Matthew 27 begins with a brief description of the Jewish leaders reassembling in the morning to ratify the death sentence already agreed upon and to plan how they might persuade Pilate to charge Jesus with a capital offense. In much more detail is the account of Judas feeling remorse, throwing his reward for the betrayal in the temple, and going out to hang himself (27:1–10). Next narrated is Jesus’s trial before Pilate, Pilate’s offer to release one of the prisoners, and the crowd’s choice of Barabbas over Jesus, demanding that Jesus be crucified (27:11–23). Pilate then delivers Him to be crucified, Jesus is mocked and humiliated by the soldiers, and the events connected with the crucifixion are described in quick succession: Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry His cross; Jesus refuses the wine mixed with gall; lots are cast for His clothing; the placard specifying the charge is placed over His head; He is blasphemed, mocked, and reviled; and His final hours are described (27:24–50). Through it all, Matthew, like the other Gospels, chronicles how these things fulfill prophecy and several supernatural events convey to onlookers that Jesus is “truly . . . the Son of God” (27:51–54). The chapter concludes with a description of the crucial parts played by certain women and Joseph of Arimathea, followed by the chief priests and Pharisees arranging with Pilate for a Roman guard to be stationed at the tomb (27:55–66).

Interpretation of Matthew 27

1. Verses 1–10

• Matthew’s description of the daytime trial is encapsulated in just one verse, probably because it primarily concerns how to wring from Pilate a death sentence for Jesus. Binding Him signifies condemnation by the Sanhedrin.

• Pilate’s title of hēgemōn (“governor”) is the Greek equivalent of the Latin praefectus,¹ which has been confirmed by an inscription found near the theater in Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast where Pilate spent most of his time.

• During major Jewish festivals Pilate would be in Jerusalem with a large contingency of Roman soldiers in case trouble should arise.

• Judas, apparently surprised Jesus allowed Himself to be condemned to death, is “seized with remorse” (v. 3, NIV), returns the thirty pieces of silver, and confesses too late his betrayal of an innocent man. However, having served the murderous designs of the Jewish leaders, they coldly respond in effect, “That is your problem, not ours.”

• Disgusted with them, Judas throws the “blood money” (v. 6, ESV) onto the floor of the temple, which would have resulted in the temple’s defilement through the transferal of blood guilt associated with the shedding of innocent blood.²

• The priests recognize the problem of defilement due to blood guilt being attached to the money, preventing them from putting it into the temple treasury, so, instead, they purchase a field to bury foreigners in—an act seemingly pious, except the name given to it, “Field of Blood” (Akeldama, Acts 1:19, ESV), memorializes their diabolical deed.³

• Matthew’s prophetic reference combines material from Jeremiah (cited as the major prophet) and Zechariah. Israel’s rejection of a faithful shepherd (Zech 11:12–13) underscores the paltry sum at which Jesus is valued by both Judas and the chief priests. Jeremiah’s mention of the potter (Jer 18:2–12; 19:1–15) and the field (Jer 32:6–9) speak respectively of God’s judgment on Israel and hope for its restoration.

2. Verses 11–23

• Jesus’s trial before Pilate is described only very briefly in the Synoptics, but according to John it takes place in the Praetorium, which the Jewish leaders refuse to enter “lest they should be defiled” (John 18:28). It is now generally considered to have been within the lavish Western palace,⁴ which was located not far from the temple near the Jaffa Gate.⁵

• Pilate’s key question to Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?” is preserved verbatim in all four Gospels (cf. Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33) and, in Greek, suggests Pilate, seeing Jesus’s calm, dignified appearance, is surprised by the charge leveled against Him.

• Jesus’s oblique answer to the question, though construed by His accusers as claiming the title (Matt 26:63–64), was apparently not understood by Pilate as self-incriminating since he pronounces Jesus innocent (Matt 27:23–24; cf. Luke 23:22; John 18:38).

• Pilate marvels at Jesus’s silence in the face of the serious charges brought against Him, which mirrors His deportment before the high priest (Matt 26:62) and prevents anything He might say being used against Him. It also corresponds to the refusal to speak by the suffering Servant of Isaiah (Isa 53:7).

• Barabbas means “son of the father” in Aramaic, suggesting he may have been a messianic pretender like those Jesus warned of (Matt 24:5). He was imprisoned for murder and insurrection (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19), and his following may have included the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus.

• The “judgment seat” (Gk. bēma) is a platform measuring about one square yard outside the palace on which a throne was placed with steps leading up to it. The dream of his wife likely causes him to try to avoid condemning Jesus to death (which the release of a prisoner might achieve), because dreams in the ancient world were often regarded as revelatory— just as those previously mentioned have been (see Matt 1:20; 2:12–13, 19, 22).

• Although Jesus is innocent and Pilate proclaims Him so (v. 24), the religious leaders have primed the people to choose Barabbas and have Jesus crucified.

• Throughout this chapter Matthew especially emphasizes Jesus’s messianic mission: Pilate repeatedly presents Him before the people as “the Christ” (vv. 17, 22); he and others refer to Jesus as “the King of the Jews” (vv. 11, 29, 37) and “the King of Israel” (v. 42). Though sometimes spoken in mockery, they bear ironic witness to Jesus’s true identity.

• All four Gospels record Pilate’s unwillingness to put an innocent man to death, particularly by means of such a cruel punishment as crucifixion (Mark 15:14; Luke 23:22–23; John 18:38–40), but also the crowd’s insistence. Seeing “a tumult was rising” and fearing losing control of the situation, Pilate capitulates, attempting to disavow any responsibility for an innocent man’s death by washing his hands (Matt 27:24; cf. Deut 21:1–9; Pss 26:6; 73:13). But he has been given political and military authority over Judea and the Jews cannot put Jesus to death without his order (John 18:31), which Pilate ultimately gives (v. 26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:24–25; John 19:16).

3. Verses 25–50

• One of the most problematic verses in the New Testament is the so-called “self-curse” (“His blood be on us and on our children”) that has been (mis) used through the centuries to justify anti-Semitism. However, taken at face value, it only involves those directly crying out for Jesus’s crucifixion and their children. “It is primarily these who would suffer the calamities mentioned in [Matthew] 24:15–19 when Roman armies would lay siege to Jerusalem and ultimately destroy it.”⁶ Also, it is important to remember that many Jews had accepted Jesus prior to His crucifixion and continued to do so after His death and resurrection (see, e.g., Acts 2:40–41; 4:4; 6:7; 14:1). All are invited to accept Jesus and be saved, including Jews (Rom 1:16), “for God shows no partiality” (Rom 2:11, ESV).

• Saying Jesus’s “blood be on us” was a common Jewish way of accepting responsibility for a person’s death (Lev 20:9; Jos 2:19; Jer 26:15, etc.). Thus, verse 25 is not a blanket curse on all Jews but shows the responsibility that adheres to “this wicked generation” (Matt 12:45; 16:4).

• The additional order to have Jesus “scourged” was one that frequently preceded a person’s crucifixion. It involved being tied to a post and whipped with knotted leather cords embedded with metal, glass, or rocks, thus severely lacerating the skin and which could by itself be fatal.

• Roman soldiers frequently entertained themselves with games and on this occasion they amuse themselves by dressing Jesus as a king, using a scarlet cloak, crowning Him with thorns, handing him a reed, and mockingly bowing before Him with a salute similar to that which they would give to Caesar. Matthew’s readers would recognize the irony in that Jesus is the true King (cf. Matt 2:2) deserving homage above the emperor.

• Simon of Cyrene, according to Mark 15:21, is “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (cf. Rom 16:13). The city of Cyrene, located in what is now Libya, had a significant Jewish population. Since Jerusalem had a Cyrenian Jewish synagogue, Simon had probably come to celebrate the Passover with his sons. Apparently, following the scourging and loss of blood, Jesus is now too weak to carry the crossbeam of the cross (weighing about thirty to forty pounds) all the way to Golgotha, so the Roman soldiers compel Simon to carry it (cf. Mark 15:21).

• There are two competing locations identified as Golgotha (deriving from the Aramaic word for “skull”) or Calvary (its Latin equivalent, calvaria, Luke 23:33): near the Garden Tomb just outside the Damascus Gate on the north side of Jerusalem (which would fit a trial before Pilate in the Antonia Fortress) or the traditional site at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (which fits better a trial in the Western Palace as previously suggested).

• Archeological evidence also favors the traditional site: (1) in the time of Jesus it was located outside the city wall (cf. Heb 13:12); (2) its location near a stone quarry made it a likely thoroughfare for passersby such as Simon; (3) it had been used as a garden but also began to be used as a cemetery (John 19:41); (4) designs of tombs in the area fit a first-century burial and a “new tomb” (Matt 27:60)—unlike the Garden Tomb, which, nevertheless, is useful for visualizing what Golgotha with a nearby tomb looked like.

• Jesus is offered an alcoholic concoction to relieve the pain. Gall and vinegar are mentioned in Psalm 69:21 as given to David, foreshadowing Jesus’s sufferings on the cross as the Son of David. Once Jesus tastes the wine, though, He refuses it so as not to compromise His spiritual discernment.

• Crucifixion was used systematically in Judea by the Romans to discourage rebellion against their authority. It was horrifically painful because the nails pierced nerves in the hands and feet. But death was slow because there was little bleeding and no immediate damage to vital organs.⁷ Eventually, exhaustion would make it impossible to raise oneself up using the arms and feet, and the person died by asphyxiation.

• An ossuary containing the bones of a crucified man with an iron nail piercing his right foot was discovered in 1968, confirming the gospel account that Jesus was nailed to the cross (John 20:25).

• The charge (“The King of the Jews”), which according to Roman practice was written on a placard and placed above the condemned person’s head, appears in all four Gospels (cf. Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19).

• Jesus is placed in the center (cf. Isa 53:12), where Barabbas would have been as leader of an insurrection.

• Three groups of scoffers are mentioned: (1) passersby who wag their heads (cf. Ps 22:7), repeat the false accusations made against Jesus (cf. Matt 26:60-61), and call on Him to prove He is the Son of God (cf. Matt 4:3, 6)—which He could not do and still save human beings; (2) the chief priests, scribes, and elders who in their mockery ironically speak the truth—“He saved others; Himself He cannot save”— calling Him “the King of Israel” (Matt 27:42); and (3) the two “robbers” (the Greek word could also mean “insurrectionists”) who are said to have reviled Him similarly.

• An eerie, supernatural darkness settles over the scene during what would ordinarily be the brightest time of the day (noon to three p.m.). It could not have resulted from a solar eclipse, which requires a new moon, because Passover occurs when the moon is full.⁸

• Jesus’s “cry” of being forsaken (cf. Ps 22:1) uses a Greek word (anaboaō) that appears only here in the New Testament and signifies “grief or astonishment.”⁹ Jesus takes upon Himself the punishment for sin (Matt 20:28), is forsaken by the Father, and suffers the equivalent of eternal death for all humankind. How the infinite, eternal, immortal God could nevertheless suffer this way is an incomprehensible mystery, but it can be grasped by faith.

• Jesus’s final cry (Gk. krazō), unlike the first, was loud and authoritative. Although what Jesus says is not recorded by Matthew, according to John Jesus says, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), and Luke records Jesus’ last words as, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit’” (Luke 23:46, quoting Ps 31:5). Thus, Jesus voluntarily gives up His life rather than it being taken from Him (John 10:18).

• Jesus’s death is followed by a series of supernatural signs (Matt 27:51–53): the heavy veil between the two apartments of the temple is torn in two by an unseen hand, signifying God’s judgment and that its purpose had come to an end with type meeting antitype; an earthquake splits open the rock-hewn tombs (like those that can be seen today on the Mount of Olives); and many “saints” are resurrected and appear “to many” after Jesus is resurrected.

• Jesus’s death, attended as it was by signs on earth and in the heavens, moves the centurion and others with Him to recognize in some way His divine character as “the Son of God.”

4. Verses 55–66

• At the cross Matthew provides the first clear indication that many of Jesus’s followers were women who ministered to Him, financially (cf. Luke 8:3) and, perhaps, by providing other support (e.g., food). Interestingly, the mother of Jesus is not mentioned (but cf. John 19:25–27), while two other Marys are (cf. Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1).

• Mary Magdalene is mentioned first, recognizing her as the most important of the three. Jesus had delivered her from seven demons (Luke 8:2). She was first to the tomb on Sunday morning, and also the first to report the empty tomb to the other disciples (John 20:1–2). Two mothers were also there: “Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (Matt 27:56).

• While Matthew notes Joseph of Arimathea’s wealth, he was also an important member of the Sanhedrin who was “waiting for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43), “a good and just man,” who “had not consented” to the council’s condemnation of Jesus (Luke 23:50–51). That Matthew indicates he has “become a disciple of Jesus” (Matt 27:57) means he knows the teachings of Jesus and is willing to sacrifice his own reputation for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 16:24–25).¹⁰

• His attending to the body of Jesus is not only in accordance with Jewish piety in providing for an unattended or abandoned corpse; it may also fall to the Jewish court that condemned Jesus to death to ensure His proper burial (Deut 21:22–23; cf. John 19:31).¹¹

• Joseph’s lending his own personal tomb for the burial fulfills the prophecy that Jesus would make His grave “with the rich at His death” (Isa 53:9). Although the eleven disciples are not present, the two Marys note the tomb’s location (Matt 27:61).

• Matthew makes clear that the chief priests and Pharisees meet with Pilate on the Sabbath (v. 62), a questionable activity on this sacred day. The Pharisees apparently recall Jesus’s words about the “sign” of Jonah and correctly interpret it as a claim that He would rise “after three days” (Matt 12:39–40).

• Pilate no doubt recognizes the value of preventing unfounded rumors of a resurrection to spread and cause further commotion among the people, so he gives the leaders a separate charge of Roman soldiers (cf. Matt 28:14) to guard the tomb. A Roman seal would have to be placed over the stone sealing the tomb to prevent tampering (cf. Dan 6:17) and it would have to be guarded round the clock to ensure it would stay secure (cf. Josh 10:18).

Application of the Chapter

Some lessons we may glean from Matthew 27 include:

1. Jesus’s silence in response to unjust accusations provides a model for us of patient trust in God under difficult circumstances (cf. 1 Pet 2:20–23).

2. Judas’s sad end illustrates how Satan works on those who submit to his will: after his purposes are served, he often quickly abandons them to their own fate.

3. The willingness of Israel’s leaders and Pilate to condemn an innocent man to death in order to maintain their respected positions reveals a profound moral blindness and the deceitfulness of the human heart (Jer 17:9; cf. Prov 12:5).

4. The crowd’s readiness to be influenced by the Jewish leaders, without sufficient regard for the moral weight and lasting significance of their decision, cautions against hasty decisions that may “seem right.”

5. That the first witnesses to the empty tomb were women is a reminder that God uses both women and men to proclaim the good news. That two of these women were also mothers deserves to be highlighted in an era when motherhood is often relegated to a lesser role by modern societal norms. The important place Scripture accords to those who raise godly men and women for the kingdom of heaven should not be overlooked.

6. It is impossible for human minds to fully grasp the nature of the suffering Jesus endured in being separated from and forsaken by the Father, an experience unique in the history of the universe.