from that of Israel. Roman hours, as in most modern calendars, began at noon and midnight, while Jewish hours typically ran from the approximate hours of sunrise and sunset: 6 a.m. and p.m. According to Jewish reckoning, then, this darkness lasted from noon until 3 p.m. John’s account only indicates that Jesus was brought to Pilate’s place of official judgment around “the sixth hour.” Many believe John was using the Roman time system, implying that event happened at 6 a.m.

Verse 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

No mention is made of how those who mocked Jesus while He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:35–44) reacted as unnatural darkness fell over Israel. Did they see in that darkness the hand of God responding to this execution? Were they at all humbled by it? Did they stop speaking, or leave? We don’t know for sure since those details are not given.

The darkness ends, though, at about the time Jesus cries out in a loud voice, speaking Aramaic: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This is the first verse of Psalm 22, which has many references connected to the crucifixion. Some believe Jesus is once again declaring how His experience is part of prophecy (Matthew 16:21; 26:53–54). Others note that those words mean, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” That’s a heartbreaking cry to hear coming from the Son of God.

Human understanding is necessarily limited when it comes to God’s exact nature (Isaiah 55:8–9). Part of that limitation is our vague understanding of the Trinity: God’s existence as three Persons in one Being. Also incomprehensible is exactly how God’s infinite knowledge and power were limited in His incarnation (John 1:14). We know Jesus experienced human emotion and temptation (Hebrews 4:15). That included intense anguish as He anticipated this moment (Matthew 26:38–44).

We cannot know, for certain, exactly what is happening among the Persons of the Trinity at this point. The way Jesus is said to have “cried out” (Mark 15:34) and the reaction of bystanders suggests intense emotion. In some way, beyond our complete understanding, Jesus is experiencing a straining of His connection to God the Father, as He takes on the sins of mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Habakkuk 1:13; John 1:29).

Was a sense of “forsakenness” the deepest level of suffering experienced by Jesus? Was this what brought Him such great sorrow in the garden the night before? We can only speculate, taking care not to reach beyond what Scripture actually says (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Verse 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

Jesus has called out to God in a loud voice: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” He apparently spoke in Aramaic, as He usually did. Here He is quoted using a version of the Hebrew name for God, which is “Eloi.” He was clearly quoting Psalm 22:1, which says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:35–46). This was either Jesus quoting the Old Testament to declare its prophesy, or crying out in anguish, or both. What He is experiencing is part of God’s ultimate plan (Matthew 26:53–54) but is also agonizing and brutal (Matthew 26:38–44).

Some of those standing nearby misunderstood what Jesus had said. They heard “Eli” and believed Jesus was calling “Elijah” instead of God the Father. It’s possible they thought Jesus was calling the powerful prophet Elijah to come and save Him now. Enemies who have been taunting Jesus used that as part of their abuse: that He ought to save Himself, or have God rescue Him, if He really was who He claimed to be.

Verse 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.

Three hours of unexplained darkness have passed (Matthew 27:45–47). Jesus has cried out with a loud voice to God the Father. He cited the words of Psalm 22:1, seemingly mourning the feeling that God had abandoned Him. Some nearby misunderstood and thought Jesus was calling for the prophet Elijah to save Him.

Now someone fills a sponge with sour wine and puts it on a reed to hold it up to Jesus to drink. It’s not completely clear from the context why they do this. It may have been given in mockery to torment the prisoner more (Luke 23:36). In the immediate context, it’s possible that this is offered to try to revive Jesus or help dull His pain. Jesus refused a mixture of wine and gall earlier after tasting it (Matthew 27:34). His initial refusal was likely a deliberate choice to keep His senses, despite the pain. This offering might also be another attempt at ridicule.

There is no explicit indication from Matthew that Jesus drinks the sour wine this time. John, however, indicates that Jesus “receives” it, partly in fulfillment of more prophecies (John 19:28–30; Psalm 69:21). As this happened in the moments prior to His death, Jesus would have had been at no risk of becoming intoxicated.

Verse 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

Jesus has cried out with a loud voice the words of Psalm 22:1, in Aramaic (Matthew 27:46). His words began with “Eli, Eli,” meaning, “My God, my God.” Some standing nearby mistakenly thought Jesus was calling “Elijah, Elijah.” The prophet Elijah was thought to be the greatest prophet in Israel’s long history. He never died and was taken to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:1–12). A few people nearby seem to think Jesus calling for Elijah to save Him from the cross. After the sarcastic taunts of those watching Jesus die (Matthew 27:39–44), they may have thought Jesus was trying to call out for rescue.

Someone in the crowd offered Jesus “sour wine,” possibly a painkiller or merely a noxious drink (Matthew 27:48). While Jesus refused this earlier (Matthew 27:34), John’s gospel suggests He took some immediately before He died (John 19:28–30). Seconds from death, there would have been no chance of becoming drunk, and this also fulfilled additional prophecies (Psalm 69:21).

Others in the audience object. Whether they try to stop this offering, or not, they wonder if Elijah will really show up and save Jesus in the final moments. In that sense, they express some desire to see Jesus proved a powerful figure, after all.

Verse 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

Though He was arrested, maimed, and executed, Jesus’ life was not taken from Him. He chose to give it up, beginning with His willingness to be born in human form (Philippians 2:8) and to submit to the will of God (Matthew 26:38–44; 53–54). He consciously chose to arrive at this moment (John 10:17–18). Jesus has fulfilled His mission as He described it to the disciples in Matthew 20:28: “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John notes that Jesus cries out “it is finished,” declaring this truth before He dies. He has completed the full task He had been given by the Father. He has submitted to the arrest, the trials, the beatings, the mockery, and the extended execution. Beyond all of that, He has suffered through the three hours of darkness, some sense of being forsaken, and the crushing weight of humanity’s sin. The requirements have all been satisfied (Matthew 27:35–49).

The phrasing used here is like that of John, who also describes Jesus’ death as a deliberate act of will (John 19:30). In other words, Jesus releases His life from His body. The Son of God is dead.

Verse 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Multiple dramatic events take place at the moment of Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:50). The first mentioned by Matthew is that the curtain of the temple is ripped in half, notably said to happen “from top to bottom.” This most likely refers to the inner curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:31–33). This separated the area where the high priest, only, could enter, and only once every year. That entry was to make a sacrifice for sin on behalf of the people. Anyone daring to enter God’s presence there at any other time would surely die.

The curtain was huge: the height of a six-story building and half as wide, elaborately and thickly woven with seventy-two plaits of twenty-four threads each. This was not something easy to cut, let alone tear. For the curtain to be split in half was remarkable enough. Matthew specifies that this tearing happened from top to bottom. This could only have been done by God.

The meaning ought to have been clear to those religious leaders who saw it happen. Hebrews 9:11—10:22 explains in detail how Jesus’ death on the cross made it possible for anyone to come to God through faith in Him. Those who come through Jesus can come boldly and without fear right into God’s presence. The need for the Jewish sacrificial system that God had given to Israel was done. The perfect and final sacrifice for sin, Jesus Himself, had been made. In both a spiritual and literal sense, the barrier between men and God was removed—by God Himself.

At the same time the curtain was torn in two, earthquakes shook the ground and large rocks broke apart. It must have felt like the earth itself was responding to the death of Jesus.

Verse 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,

Several dramatic events took place in the moments following Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:50). The temple’s massive, thick curtain was ripped in half from the top down—clearly an act of God (Matthew 27:51). There was an earthquake and rocks were split. Here, Matthew begins to add a detail about disrupted tombs and the bodies of saints who had died. Verses 52 and 53 are only vaguely understood and much debated among Bible scholars. Only Matthew adds this detail to his gospel.

In direct language, this verse indicates that the earthquake caused by Jesus’ death breaks open some of the graves holding bodies of “saints.” In this context, that would mean god-honoring people from Israel. We aren’t given further details on who these people were. They may have been prophets, heroes or simply people notable for their goodness.

Reading this verse together with the next one, it is clarified that the tombs are opened at the time of Jesus’ death. More remarkably, according to verse 53, these uncovered bodies were seen alive in the city of Jerusalem after Jesus rose from the dead. A relatively minor point of debate, here, is whether the saints were raised immediately, upon Jesus’ death, only going into the city after His resurrection, or whether they were uncovered but did not live again until later.

These two verses are the subject of much greater controversy over the exact meaning—and literalness—of their content. Arguments have been offered that these verses are insertions into the original text. Others suggest this is a purely symbolic reference. Some say they are “not even” symbolic, and the statement is made purely in a poetic sense by Matthew. The most reasonable interpretation, challenging though it may be, is to read these as a straightforward and literal part of the narrative.

Verse 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Several dramatic things happened in the moments following Jesus’ death. One was an earthquake that apparently broke open the tombs of many saints who had died in Israel’s past (Matthew 27:50–52). The gist of the narrative is that the earthquake disturbed the bodies in some way. After Jesus’ resurrection, these saints were seen alive by many people. Whether they came to life at the moment Jesus died, or were only uncovered, and rose after He rose, Matthew is not explicitly clear. Matthew is the only gospel writer who describes this event, and he does not provide many details. This has frustrated scholars for many centuries, as the event described naturally invites curiosity.

Bible scholars suggest two possibilities for how this may have worked. It’s possible these people were resurrected in the same way as Jesus’ friend Lazarus. Lazarus returned to a full and healthy human life, not in a glorified body as Jesus did. In other words, Lazarus lived for a time and then died again. If that’s what happened with these saints, the “holy city” is Jerusalem, where they appeared to many regular people. Seeing formerly dead saints of Israel would have caused a huge stir after Jesus Himself was resurrected. They likely pointed many people to the power of God through Christ.

The other possibility is that these resurrected souls came back in glorified bodies as Jesus did and went off, after a time, to the “holy city” of heaven. Before leaving, they appeared to many, but when they left, they did not die again and never returned.

Others suggest that Matthew’s claims here are poetic, or symbolic, and not meant to be taken as part of the literal narrative. This is an extremely difficult interpretation to support, given that everything else Matthew says in this passage is framed as literal. Another suggestion is that this incident was not part of Matthew’s original writing at all, yet there is no textual evidence suggesting it was added.

The most reasonable interpretation is that this is an actual event, which happened as Matthew describes it. Ultimately, we are left with almost no detail or explanation, making it difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Verse 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Earlier, Matthew noted that Roman soldiers had been tasked with keeping watch over the men on the crosses. This would have been standard procedure. Crucifixion was a slow, horrific process that could take days. To ensure no one attempted to rescue the person before they died, guards would observe, speed up the process, or otherwise confirm death (John 19:31–34). These same men were likely involved in beating, mocking, and tormenting Jesus that same day (Matthew 27:27–31).

Since then, though, an unnatural darkness had come and gone in the middle of the day (Matthew 27:45). Jesus’ death was immediately followed by a dramatic earthquake that seemed too connected to be coincidence (Matthew 27:50–51). That combination of eerie events and the odd taunts of the crowd (Matthew 27:40–43) seems to have terrified the attending soldiers. They might fear they are about to experience divine punishment for their involvement.

It’s extremely unlikely pagan soldiers meant they now believed Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, the Christ. More likely, they were echoing His depiction as “Son of God,” which they would have heard from the crowd. The Greek of this verse can also be translated as “a son of God,” or “a son of a god.” Roman mythology allowed for the idea of demigods and other partially divine beings. Pilate also expressed fear when he heard Jesus associated with this idea (John 19:7–8). In any case, their experiences were deeply humbling, and pulled them towards some level of faith in Jesus (John 12:32).

Verse 55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him,

Matthew turns from the reaction of the Roman soldiers after Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:50–54) to a group of women standing nearby. They have stayed near enough so that they can witness Jesus’ death when the time comes. Now they have seen it, along with the dramatic earthquake that followed it.

These women are familiar friends and parents of Jesus and His disciples. They, too, are from Galilee and have spent much of the last three years travelling with the group, when appropriate, to help care for Jesus and the others. Matthew provides a list of their names in the following verse. John, also, explains those who were nearest to Christ at the moment of His death (John 19:25–27).

What’s also interesting is who Matthew does not show standing nearby when Jesus died. None of the disciples are pictured, and only John’s gospel indicates that even one of the men are anywhere near the scene. Most are apparently still in hiding (Matthew 26:56) since it would be so dangerous to be captured as one of Jesus’ disciples (John 20:19).

Verse 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

A small group of women were standing some distance away from the cross when Jesus died. These are women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to or served Him during His travels. Though Matthew does not mention it, another person there is the disciple John, apparently the only member of the Twelve present (John 19:25–27).

Matthew reveals who these women are, and we have met them before. They include Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2), Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 20:20). Some Bible scholars speculate that the mother of James and Joseph is, in fact, Jesus’ mother Mary. Zebedee’s sons are the disciples James and John. Their mother may be a woman named Salome mentioned in Mark’s gospel (Mark 15:40). This would match Matthew’s list of the women present with the accounts given by Mark and John.

Context Summary
Matthew 27:45–56 describes the climactic moment when Jesus dies on the cross. Darkness falls over Israel as Jesus hangs near death. Jesus cries out the words of Psalm 22:1, which mean “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some nearby think He is calling for Elijah the prophet to come and save Him. Jesus dies. Immediately, the massive temple curtain is torn in two, top to bottom. Earthquakes open the tombs of some of the saints of Israel, who are later resurrected. A Roman centurion is shocked enough to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. Three women, Jesus’ friends, watch from a distance.

Verse 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus has died (Matthew 27:50). John’s account notes that the attending soldiers made sure Jesus was dead (John 19:34). Sundown is approaching. This will mark the beginning of a Sabbath day. Roman practice was to let crucified bodies rot, enhancing the shame and horror that came with defying Rome. However, Jewish religious law forbids leaving executed bodies out (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). Given the impending religious holiday, the Roman governor seems willing to both speed up the executions (John 19:31) and allow the bodies to be removed.

A wealthy man named Joseph, from the local town of Arimathea, steps forward to claim Jesus’ corpse. We know from Luke’s gospel that this Joseph was also a member of the Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin. This group condemned Jesus to death. Luke makes it clear, though, that Joseph had not consented to that (Luke 23:50–51). Much like modern legislatures, the Sanhedrin did not need all members to be present to vote, so those sympathetic to Jesus (John 7:50–52) had likely been left out of the midnight trial (Matthew 26:57–68).

In fact, according to John, Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus because he was afraid of the Jewish religious leaders (John 19:38). Joseph will be bold now, though, to help Jesus and His followers take care of the Lord’s body. He will be assisted by Nicodemus, another religious leader whose loyalty to Jesus was less than public (John 3:1; 19:39).

Verse 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.

Joseph, a wealthy member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, has come forward to help the friends of Jesus deal with His body (Matthew 27:50). Joseph is a secret follower of Jesus (John 19:38) who now decides to act boldly. He goes to Pilate and asks if he can take Jesus’ body away now that He has died.

We know from Mark’s gospel that Pilate is surprised Jesus is already dead (Mark 15:44). Crucifixions could sometimes last for days; the cruel process was designed with that in mind. The fact that Jesus was viciously flogged and beaten prior to the crucifixion (John 19:1–4) likely made His death much quicker. While Romans often left criminals to rot as a warning, this was an offensive practice to Jews (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). With a major religious feast at hand (John 19:31; Matthew 27:62), Pilate would have no reason not to let the dead be buried immediately.

Pilate confirms with a centurion that Jesus is dead (John 19:31–34) and agrees to give the corpse to Joseph. The gospel writers are careful to clarify, repeatedly, that Jesus was entirely and unmistakably devoid of life. This was meant to combat false rumors that He may have not truly died and was not therefore truly resurrected.

Verse 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud

A rich man from the local town of Arimathea, Joseph is a wealthy member of the influential Sanhedrin. This is the religious council which conspired against Jesus (John 11:48–53) and condemned Jesus to die in an illicit nighttime trial (Matthew 26:57–66). Joseph, however, is a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38). As with modern legislatures, the Jewish council did not require every member to be present to hold an official vote. Men suspected of being friendly towards Jesus (John 3:1; 7:50–52) were almost certainly not informed of the sham trial until it was over. He has bravely asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body away. Pilate has agreed (Matthew 27:57–58).

Joseph wrapped the body in a new (Mark 15:46), clean burial garment. John’s gospel tells us that a man named Nicodemus helped Joseph (John 19:39–42). Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had come to Jesus by night to learn more from Him (John 3) and had attempted to influence the Sanhedrin to treat Him fairly (John 7:50–52). Nicodemus brought a large quantity of burial spices, likely at great personal expense. These were typically wrapped against with the body to mask odor and repel insects.

Jewish burial customs did not include embalming or mummification, but bodies were often anointed with perfumed oil in addition to being wrapped. In Jesus’ case, a devoted follower had lavished perfume on Him earlier in the week. This, it turned out, was an anointing of His body prior to death (Matthew 26:6–13).

Verse 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, has been secretly following Jesus (John 19:38). Now, finding a level of courage, he has asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. He wants to help to get Jesus buried before the Sabbath begins at sundown (Matthew 27:57–59). He has been helped in this by a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who also spent time with Jesus (John 19:39–40). Together they wrapped Jesus’ body with burial spices.

Now Joseph lays Jesus in his own, new, never used tomb which had been cut out of rock in a garden setting (John 19:41). Joseph and Nicodemus are both wealthy men. A new tomb cut into rock, in a lavish location, would have been quite expensive. Also pricey were the burial spices provided by Nicodemus. This fulfills yet another prophecy about Jesus as the Messiah. Isaiah 53:9 says, “They made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death.”

Joseph rolls a great stone over the opening of the tomb to seal it and then goes away for the night.

Verse 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Under Roman law, those who were executed could not be mourned in any kind of public way. In normal circumstances, mourning and burial rites could be loud and involve many people from the community. Groups would gather to publicly grieve the death of loved ones. The time of mourning could extend for several days or longer. Wealthy people could afford to hire professional mourners to cry and wail with them during that period to call as much attention as possible to the loss.

None of that was allowed for Jesus. So far as we can tell, only two women were present when Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus laid Jesus’ body in Joseph’s own tomb and sealed it with a large stone. Mary Magdalene and another Mary, who Mark specifies as “the mother of Joses” (Mark 15:40, 47) sat quietly opposite the tomb and watched. Luke notes that women were there but does not say who they were (Luke 23:55). They now knew where Jesus was buried and planned to return after the Sabbath with more burial spices and ointments for the body (Luke 23:56).

Verse 62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate

Jesus’ body has been hastily wrapped in a linen shroud with some spices and laid out in a brand-new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57–61). Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses (Mark 15:40, 47) saw where Jesus was buried. They plan to return on Sunday morning, after the Sabbath, to add burial spices and ointments to the body.

Matthew refers to the current day, somewhat awkwardly, as the day after the day of Preparation. The day of Preparation for the Sabbath was Friday, so now it is Saturday. Some Jewish priests and Pharisees have come to see Pilate once again. Given the outrageous uproar which happened on the prior day (Matthew 27:24), Pilate is likely not happy to see them, or especially interested in their concerns.

However, these men are worried that someone will steal Jesus’ body. This would make it easier to claim He has been raised from the dead, making Him a potent symbol for those who resisted either Rome or Jerusalem’s leaders. That danger, apparently, will be enough for Pilate to agree to keep an eye on the grave for a few days (Matthew 27:63–66).

Verse 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’

Some of the chief priests and Pharisees have come to see Pilate on Saturday, the Sabbath day. From their perspective, they have succeeded in protecting themselves and the people from a false Messiah (John 11:48–53). They were able to illicitly convict Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:57–68), condemned to death, and crucified by the Romans (Matthew 27:24). Some of them likely saw Him die with their own eyes (Matthew 27:39–43).

As religious leaders, however, these men understand the power of symbols. They want to be sure that not only is Jesus dead, but that everything He stood for is clearly refuted. That includes avoiding any possible deceptions or changes to the claims made about Jesus. They remind the Roman governor that Jesus said He would rise from the dead after three days (John 2:19–22). They do not believe, of course, that this will happen. They are worried that someone will steal the corpse and try to make it look like it has happened.

That possibility, it seems, is enough to convince Pontius Pilate to seal and guard the tomb, for a brief time (Matthew 27:64–66).

Verse 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.”

Jerusalem’s religious leaders are worried that Jesus’ disciples might continue to tell people He is the Messiah. Even though Jesus is dead (Matthew 27:50), they remember hearing Jesus say He would rise from the dead after three days (John 2:19–22). Their concern is that His followers will steal the body and then go around telling everyone Jesus is alive. The priests and scribes insist such fraud would cause even more problems than would a still-living Jesus.

The Pharisees and priests know it is impossible to crucify someone who is already dead. It’s also not possible to persecute a person who exists only in the minds of His followers. They could not reveal a ghost to be an impostor. How could they argue with a false resurrection if there is no body? Their plan is to ask the Roman government to officially seal the tomb and guard it. That will make it secure from any tampering and retain Jesus’ body as proof that He was false (Matthew 27:62–63).

Though Pilate is hardly interested in religious squabbles (John 18:29–31), he will recognize the danger and agree to post a guard (Matthew 27:65–66).

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

Some of the chief priests and Pharisees have come to Pilate to make one more request about the false Messiah Jesus. They know He claimed the ability to rise from the dead after three days (John 2:19–22). They don’t believe this, of course. However, they are worried His followers may steal the body and then tell everyone Jesus has been resurrected. How could they fight that fraud once it got started? If the body were simply to go missing, the lie would be harder to refute (Matthew 27:62–64).

Pilate seems to recognize the danger of such an event. His statement of “you have a guard of soldiers” can also be translated as “you may have a guard” or “take a guard.” At the same time, he’s not likely interested in using any of his own men for a relatively easy task. The Roman soldiers who will watch over Jesus’ grave site are likely those already assigned to duty near the temple in Jerusalem. The religious leaders are, most likely, being given permission to reassign those men to Jesus’ grave site.

He tells the Jewish religious leaders to do whatever they can to make the location secure. That will include placing a seal on the rock (Matthew 27:60) warning against tampering, as well as having the guards observe the area.

Verse 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

With official permission from Pilate, the governor, Jewish religious leaders take one more step to destroy Jesus’ legacy (Matthew 27:62–65). They go to Jesus’ tomb, make sure His body is still inside, and then seal the crypt.

The tomb already has a heavy stone door (Matthew 27:60) which would have kept animals and casual thieves away. To make sure it cannot be secretly opened, they add a seal. This was probably a cord attached to the door and walls, held on by wax stamped with some kind of signet. Further, there will be men there to watch the grave and keep Jesus’ disciples away. The guards are likely Roman soldiers normally assigned to security for the city temple.

With these steps, Jewish religious leaders have done all they can to keep Jesus’ followers from stealing His body. This, they believe, will eliminate any possibility that His followers can claim He has been raised from the dead (John 2:19–22). The fantastic irony of their efforts, however, will be revealed shortly. All they have done is rule out fraud and theft as explanations for an empty tomb: they have unknowingly added further proof that Jesus Christ did, in fact return from death in a supernatural miracle (Matthew 28:4–7).

Context Summary
Matthew 27:57–66 describes Jesus’ burial and the watch placed over His tomb. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower of Jesus, asks for Jesus’ body. Pilate agrees. Joseph wraps Jesus’ body in a clean linen shroud and places it in his own, never-used tomb, which is cut out of the rock in a garden. Jesus’ enemies ask Pilate to place Roman soldiers at the grave site. They seek to prevent anyone from stealing His body and claiming He has been resurrected. Pilate agrees. The tomb is sealed. A guard is posted. These events are also seen in Mark 15:42–47, Luke 23:50–56, and John 19:38–42.

Chapter Summary
When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus’ death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.