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Matthew 27

Chapter Text

Jesus Before Pilate

The Death of Judas

Jesus Sentenced to Die

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

The Crucifixion

The Death of Jesus

The Burial of Jesus

The Guard at the Tomb

Summary

Judas returns the thirty pieces of silver in remorse and hangs himself. Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate, who finds no fault in Him but yields to the crowd's demand to crucify Him. The soldiers mock Jesus, crown Him with thorns, and lead Him to Golgotha.

Jesus is crucified between two thieves. Darkness covers the land from the sixth to the ninth hour. He cries out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, and yields up His spirit. The temple veil is torn from top to bottom, and the centurion declares Him the Son of God. Joseph of Arimathaea buries Jesus in his own new tomb.

Meaning

The crucifixion is the central event of all Scripture. Jesus' cry of dereliction reveals that on the cross He experienced genuine separation from the Father as He bore the sins of the world. This was not abandonment but the fulfillment of the plan of redemption, the righteous suffering for the unrighteous.

The tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom signifies that the way into God's presence, previously barred to all except the high priest once a year, is now open to all through the sacrifice of Christ.

Background

Golgotha, meaning the place of a skull, was located outside the city walls of Jerusalem. Roman crucifixion was designed to be the most painful and humiliating form of execution, reserved for slaves and the worst criminals.

The veil of the temple separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was reportedly sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and a handbreadth thick. Its supernatural tearing declared a new era in the relationship between God and man.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1-10Judas's remorse and tragic end
  2. vv. 11-26Jesus before Pilate and Barabbas released
  3. vv. 27-31The soldiers mock the King
  4. vv. 32-44The crucifixion at Golgotha
  5. vv. 45-54Darkness, death, and cosmic signs
  6. vv. 55-61The burial in Joseph's tomb
  7. vv. 62-66The sepulchre sealed and guarded

Key Verses

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.27:22

Pilate's question echoes through the centuries as the inescapable verdict every soul must render concerning Christ. The crowd's answer reveals the tragic rejection of the Messiah by those He came to save.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?27:46

The cry of dereliction quotes Psalm 22:1 and reveals the depth of Christ's substitutionary suffering as He bore the sin of the world. It marks the climactic moment when the Father turned His face from the Son.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;27:51

The torn veil signifies that access to God's presence is now opened through Christ's sacrifice, ending the old covenant separation between God and man. Torn from top to bottom, it is unmistakably an act of God.

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.27:54

A Gentile soldier becomes the first to confess Christ's divine sonship after the crucifixion, foreshadowing the gospel's reach to all nations. His confession stands in stark contrast to the mockery of Israel's leaders.

People & Places

People

  • JesusThe Messiah, condemned, mocked, crucified, and buried as the sin-bearing Lamb of God.
  • Judas IscariotThe betrayer who, gripped by remorse, returns the silver and hangs himself.
  • Pontius PilateRoman governor of Judea who reluctantly sentences Jesus while symbolically washing his hands of guilt.
  • Pilate's wifeUnnamed woman who warns her husband based on a troubling dream about Jesus.
  • BarabbasA notable prisoner released by the crowd's demand in place of Jesus.
  • Simon of CyreneA bystander compelled by Roman soldiers to carry Jesus' cross to Golgotha.
  • The two thievesCriminals crucified on either side of Jesus who initially join in mocking Him.
  • The centurionRoman officer overseeing the execution who confesses Jesus as the Son of God.
  • Mary MagdaleneDevoted follower of Jesus who witnesses the crucifixion and burial.
  • Mary the mother of James and JosesGalilean woman among the faithful watching at the cross and tomb.
  • The mother of Zebedee's childrenMother of the apostles James and John, present at the crucifixion.
  • Joseph of ArimathaeaWealthy disciple who requests Jesus' body from Pilate and provides his own new tomb.
  • Chief priests and eldersReligious leaders who orchestrate the trial, stir the crowd, and later seal the tomb.

Places

  • JerusalemThe holy city where Jesus is tried, crucified, and buried during Passover week.
  • The potter's fieldPlot purchased with Judas' returned silver, renamed 'the field of blood' as a burial ground for strangers.
  • The common hall (Praetorium)The governor's residence where Roman soldiers mocked and scourged Jesus.
  • GolgothaThe 'place of a skull' outside Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.
  • The templeThe sanctuary whose veil was torn in two at the moment of Christ's death.
  • Joseph's new tombA rock-hewn sepulchre near the crucifixion site where Jesus' body was laid and sealed.

Prophecy & Fulfillment

Matthew explicitly cites two prophetic fulfillments in this chapter. Verses 9-10 connect the thirty pieces of silver and the potter's field to prophetic words associated with Jeremiah, drawing on Zechariah 11:12-13 and themes from Jeremiah 19 and 32. Verse 35 fulfills Psalm 22:18, as the soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garments. Beyond these, the cry of dereliction in verse 46 quotes Psalm 22:1, and the offering of vinegar (v. 34, 48) echoes Psalm 69:21, weaving the crucifixion into the tapestry of messianic Scripture.

Devotional

Matthew 27 confronts us with a sobering paradox: the most unjust act in history accomplished the most just salvation ever offered. Pilate washed his hands but could not wash away his responsibility; the crowd chose Barabbas, yet every sinner since has been freed by that same exchange.

When life feels forsaken, remember that Christ uttered those very words so we would never have to. The torn veil means no shame, no failure, no past can bar you from the Father's presence. Like the centurion, may the cross compel us to confess, 'Truly this was the Son of God.'

Literary Style

Passion narrative in historical prose, marked by rapid scene shifts, terse dialogue, and heavy intertextual citation of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew employs dramatic irony throughout—the mockers unwittingly proclaim truths about Christ—and frames the crucifixion with apocalyptic signs (darkness, earthquake, torn veil, raised saints).