The King Sacrifices Everything for His People
A verse-by-verse explanation of the chapter.
An overview of the principles and applications from the chapter.
Melding the chapter to life.
Tying the chapter to life with God.
Historical, geographical, and grammatical enrichment of the commentary.
Suggested step-by-step group study of the chapter.
Zeroing the chapter in on daily life.
“Be of good cheer, Ridley. Play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
Bishop Hugh Latimer, at his execution as a martyr
Chapter 27 is a continuation of the previous chapter. Matthew gives an account of Jesus' sentencing and crucifixion. It is here, because of his love for us, that Jesus sacrifices his life to take the shame and guilt of the sin of all people. It is far more than a historical event; it is an act of eternal significance. An overriding theme in this chapter is Jesus' sovereign control over the circumstances of his trial and his choice of the time of his death. The details surrounding Jesus' burial and the tomb set the stage for his resurrection.
Several years ago my wife and I visited our son in England, where he was pursuing his graduate studies. Late one afternoon I found myself wandering along the cobblestones of Broad Street in Oxford. Imbedded in countless dark stones forming the road's surface were twenty-four white stones. They formed a simple cross on this thoroughfare of the Western world's most prestigious university city. As the bustling traffic surged by, heedless of crosses and white stones, my mind sought to push back the years to the scene memorialized by the marker.
It was a crisp October day in 1555. Two men, refusing to recant their personal faith in Jesus Christ, would die a terrible death that morning. They would be burned at the stake.
What crossed their minds as they walked through the doors of dreary Bocardo Prison and into the sunlight of their last moments on earth? We cannot know all that was in their thoughts; but we have more than stones in the pavement to mark their passing. We have some of their recorded words. As they approached the stake, Hugh Latimer turned to Nicholas Ridley and said, “Be of good cheer, Ridley. Play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”
Two men who determined to focus on sacrifice for something much bigger than themselves. They loved God. In spite of the certainty of excruciating pain and a terrible death, they focused on obeying the living God. They followed the example of their Lord, who, in spite of the horror of abandonment by his Father, determined to obey that others might live forever.
The King Sacrifices Everything for His People
MAIN IDEA: Jesus the Messiah gave his life for our sins.
Matthew 27 is a continuation of the narrative begun in the preceding chapter. See the introduction to Matthew 26 for the purpose, structure, and some of the key elements in this two-chapter narrative.
The theme of Jesus' sovereign control over circumstances continues in his trial before Pilate (27:11-14) and his choice of the time of his death (27:50).
The King's Betrayer Gets His Due (27:1-10)SUPPORTING IDEA: Recognition of one's disloyalty may result in realization of wrong but not necessarily in saving faith.
27:1-2. The hasty gathering of the Sanhedrin recorded in 26:57-68 served only to bring the case to a preliminary decision. At this gathering was a fuller representation of the seventy members than they were able to gather on short notice the night before. This gathering broke their own law that required an intervening day before passing sentence.
They hurriedly bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. The king experienced another in a series of betrayals—this time by the so-called spiritual leaders of his own people. Matthew made no mention throughout the entire Jewish trial process of the Pharisees or Sadducees. This was clearly a bipartisan effort.
27:3-5. Judas was once again labeled as the one who had betrayed him. Judas learned of the verdict (that Jesus was condemned) and possibly watched as Jesus was led away to Pilate. This caused him to feel remorse. This did not necessarily mean that Judas came to a saving faith in the Messiah, but it certainly indicated that he wished he had not betrayed him. It also implied deep emotional distress. At the very least he realized he had been instrumental in the death of an innocent man. This was too much for Judas to bear. Messiah or not, this man had been his friend and teacher.
Because of his remorse, Judas carried out the two final actions of his life. The Sanhedrin had just sent Jesus off to Pilate, accompanied by a select contingency from their number. Others went to the temple to carry out their duties on this Passover day. There Judas met them and attempted to return the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. He confessed to them, I have sinned … for I have betrayed innocent blood. Judas's adjective, “innocent,” is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Pilate's claim of innocence in regards to Jesus' blood (27:24).
The chief priests and elders disassociated themselves from Judas by replying, What is that to us? That's your responsibility.
Knowing that he would receive no sympathy from his coconspirators, Judas acted on his own. The blood money was now repulsive to him, so he threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself in an act of despair.
27:6-8. The chief priests picked up the silver coins, knowing that it was against the law to put blood money into the temple treasury. So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a cemetery for foreigners. They were more concerned about religious technicalities such as blood money than that they had spent the money to murder an innocent man. They passed it off as an act of religious faithfulness. Because Gentiles could not own any of the Promised Land, they had to be buried in publicly-owned cemeteries when they died in the land.
Matthew added an editorial aside, noting that this explained why to this day—up to the time of Matthew's writing, decades after Judas's death—that field had been called the Field of Blood. It had been purchased with Jesus' blood money.
27:9-10. In purchasing this field, the Jewish leaders fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah, further supporting the validity of Jesus' claim to be the Messiah. The “apparent problem” in this passage, is that most of the words of Matthew's quotation come from Zechariah 11:12-13, but Matthew clearly identified its author as Jeremiah the prophet (this is strongly supported by manuscript evidence). It is not surprising that the Jewish leaders did not see the similarities between their situation and the prophetic details. The fuller Old Testament picture paralleling Judas's and Jesus' blood money was only seen when Matthew pulled together the themes of Jeremiah 19:1-13 and the wording of Zechariah 11:12-13. In God's providence, their blindness extended to more than the identity of Jesus. These rebels served as tools of the Lord to carry out his will, foreordained centuries before.
The King Goes Before Pilate (27:11-26)SUPPORTING IDEA: Jesus the Messiah submitted to unjust conviction because of his love for us.
Jesus' conviction by both Jewish and Roman authorities reflected the responsibility of all nationalities for his death, because he took on the sins of people from all nations. But even here, where the decision regarding Jesus' fate rested with Pilate, the Jews were portrayed as the driving force behind Jesus' crucifixion. Some have accused Matthew (a Jew), of anti-Semitism. Not true. Matthew recorded historical events as they happened. Some Jews, including the disciples, and especially Matthew, were faithful to Jesus.
27:11. Jesus stood before the Roman governor Pilate, who had jurisdiction over all Judea. The goal of the Jewish leaders was to convince Pilate that Jesus was guilty of a crime that Pilate would consider worthy of death. They presented their charges. Then Pilate gave the defendant an opportunity to make his case. At the heart of Pilate's questioning was Jesus' claim to be the Messiah. So Pilate asked forthrightly, “Are you the king of the Jews?” We have not seen this messianic title since the Magi used it in 2:2. Now we will see it twice in this same chapter. It was used mockingly by the Roman soldiers (27:29), and once as the “charge” posted on Jesus' cross (27:37). Matthew in both his opening (Matt. 1-4) and closing (Matt. 26-28) narratives emphasized Jesus' role as the true king of Israel.
Jesus' response, Yes, it is as you say, was exactly the same as his response to Judas (26:25) and Caiaphas (26:64). Jesus answered yes in a way that turned Pilate's question into a confession of truth.
These are the last words of Jesus that Matthew recorded before Jesus' “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:46) and his loud cry as he yielded up his spirit (27:50). We know from the other three Gospels that Jesus said more to Pilate and to those who witnessed his suffering. Matthew's purpose was to record the essential facts with little embellishment. Perhaps Matthew was also emphasizing Jesus as the silent Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:7.
27:12-14. Jesus' silence was important in these three verses. Pilate gave the chief priests and elders an opportunity to make their case. They charged him with many things, possibly including several violations against both Jewish and Roman law. Matthew mentioned Jesus' silence twice to be sure the reader did not miss it. Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to respond to the Jewish leaders' hostile testimony, but Jesus remained silent.
Matthew brought emphasis to Jesus' silence by his wording, including the use of a double negative: But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. Jesus could have made a defense against all the accusations, but he refused to do so. His mission was to proceed. In Pilate's experience, accused people who stood before him did their best to defend themselves. Therefore, Jesus' silence caused great amazement.
27:15-18. To this point, there apparently had not been a crowd waiting outside. It was early morning, and the Jewish leaders had hurried Jesus into Pilate's presence for a quick verdict. But in 27:17, Pilate addressed a different audience than he did in 27:11-14—the crowd … gathered outside Pilate's official residence. At this point Pilate's private court hearing moved outside. Apparently the “judge's seat” from which Pilate conducted public hearings was located somewhere outside his residence.
In keeping with the Roman policy of respecting local religions, and also as part of Pilate's attempt to stay in favor with the people he governed, he had developed the custom of recognizing the Jewish feasts by releasing the people's choice of one prisoner at this time of year. Here it was the Passover, and Jesus had certainly been a popular teacher. Pilate would leave the decision up to the people, who would certainly choose to release Jesus. Barabbas was the people's other choice. He was identified as a notorious prisoner. The word used to describe him was used often of insurrectionists. Barabbas was notorious, but he was viewed as a hero rather than a villain.
So Pilate put the choice to the people, Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? (27:17). The addition of the title “Christ” may have been intended to sway the crowd toward Jesus as the obvious choice. In 27:18, Matthew gave us a glimpse into the workings of Pilate's mind. The reason he presented this choice to the people was because he knew the Jewish leaders had handed Jesus over for execution out of envy. He knew the Jewish leaders were afraid of losing their influence to this teacher, who claimed to be the Messiah, the king of the Jews. They were envious of his popularity. Pilate had no love for the Jewish leaders. He may have wanted Jesus' innocence established to spite the Jewish leaders. So Pilate bypassed the leaders and went straight to the people.
27:19. Somewhere in the midst of these proceedings, while Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, Pilate's wife sent a message to him, warning him not to have anything to do with that innocent man. Her reason for the warning was that today (probably meaning the preceding night) she had suffered a great deal… in a dream because of him.
Did Pilate's wife know of Jesus' righteousness by reputation or observation? Or had the Lord given her a supernatural revelation through a dream? We cannot be sure. Either is plausible. But the reason Matthew included this detail was because of its effect on Pilate.
We are not told that Pilate heeded his wife's warning, but perhaps his handwashing in 27:24 reflected his respect for her words. What he should have done—not just because of her warning, but because of the lack of solid evidence against Jesus—was to release Jesus. But Pilate, like many cowardly politicians, left the decision in the hands of the people, hoping they would make the reasonable choice.
27:20-23. But the chief priests and the elders had been hard at work making their twisted case with the crowd. By the time Pilate asked for a choice from the people, they had been swayed toward the release of Barabbas. They demanded Jesus' execution. Pilate faced a dilemma. Jesus' guilt had not yet been established, but Pilate, in his weakness, turned over to the crowd the right to determine Jesus' sentence: What shall I do, then, with Jesus, who is called Christ? (27:22). They demanded, Crucify him! (27:22).
Pilate attempted to reason with the crowd. Matthew's choice of the Greek word phemi (“declare, say”) implied that Pilate's questions were more like assertions, defending Jesus' innocence, than attempts to draw answers from the people: What crime has he committed? But Pilate's persistent pleas for reason were drowned out by the crowd's louder and more persistent cries: Crucify him! The governor had lost control of the situation. His weakness and the mob tendencies of the crowd were playing into the hands of the Jewish leaders.
27:24-25. Now it was too late for Pilate to do what he should have done in the first place—release Jesus and avoid a riot. If he executed Jesus, he would appease the people. If he did anything else, the frenzied crowd would become more and more unruly until they got what they wanted.
Pilate was accountable to his Roman superiors to keep the peace in Judea. Rome wanted the people to be calm and subdued. A riot would have gotten Pilate into serious trouble. A weak man, bowing at the altar of “political correctness,” denied the truth and skewed reality. The result was the advancement of evil. But what people intended for evil, God used for ultimate good.
When Pilate saw that his attempts to reason with the crowd were futile, he washed his hands in front of the crowd. As he performed this ritual, he declared, I am innocent of this man's blood. This was wishful thinking on Pilate's part. The verdict and sentence against Jesus were his responsibility, but he relinquished both to the discretion of a mob. Despite Pilate's declaration of innocence, he shared the guilt for Jesus' wrongful death.
It is your responsibility! he told the crowd. Both Jewish and Roman authorities had made decisions that sealed Jesus' fate. And all of them tried to avoid responsibility, even as their own consciences screamed, “Guilty!”
The people rose to Pilate's challenge. They were convinced that Jesus was the worst villain ever to walk the earth. They cried out in self-righteous indignation at the thought of such an evil man going free: Let his blood be on us and on our children! They were willing to claim full responsibility, implying that God's curse would fall on the generations to follow if they were wrong.
27:26. Pilate released Barabbas to return to his life of crime. Then contrasted the freed villain with the innocent man. Jesus was flogged. This was a shredding of the victim's back by repeated blows with a whip, made of leather thongs imbedded with sharp bits of metal or bone. Many prisoners had died from such punishment. It is no wonder that Jesus was unable to bear the crossbar all the way to his cross (27:32). He probably had barely enough strength to stand.
Then Pilate handed him over to be crucified. The king had been betrayed again.
The King Is Mocked and Beaten (27:27-32)SUPPORTING IDEA: Jesus the Messiah was willing to endure the mockery of others because of his love for us.
27:27-31. Now the Gentiles joined in on the mockery against Jesus (cf. 26:67-68). It was Pilate's soldiers who inflicted the remainder of Jesus' physical suffering. They first took Jesus into the Praetorium, the governor's official residence, where he had held court. A cohort consisted of six hundred soldiers.
There the soldiers joined in the mockery of Jesus. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. For their “king” they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They completed the mockery by placing a staff in his hand and kneeling before him in mock worship: Hail, king of the Jews! The robe, the crown, the staff, and the feigned worship combined to create what was a comical picture to these men—a half-dead Jew who claimed to be their king, their Savior, their Messiah! But the king stood fast, refusing to exercise his power. He had a mission to accomplish.
Their mockery turned to physical mistreatment as they spat on him and beat him with a staff (27:30). Finally, they took off the robe and put on his own bloody garments. Then they started to the crucifixion site (27:31).
27:32. When a person was crucified, the vertical pole was already at the site of the crucifixion. The victim was forced to carry his own horizontal beam, which would be attached to the vertical pole. On the way out of the Praetorium, the soldiers realized that Jesus was too weakened from his beatings to carry the horizontal beam. They found a man named Simon from Cyrene (a Mediterranean port on the coast of modern day Libya, in northern Africa), and they forced him to carry Jesus' crossbar to Golgotha. Simon was either a settler in the Jerusalem area, or, more likely, a pilgrim attending the Passover.
The King Is Crucified (27:33-56)SUPPORTING IDEA: Jesus the Messiah took on the shame and guilt of our sin because of his love for us.
Mark 15:25 informs us that Jesus was placed on the cross at about 9 A.M. All that had been done to him since his conviction by the Sanhedrin had happened during the first three hours of daylight on this Passover day.
Throughout this passage, Matthew used the Greek present and imperfect tenses to indicate that the behaviors described here were samplings of a continuous stream of abuse against Jesus. This emphasized the duration of Jesus' ordeal. Since this was one of the most important events in history, Matthew slowed the narrative, providing several details about Jesus' crucifixion and the events surrounding it.
27:33-34. The soldiers brought Jesus to a hill called Golgotha, the rough Greek transliteration of its Aramaic name, which Matthew translated as The Place of the Skull. This was beside a well-traveled road where the passersby in and out of Jerusalem could see the execution of criminals.
It was customary to offer a crucifixion victim some wine before nailing him to the cross. This was a gesture of humaneness, to ease the pain. But the soldiers played one more cruel trick on Jesus, mixing gall (possibly a bitter herb) into the wine. Jesus tasted it, but was unable to take this contaminated refreshment. He refused to drink any more.
Another interpretation of this event is that the gall was a drug that deadened the pain, and that Jesus refused it. Perhaps he wanted to experience the full torture of crucifixion or he wanted his head to remain clear so he would not fall into temptation through this ordeal.
27:35-37. Matthew mentioned Jesus' actual crucifixion almost as an aside. His readers would have been much more familiar with the process than we are today. Here is what they knew about that heinous form of execution.
While Jesus hung on the cross gasping for breath, the soldiers gambled for his clothes. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Psalm 22:18. Then they sat down and kept watch over him, in case someone might try to rescue him. The Greek present participle of sitting and the Greek imperfect tense of kept watch communicated the duration of this ordeal.
As a deterrent to other potential criminals, a sign was always posted at the top of the cross, over the victim's head. This sign informed passersby of the crime for which the victim was being executed. Over Jesus' head was posted the charge of which he had been found guilty: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
To claim to be the king of the Jews was equivalent to claiming to be the Messiah, which the Sanhedrin had declared to be blasphemy and worthy of death. However, the charge was written by the Romans, and its intended meaning had more to do with the crime of treason or insurrection. To claim to be a king over any of the peoples in the Roman Empire was to challenge the authority of Caesar. Whenever the Romans heard of anyone claiming to be the Messiah in Israel, their greatest concern was that he might try to lead Israel in a revolt against them. Insurrection was a capital crime under Roman law.
Matthew intended us to see the irony that this dying man was not only the king of the Jews but the king of all creation. Never was there a greater contrast than that between the treatment Jesus deserved and the treatment he received. He deserved the worship of all heaven and earth, but he hung naked and beaten, laboring for each breath on an instrument of torture and shame.
27:38-44. Jesus was not alone in his suffering. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on each side. In his darkest hour, the Messiah's company consisted of the worst outcasts of society (cf. Isa. 53:12). Many people came out to watch the spectacle, taunting and mocking the king.
The mockers used words from Psalm 22:6-8, the psalm that foretold several details of the Messiah's suffering. The phrase, those who passed by, described the continuous stream of people, many of whom did not recognize who this was on the cross until others told them. They hurled insults at him. As they verbally abused Jesus, they were continually shaking their heads in an expression of shame (27:39).
They hurled such insults as, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God (27:40). They did not understand that the One capable of saving himself by coming down from the cross exercised his power to stay on the cross. Love and supreme control won our salvation.
In the same way, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders mocked him, saying things like these: He saved others … but he can't save himself. He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. They completed this insult with a reference to Jesus' own claims, For he said, “I am the Son of God.” This taunt was an adapted quotation.
Psalm 22 is messianic. The Christ would cry out the words of the Psalm's first verse in Matthew 27:46. Indeed, this was the Son of God, and the Father delighted in the Son, never more than at this moment (Isa. 53:10). Jesus' deliverance would come later.
The insults came not only from below, but also from the two crosses at Jesus' side. The two robbers also heaped insults on him.
In the midst of this physical torture, the king was immersed in the emotional strain of incessant verbal abuse. Only the sovereign king of the universe could have kept himself on the cross. Truly, he was the Almighty
27:45-46. Jesus endured this suffering and abuse for three hours, from 9 A.M. until noon. Then, at noon an even worse torture fell upon Jesus. The Father turned his back on his own Son. The perfect communion of eternity past (cf. Matt. 11:27) was broken. The Father, in essence, had to say, “I do not know you” to the Son (cf. 7:23; 25:12). The king had been betrayed and denied by Judas and all the rest of his friends, by the shepherds of his people, and by the Roman authorities. Now he was left alone by his own Father. At that point he began to bear the hell (separation from God) of punishment for a world of sins.
This three-hour period was so black that creation itself became dark as well. From noon to 3 P.M., normally the brightest and hottest time of day, darkness covered the land. Creation mourned its Creator's spiritual death (separation from his Father) and turned its back on the One the Father now turned away from because of the sin he became.
God directed Matthew to give the reader the exact words Jesus spoke, in the Aramaic language of his family and his people. Matthew wanted the significance of Jesus' death on the cross to be clear. That significance was revealed in these Aramaic words, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? For the sake of his Greek readers, Matthew provided the Greek translation, which means (in English), My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The Messiah was completely alone, bearing the guilt of all sinners. It was an indescribable abandonment.
At about 3 P.M., near the end of the three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out these words—the desperate cry of an abandoned Son to his Father. Still, he remained the sovereign king, as evidenced by the fact that he remained on the cross. The words of Jesus' cry came from Psalm 22:1, echoing the desperate words of his forefather David. But the note of triumph and vindication at the end of the psalm (Ps. 22:25-31) would not come for Jesus until Sunday morning.
27:47-49. Some of the observers who heard Jesus' cry, Eloi, my God, thought it was a shortened form of Elijah. They assumed Jesus was calling out for the aid of the miracle-working prophet. At the sound of Jesus' desperate cry, one of the bystanders took pity on him, immediately ran to fill a sponge with sour wine, and raised it up for Jesus to drink. Now introduced the behavior of the rest of the people who watched. Perhaps it contrasted the mercy of the one who gave Jesus the wine with the apathy of the crowd. The rest of the bystanders wanted to see if Elijah would come and save him: Let's see if Elijah comes.
27:50. Matthew recorded the final utterance of Jesus on the cross without giving us the actual words he said: Jesus … cried out again in a loud voice. As his final act of that Passover Friday, the Messiah gave up his spirit (Gr. aphiemi, meaning “send away, let go”). The king proved sovereign even over the timing of his own death. This loud cry was a shout of triumphal completion. John seemed to indicate as much in his Gospel (John 19:30).
27:51-53. At the moment of the Messiah's death, God provided three miraculous signs. At that moment draws the reader's attention to the signs, testifying to their reality.
In the temple, the Holy of Holies was the innermost sanctuary, the place where the ark of the covenant rested and where the presence of God was said to abide. This place was so sacred that only once a year (on the Day of Atonement) only one man (the high priest) was allowed to enter. He offered the blood of a special sacrifice to atone for the sins of all Israel.
The room outside the Holy of Holies was called the Holy Place. Between the two rooms hung a thick curtain, separating all of humanity from the presence of God—except the high priest, once a year. At the moment of Jesus' death, this curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. Matthew recorded the direction in which it was torn to show that it was done at God's initiative. And the tearing opened the way for anyone to enter the presence of God, through the substitutionary sacrifice of the Messiah.
During the centuries of Israel's existence, it was unheard of for common people to consider approaching God. The penalty for such arrogance was death. But now God was inviting anyone to approach him. For the first time, provision had been made for God to accept sinful humans as forgiven, having been made as righteous through the sacrifice of his Son.
The second sign, the earthquake and splitting of rocks, was closely associated with the first sign. Perhaps it reflected the immensity of the “earthshaking” revolution that had just taken place with the splitting of the curtain. Through the death of the Son of God, the way had been cleared for sinful creatures to enter the company of the holy God.
The third sign served as a testimony to many people in Jerusalem concerning what had just happened. Some of the tombs from around Jerusalem were opened, perhaps by the earthquake. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. These were holy people, those set apart for a special purpose. The earthquake happened at the time of Jesus' death. But 27:53 uses the time reference, after Jesus' resurrection. Did the resurrected saints wait three days until Sunday, and then enter Jerusalem to appear to many as confirming witnesses to the reality of Jesus' resurrection?
27:54. The centurion (cf. 8:5-13) was the Roman officer in charge of the soldiers guarding Jesus and the two robbers. The spectacular signs of the earthquake and all that had happened had their intended effect on the centurion as well as the other soldiers who were with him. They became frightened and expressed their recognition that the words of the mockers were true: Surely he was the Son of God!
Those pagan soldiers knew little of the Jewish faith. They probably did not realize the scriptural implications of the titles thrown at Jesus when the observers taunted him. But they knew what a god was. And they knew that the Jews believed in a single, all-powerful God. They also knew the implications of a Son of God enough to proclaim the title with awe at the supernatural wonders they saw at the death of Jesus. One of Matthew's themes was Jesus' recognition by Gentiles (cf. 2:1-12; 8:5-13; 15:21-39; 27:17-23). Thus, the men he recorded as proclaiming the true identity of the Messiah at the turning point of all history were pagan Roman soldiers.
27:55-56. To this point, all the observers Matthew had mentioned had been critics and mockers (except possibly the one who gave him the wine, 27:48). Here, immediately after recording the death of the Messiah, Matthew explained clearly for the first time that not all of the witnesses of Jesus' crucifixion were unbelievers and enemies. Many women had kept their distance during the event, probably mourning his death. Originally from Jesus' home region of Galilee, they had followed Jesus from Galilee. These women were the logistical support for Jesus' troupe, as they had traveled south from Galilee to Jerusalem.
These unsung heroines serve as models of quiet, humble servanthood. We should learn from their examples.
But Matthew's primary reason for mentioning these women becomes more apparent when we compare the listed names of three of them with the later events recorded by Matthew. Among the many was, first, Mary Magdalene (from the city of Magdala, probably on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee; cf. 15:39). Second, Matthew listed Mary the mother of James (possibly one of the disciples, the son of Alphaeus, 10:3) and Joses (unknown in Matthew except for his mention here).
The third woman mentioned was the mother of Zebedee's sons (James and John; cf. 20:20-21). She was mentioned most likely because of her previous appearance. She may have been the leader of the women. But the two Marys are mentioned here in anticipation of their two additional appearances in connection with Jesus' burial and resurrection. These women were given the honor of being mentioned among those who stood by Jesus through his crucifixion. They were also Matthew's first and primary witnesses of the empty tomb and the resurrected Jesus. They also served as Jesus' messengers to the disciples about his resurrection (28:10).
In a culture where women were largely seen and not heard, Matthew gave unusual honor to women. He mentioned women in Jesus' genealogy (1:1-17, the opening narrative), and now here in the latter part (the closing narrative) of the story.
The disciples were absent probably because of the possibility of their being identified as his associates and therefore presumed revolutionaries.
The King Is Buried (27:57-61)SUPPORTING IDEA: Jesus the Messiah died and was buried, proving that he paid for our sin and that his resurrection was the miracle the Bible claims it to be.
Matthew's description of Jesus' burial is brief and to the point. But it is also critical. The fact that Jesus was dead and buried is the foundation on which the validity of the Resurrection is based.
27:57-58. The mention of evening signified the nearing of sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath and the end of the Passover day. Joseph of Arimathea (probably a town in northern Judea) is mentioned only here in Matthew (and once in the parallel passages of each Gospel) because of his generosity in giving his tomb for the Messiah's burial. Joseph was one of the few rich men (cf. Isa. 53:9-12) who managed to be loyal to the Messiah (cf. Matt. 6:19-24; 19:16-26). With popular opinion against Jesus and the apparent victory of the Jewish leaders, anyone associated with Jesus was in potential danger. But Joseph remained loyal, proving he had become a disciple of Jesus.
Matthew omitted the fact that Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin. This detail, mentioned in Mark 15:43 and Luke 23:50-51, heightened even further the sense of danger to Joseph and the depth of his devotion to Jesus. Joseph had probably remained a secret disciple, at least up to this point.
Joseph had witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and death and going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Pilate granted his request (27:58). Joseph had to be a very prominent man in order to gain an audience with Pilate.
27:59-60. Joseph took possession of Jesus' body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. The logistics involved suggests Joseph had other people to help him. Joseph had paid for this tomb to be cut into the rocky hillside, expecting to be buried in it himself. It was a new tomb; no one else had ever been buried there. He placed Jesus' body in the tomb and had a big stone rolled against the door.
27:61. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of James and Joses, 27:56) witnessed this burial. They sat opposite the tomb, grieving the Messiah's death. This detail was important not only to show the women's love for Jesus but also to show that they knew exactly where Jesus had been buried. They knew where to come on Sunday morning (28:1).
The King's Tomb Is Sealed (27:62-66)SUPPORTING IDEA: Despite the enemy's attempts to keep the Messiah down, he will be victorious.
This brief passage is important because it supports the reality of Jesus' resurrection, showing that the religious leaders tried to keep Jesus' body in the tomb. Despite Pilate's provision of a well-trained Roman guard and the seal of the Roman Empire on Jesus' tomb, the king would prove that he was still in control. Nothing—not even the long arm of Rome's “sovereign” power—would be able to prevent his victorious return to life.
27:62-64. The next day was the Sabbath, which was the one after Preparation Day, meaning the day after the Passover Friday. The time of this conversation could have been any time between sunset Friday and sunset Saturday. The Jewish leaders probably approached Pilate at daybreak on Saturday morning, when he gave audience during the early morning hours.
Matthew had referred to “the chief priests and the elders” throughout the passion narrative. But here he said that the chief priests and the Pharisees met to confer with Pilate. The Pharisees were part of both groups that had demanded a sign of Jesus (12:38; 16:1). Both times they had received from Jesus the promise of “the sign of Jonah” (12:39-40; 16:4). So it was fitting that they were part of the group that remembered Jesus' prediction of his resurrection after three days. Addressing Pilate respectfully, this group recalled for Pilate one of the claims of what that deceiver had said: After three days I will rise again.
They asked that Pilate make the grave secure until the third day. Then, if Jesus' body were stolen after the third day, no one could say his prophecy had been fulfilled. Jesus himself had set the time frame, and the prophecy would have to be fulfilled in detail if it were to prove valid.
Their fear was that Jesus' disciples might try to steal his body from the tomb so they could claim that he had risen. A risen martyr would hold greater power over the people than the Messiah had while he was alive. Martyrs of the past were respected for their devotion. The miracle of the “resurrection” would validate Jesus' claim to be the Messiah more powerfully than any of his other miracles. Therefore, to the Jewish leaders, this last deception (the false claim of a resurrected Messiah) would be worse than the first.
27:65-66. Pilate granted their request, giving them a Roman guard. A normal Roman guard was made up of sixteen soldiers. Roman soldiers were well-known for their discipline. The penalty for negligence while on duty (falling asleep or abandoning their post) was execution. These men were not going to let any band of disciples take the body of Jesus.
Pilate ordered the Jewish leaders to post the soldiers at the tomb to make it as secure as you know how. This was in both parties' mutual interest. So they took the soldiers to the tomb, placed a seal across the gap between the stone and the outer wall of the tomb, and posted the guard before the tomb. These men would be relieved at regular intervals throughout Saturday and Sunday. Monday would be the fourth day, and then it would be too late for anyone to attempt to fulfill Jesus' prophecy about his resurrection.
MAIN IDEA REVIEW: Jesus the Messiah gave his life for our sins.
Jesus is the true king, no matter how the skeptics might mock him. Because the king does not do something does not mean he is powerless. His purpose go beyond our wisdom. No efforts of the enemy can thwart God's sovereign plans.
PRINCIPLES
Frances Jane Crosby, better known as Fanny Crosby, truly captured the spirit of the American gospel song movement. It is estimated that Fanny Crosby wrote more than 8,000 gospel song texts in her lifetime. Her hymns have been, and still are, being sung more frequently than those of any other gospel hymn writer. Her many favorites have been an important part of evangelical worship for the past century.
It is amazing that anyone, and especially a blind person, could write on this variety of spiritual truths and experiences. For a considerable period during her life, while under contract to a music publisher, she wrote three new hymns each week. She used over two hundred pen names besides her own. Many of her original texts are still being uncovered and no doubt will be published in the near future. Often the themes for her hymns were suggested by visiting ministers wishing to have a new song on a particular subject. At other times musician friends would first compose the music and then ask Fanny Crosby for the words. Well-known hymns to her credit include “Blessed Assurance,” “All the Way My Savior Leads Me,” and “Rescue the Perishing.”
Fannie Crosby died at the age of ninety-five. Engraved on her tombstone at Bridgeport, Connecticut are these words taken from Jesus' remarks to Mary, the sister of Lazarus: “She hath done what she could.”
We read in Matthew 27 of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, where he gave his all to save mankind from the consequences of sin. In this ultimate of all sacrifices, he completely submitted himself to God's will and mission. Fannie Crosby was a model believer who invested her life completely for the kingdom of God. In spite of her challenge of physical blindness, she had a keen spiritual vision. She gave all she was for the cause of Christ.
Have you submitted your all to God's kingdom? Are you prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to further his kingdom?
Loving Father, I bow in amazement at the cross on which your only-begotten Son died. Thank you for his love and sacrifice. Send me forth to tell others about your amazing grace. Amen.
A. Captial Punishment
The Jews were dependent on the Roman authorities to carry out an execution, as the Jews were not authorized to do so. They needed to convince Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea, that Jesus was deserving of death under Roman law. Since Pilate probably only took cases early in the morning, the Sanhedrin had to hurry the process along and get Jesus to him as quickly as possible that morning. This Friday morning was the continuation of the Passover. It was permissible, under Jewish law, to execute criminals on such feast days in the most extreme circumstances.
But in no case was it permissible to perform an execution on the Sabbath, which would begin at sunset this Friday evening. Because Jesus had forced their hand, the Jewish leaders apparently felt the pressure of concluding this affair before the Sabbath began. This left them only the daylight hours of one day to have Jesus convicted by Pilate and executed.
B. Crucifixion
The victim's horizontal beam was attached to the vertical pole while they were both lying on the ground. The victim was forced to lie down with his back to the cross. Spikes were driven through his wrists into the horizontal beam. His feet were also nailed with spikes to the vertical pole. Then the entire cross was raised upright, with the victim nailed to it, and dropped into a hole.
The victim's weight rested upon the spikes through his wrists and feet. But as painful as this was, the spikes did not kill the person. When the victim was hanging with his arms above him, breathing was a problem. To breath adequately, he had to raise himself up by his nailed feet and wrists, take a breath, and then let himself relax again as he exhaled. Eventually, the victim weakened so much that he could not take a breath and he suffocated. It generally took two or three days for the victim to die. That is why the soldiers usually broke a person's legs-to hurry up the process.
C. Did Judas Come to Saving Faith (27:3-5)?
There is debate over whether Judas ever came to saving faith in the Messiah. Most likely he did not. His remorse probably had more to do with betraying an innocent friend than with a personal commitment to Jesus as the Messiah. Also, Jesus' comment about his betrayer in 26:24 seem to indicate condemnation. The major point of Judas's story, though, is the danger of greed, jealousy, fear, and a lack of openness to God's plan. He threw away the money he received for his betrayal. He ended through suicide the life he feared losing through association with Jesus. The position of influence he may have desired turned into a reputation of infamy, so that his name is now associated with betrayal. And his rejection of the Messiah led to his own destruction.
D. Summary
This chapter describes the most important event of history. Along with the Resurrection, it is the central event of Matthew's Gospel. Chapter 27 completes the passion narrative begun in Matthew 26. The details about Jesus' burial and the securing of the tomb set the stage for the Resurrection.
A. INTRODUCTION
B. COMMENTARY
