Matthew 27
Judas’s Miserable End (27:1–10)
1 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him. 2 After they bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pilate, the local Roman ruler. 3 Then Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse and tried to return the thirty shekels of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He said, “I sinned because I betrayed innocent blood.” But they responded, “What do we care? That is your responsibility.” 5 Judas, having thrown the money into the temple, left. And after he went away, he hanged himself. 6 The chief priests took the silver coins and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is blood money.” 7 And having made a decision, they purchased with those coins the Potter’s Field to bury foreigners. 8 Therefore, that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, “They took the thirty silver coins, the estimated price of his value by the people of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me” [Zech. 11:12–13].
Jesus before Pilate, the Roman Prefect (27:11–23)
11 Now Jesus stood before the ruler (Pilate), who asked him, saying, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responded, “You say so.” 12 And when he was then accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Do you not hear the testimony they are bearing against you?” 14 But to the ruler’s great amazement, Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. 15 At the Passover feast, the local Roman ruler was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to the crowd—whomever they wished. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner whose name was Barabbas. 17 So after they were gathered together, Pilate asked them, “Whom do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?” 18 He knew that it was because of envy that they had delivered him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Do not have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a lot today in a dream on account of him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas’s release and for them to execute Jesus. 21 Pilate answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They answered, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They all answered, “Let him be crucified!” 23 Pilate asked, “What crime has he committed?” But they shouted even louder, yelling, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Washed His Hands and
Allowed the Flogging and Crucifixion (27:24–31)
24 After Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere (and besides that, a riot was starting), he took water and washed his hands in full view of the crowd. He said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” 25 And all the people answered and said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. And when he had flogged Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. 27 The ruler’s Roman soldiers took Jesus into Pilate’s residence and gathered the whole unit of soldiers against him. 28 After they stripped him, they put a red robe on him. 29 And after they twisted together a crown of thorns, they placed it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. Then they knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Greetings, king of the Jews,” 30 and they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on his head. 31 When they had mocked him, they took the robe from him and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion of Jesus (27:32–44)
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means a place of a skull), 34 they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with vinegar [Ps. 69:21], but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 Having crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots, which fulfilled a prophecy spoken by a prophet, “They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots” [Ps. 22:18]. 36 Then, after sitting down, they watched over him there. 37 They placed the cause of action against him above his head in writing: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. 38 Then two zealous bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads, 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders mocked him and said, 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! If he is the King of Israel, may he now come down from the cross, and we will trust him. 43 He trusted in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. For he said, I am the Son of God.” 44 The bandits who were crucified with him heaped the same insult on him.
The Death of Jesus (27:45–50)
45 From noon until three in the afternoon, there was darkness over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Ps. 22:1]. 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately, one of them ran and took a sponge and filled it with “vinegar,” put it on a reed, and “offered it to him to drink” [Ps. 69:21]. 49 The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 But when Jesus again had cried out in a loud voice, he released his spirit.
A Testimony That Jesus Was the Son of God (27:51–56)
51 Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks split; 52 and the tombs were opened. The bodies of many saints who had died were resurrected. 53 They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and entered the holy city. They appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and what had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 55 Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and cared for him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
The Burial of Jesus and Securing the Tomb (27:57–66)
57 When it was evening, a rich man named Joseph, who came from Arimathea and who also had become a disciple of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate ordered that it be given. 59 After Joseph took the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb, which he had had cut out in the rock; he rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there, facing the tomb. 62 The next day, after preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate. 63 They said, “Master, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive, he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 Therefore, order that the tomb be secured until the third day, otherwise his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead; and this last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “Keep a watch, go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66 And they went and secured the tomb, securing the stone, with a unit of guards.
