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Texts -- Matthew 27:1-64 (NET)

Context
Jesus Brought Before Pilate
27:1 When it was early in the morning , all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him . 27:2 They tied him up , led him away , and handed him over to Pilate the governor .
Judas’ Suicide
27:3 Now when Judas , who had betrayed him , saw that Jesus had been condemned , he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders , 27:4 saying , “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood !” But they said , “What is that to us ? You take care of it yourself!” 27:5 So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left . Then he went out and hanged himself . 27:6 The chief priests took the silver and said , “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury , since it is blood money .” 27:7 After consulting together they bought the Potter’s Field with it , as a burial place for foreigners . 27:8 For this reason that field has been called the “Field of Blood ” to this day . 27:9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled : “They took the thirty silver coins , the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel , 27:10 and they gave them for the potter’s field , as the Lord commanded me .”
Jesus and Pilate
27:11 Then Jesus stood before the governor , and the governor asked him , “Are you the king of the Jews ?” Jesus said , “You say so.” 27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders , he did not respond . 27:13 Then Pilate said to him , “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you ?” 27:14 But he did not answer even one accusation , so that the governor was quite amazed . 27:15 During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd , whomever they wanted . 27:16 At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas . 27:17 So after they had assembled , Pilate said to them , “Whom do you want me to release for you , Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ ?” 27:18 (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy .) 27:19 As he was sitting on the judgment seat , his wife sent a message to him : “Have nothing to do with that innocent man ; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today .” 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed . 27:21 The governor asked them , “Which of the two do you want me to release for you ?” And they said , “Barabbas !” 27:22 Pilate said to them , “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ ?” They all said , “Crucify him!” 27:23 He asked , “Why? What wrong has he done ?” But they shouted more insistently , “Crucify him!”
Jesus is Condemned and Mocked
27:24 When Pilate saw that he could do nothing , but that instead a riot was starting , he took some water , washed his hands before the crowd and said , “I am innocent of this man’s blood . You take care of it yourselves !” 27:25 In reply all the people said , “Let his blood be on us and on our children !” 27:26 Then he released Barabbas for them . But after he had Jesus flogged , he handed him over to be crucified . 27:27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole cohort around him . 27:28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him , 27:29 and after braiding a crown of thorns , they put it on his head . They put a staff in his right hand , and kneeling down before him , they mocked him : “Hail , king of the Jews !” 27:30 They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head . 27:31 When they had mocked him , they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him . Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
27:32 As they were going out , they found a man from Cyrene named Simon , whom they forced to carry his cross . 27:33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull ”) 27:34 and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink . But after tasting it, he would not drink it. 27:35 When they had crucified him , they divided his clothes by throwing dice . 27:36 Then they sat down and kept guard over him there . 27:37 Above his head they put the charge against him , which read : “This is Jesus , the king of the Jews .” 27:38 Then two outlaws were crucified with him , one on his right and one on his left . 27:39 Those who passed by defamed him , shaking their heads 27:40 and saying , “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days , save yourself ! If you are God’s Son , come down from the cross !” 27:41 In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law and elders – were mocking him: 27:42 “He saved others , but he cannot cannot save himself ! He is the king of Israel ! If he comes down now from the cross , we will believe in him ! 27:43 He trusts in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said , ‘I am God’s Son ’!” 27:44 The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him .
Jesus’ Death
27:45 Now from noon until three , darkness came over all the land . 27:46 At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice , “Eli , Eli , lema sabachthani ?” that is , “My God , my God , why have you forsaken me ?” 27:47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said , “This man is calling for Elijah .” 27:48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge , filled it with sour wine , put it on a stick , and gave it to him to drink. 27:49 But the rest said , “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him .” 27:50 Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit . 27:51 Just then the temple curtain was torn in two , from top to bottom . The earth shook and the rocks were split apart . 27:52 And tombs were opened , and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised . 27:53 (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.) 27:54 Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place , they were extremely terrified and said , “Truly this one was God’s Son !” 27:55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support were also there , watching from a distance . 27:56 Among them were Mary Magdalene , Mary the mother of James and Joseph , and the mother of the sons of Zebedee .
Jesus’ Burial
27:57 Now when it was evening , there came a rich man from Arimathea , named Joseph , who was also a disciple of Jesus . 27:58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus . Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 27:59 Joseph took the body , wrapped it in a clean linen cloth , 27:60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock . Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away . 27:61 (Now Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there , opposite the tomb .)
The Guard at the Tomb
27:62 The next day (which is after the day of preparation ) the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate 27:63 and said , “Sir , we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said , ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 27:64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day . Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people , ‘He has been raised from the dead ,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first .”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Pilate, Pontius

    [ebd] probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, and called "Pilate" from the Latin pileatus, i.e., "wearing the pileus", which was the "cap or badge of a manumitted slave," as indicating that he was a "freedman," or ...
    [nave] PILATE, PONTIUS Roman governor of Judaea, Matt. 27:2; Luke 3:1. Causes slaughter of certain Galileans, Luke 13:1. Tries Jesus and orders his crucifixion, Matt. 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 18:28-40; 19; Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:2...

  • Prayer

    [isbe] PRAYER - prar (deesis, proseuche, (enteuxis; for an excellent discussion of the meaning of these see Thayer's Lexicon, p. 126, under the word deesis; the chief verbs are euchomai, proseuchomai, and deomai, especially in Luke...
    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • Homicide

    [nave] HOMICIDE. Accidental Ex. 21:13, 28-32; Num. 35:11-15, 22-28, 32 Deut. 4:41-43; 19:1-10. Josh. 20:1-9 Felonious or Murder: Gen. 4:9-11 v. 12.; Gen. 9:5, 6; Gen. 49:7; Ex. 20:13 Deut. 5:17; Rom. 13:9. Ex. 21:29-32; Num. 35...

  • Month

    [nave] MONTH Ancient use of, Gen. 7:11; 8:4. Twelve months reckoned to a year, 1 Chr. 27:1-15. 1. Abib (April). The Jewish calendar began with, Ex. 12:2; 13:4; Deut. 16:1. Passover instituted and celebrated in, Ex. 12:1-28; 23:1...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 4E2

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4E2 - II. From the Last Supper till the Cross. 1. The Chronology: A question of admitted difficulty arises in the comparison of the Synoptics and John as to the dates of the Last Supper and of the crucifixion. ...

  • Jesus, The Christ

    [nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...

  • Prisoners

    [nave] PRISONERS Joseph, Gen. 39:20-23; 40; 41:1-44. Jeremiah, Jer. 38:6-28; 39:14. John the Baptist, Matt. 11:2; 14:3-12; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:20. Jesus, Matt. 26:47-75; 27; Mark 14:43-72; 15; Luke 22:47-71; 23; John 18:3-40; 19. ...

  • PILATE; PONTIUS

    [isbe] PILATE; PONTIUS - pi'-lat, pi'-lat, pon'-shi-us (Pontios Peilatos): 1. Name and Office 2. Pilate's Procuratorship 3. Pilate and Jesus Christ 4. Pilate in Tradition and Legend 5. Character of Pilate LITERATURE 1. Name and Off...

  • Barabbas

    [ebd] i.e., son of Abba or of a father, a notorious robber whom Pilate proposed to condemn to death instead of Jesus, whom he wished to release, in accordance with the Roman custom (John 18:40; Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19). But the Jews...
    [isbe] BARABBAS - ba-rab'-as (Barabbas): For Aramaic Bar-abba = literally, "son of the father," i.e. of the master or teacher. Abba in the time of Jesus was perhaps a title of honor (Mt 23:9), but became later a proper name. The va...
    [nave] BARABBAS, a prisoner released by Pilate, Matt. 27:16-26; Mark 15:7-15; Luke 23:18-25; John 18:40; Acts 3:14.

  • Death

    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • Rulers

    [nave] RULERS Appointed and removed by God. See: Government, God in. Chastised, Dan. 4. See: Nation. Monarchical, See: Kings. Patriarchal, Gen. 27:29, 37. Instances of Nimrod, Gen. 10:8-10. Abraham, Gen. 14:13-24; 17:6; 21:2...

  • Judge

    [nave] JUDGE Appointed by Persians, Ezra 7:25. Kings and other rulers as, 2 Sam. 8:15; 15:2; 1 Kin. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Kin. 8:1-6; Psa. 72:1-4; Matt. 27:11-26; Acts 23:34, 35; 24; 25:11, 12. Priests and Levites as, Deut. 17:9; 2 Ch...

  • JUDAS ISCARIOT

    [isbe] JUDAS ISCARIOT - is-kar'-i-ot (Ioudas Iskariotes, i.e. 'ish qeriyoth, "Judas, man of Kerioth"): One of the twelve apostles and the betrayer of Jesus; for etymology, etc., see JUDAS. I. Life. Judas was, as his second name ind...
    [smith] (Judas of Kerioth). He is sometimes called "the son of Simon," (John 6:71; 13:2,26) but more commonly ISCARIOTES. (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16) etc. The name Iscariot has received many interpretations more of less conj...

  • Persecution

    [nave] PERSECUTION See also Intolerance; Bigotry. Of Jesus Gen. 3:15; Psa. 2:1-5; Psa. 22:1, 2, 6-8, 11-21; Psa. 69:7-9, 20, 21, 26 vs. 1-21.; Psa. 109:25; Isa. 49:7; Isa. 50:6; Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:2-5, 7-10; Mic. 5:1; Matt. 2:13...

  • Soldiers

    [nave] SOLDIERS Military enrollment of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, Num. 1; 2; in the plains of Moab, Num. 26. Levies of, in the ratio of one man to ten subject to duty, Judg. 20:10. Dressed in scarlet, Nah. 2:3. Cowards e...

  • Demagogism

    [nave] DEMAGOGISM. Instances of Absalom, 2 Sam. 15:2-6. Pilate, Matt. 27:17-26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:13-24; John 18:38-40; 19:6-13. Felix, Acts 24:27. Herod, Acts 12:3.

  • Mocking

    [nave] MOCKING Ishmael mocks Sarah, Gen. 21:9. Elijah mocks the priests of Baal, 1 Kin. 18:27. Zedekiah mocks Micaiah, 1 Kin. 22:24. Children mock Elisha, 2 Kin. 2:23. The tormentors of Job mock, Job 15:12; 30:1. The persecuto...

  • Complicity

    [nave] COMPLICITY. Psa. 50:18; Prov. 29:24; Rom. 1:32; 2 John 10, 11 Instances of The daughter of Herodias, in asking for the head of John the Baptist, Matt. 14:8; Mark 6:25. Pilate, in the death of Jesus, Matt. 27:17-26; Mark ...

  • Court

    [nave] COURT. Ecclesiastical 1 Chr. 26:29-32; 2 Chr. 19:8-11; Matt. 18:15-18; John 20:23 See: Church, Rules of Discipline in, Mosaic and Christian. Civil Held at the tabernacle, Num. 27:2; the gates of cities, Deut. 21:19; 22:1...

  • Judas

    [ebd] the Graecized form of Judah. (1.) The patriarch (Matt. 1:2, 3). (2.) Son of Simon (John 6:71; 13:2, 26), surnamed Iscariot, i.e., a man of Kerioth (Josh. 15:25). His name is uniformly the last in the list of the apostles, as...
    [nave] JUDAS 1. Surnamed Iscariot. Chosen as an apostle, Matt. 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:17. Treasurer of the disciples, John 12:6; 13:29. His covetousness exemplified by his protest against the breaking of the box of oi...
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Arts

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Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Di Malam Yang Gelap [KJ.195] ( Low in the Grave He Lay )
  • Jurus'lamat Dunia [KJ.165]
  • Meski Dijaga KuburNya [KJ.192]
  • Yesus, Tuhanku, Apakah Dosaku [KJ.167]
  • [Mat 27:22] What Will You Do With Jesus? (1)
  • [Mat 27:22] What Will You Do With Jesus? (2)
  • [Mat 27:29] O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
  • [Mat 27:39] O Come And Mourn With Me
  • [Mat 27:45] O Darkest Woe
  • [Mat 27:45] Throned Upon The Awful Tree
  • [Mat 27:51] Hark! The Voice Of Love And Mercy
  • [Mat 27:51] Unveiled Christ, The
  • [Mat 27:63] Now The Green Blade Rises
  • [Mat 27:64] Sealed Was The Tomb

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Sharing the Message of the Cross; Sharing the Message of the Cross; Order of the Events of the Crucifixion; Wealthy People in the New Testament; Accounts of People Raised from the Dead; Jesus Is King; The Trials of Jesus; Promise of a Resurrection; Trials; Triumphal Entry; The Roman Army; Seven Suicides in the Bible; The Structure of the Tabernacle; Luke 23:45; Luke 6:46-49; Repeating Names; Matthew 21:9; Revelation 12:11

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Jews called their first month Abib (v. 2). After the Babylonian captivity they renamed it Nisan (Neh. 2:1; Esth. 3:7). It corresponds to our March-April. Abib means "ear-month"referring to the month when the grain was in ...
  • The veil and curtains were alike in design and construction. The veil hung to act as a wall separating the holy and most holy places into two rooms.461The Book of Hebrews used the veil in the temple, which replaced this one i...
  • Keil and Delitzsch pointed out that ancient Near Easterners offered certain offerings before God incorporated these into the Mosaic Law. Moses previously mentioned burnt offerings in Genesis 12:7; 13:4, 18; 22; 26:25; 33:20; ...
  • By reminding Job of God's integrity Bildad hoped to appeal to his friend to repent. Bildad assured him that if he did God would restore him."Bildad's assertion that God will not reject a blameless man(20a) makes him the precu...
  • The messianic psalms are perhaps the most commonly known type. They predict the coming of a messiah. Franz Delitzsch broke these psalms down into five kinds. The first is the purely prophetic, which predicts that a future Dav...
  • 22:1-2 Again David felt frustrated by God's lack of response to his cries (cf. 13:1-4). God would not answer David regardless of when he prayed. The Lord Jesus quoted David's words as He hung on the cross (Matt. 27:46; Mark 1...
  • The pattern of David's thoughts in this section is very similar to that expressed in verses 1-5. It is a second cycle of the same lament and confidence expressed there.22:6-8 By comparing himself to a worm David was expressin...
  • 22:16 David compared his enemies to wild dogs that had him surrounded and were waiting to finish him off. Already he felt as though they had begun to tear him apart by biting his extremities, his hands and feet. Years later t...
  • 69:13-15 David wanted deliverance from a premature death and a word from the Lord that would enable him to know what to do.69:16-18 The king based his petition on the loyal love and compassion of God. He asked God to redeem h...
  • 31:2 The unusual address, "What, O my son?"is "affectionately reproachful."210She was getting his attention and appealed to him strongly to give heed to her words for two reasons. She had borne him, and he had some connection...
  • "The first [biographical Servant] Song was a word from the Lord to the world about his Servant: Your plight is known, my Servant will deal with it' [42:1-4]; but the second [autobiographical] Song is the Servant's testimony h...
  • This is the third Servant Song (cf. 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 52:13-53:12). Like the second song, this one is autobiographical, but unlike the first and second songs it contains no reference to the Servant. That it is the Servant who i...
  • Isaiah continued the sheep metaphor but applied it to the Servant to contrast sinful people and their innocent substitute. Here it is not the sheep's tendency to get lost but its nondefensive nature that is the characteristic...
  • 9:10 The Lord took up a lamentation on behalf of the land that suffered because of His people's sin. The coming invasion would leave the land deserted even by beasts and birds. The rest of this message indicates that the inva...
  • 38:1-3 Four prominent men in Jerusalem heard Jeremiah preaching that anyone who remained in Jerusalem would die but those who surrendered to the Chaldeans would live. He prophesied, apparently at this time from the court of t...
  • The book is the second to the last of the Minor Prophets in the second (Prophets) division of the Hebrew Bible. Neither Jews nor Christians seriously challenged its canonicity. One reason for this is the fact that the New Tes...
  • The reason for the devastation of the people and the land just described now becomes apparent. It is the people's rejection of the messianic Shepherd-King (cf. Isa. 42; 49; 50; 53). The Lord would graciously give His people a...
  • Dating Matthew's Gospel is difficult for many reasons even if one believes in Matthean priority. The first extra-biblical reference to it occurs in the writings of Ignatius (c. 110-115 A.D.).14However Matthew's references to ...
  • Several church fathers (i.e., Irenaeus, Origen, and Eusebius) stated what we might suppose from the distinctively Jewish emphases of this book, namely that Matthew wrote his Gospel primarily for his fellow Jews.21He wrote, un...
  • Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
  • I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
  • Matthew began his Gospel with a record of Jesus' genealogy because the Christians claimed that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. To qualify as such He had to be a Jew from the royal line of David (Isa. 9:6-...
  • The first sentence in this pericope (section) serves as a title for the section, as the sentence in verse 1 did for 1:1-17. Matthew recorded the supernatural birth of Jesus to demonstrate further His qualification as Israel's...
  • 2:1-2 When did the Magi visit Jesus in Bethlehem?74There are several factors that point to a time about a year after Jesus' birth. First, Matthew described Jesus as a "child"(Gr. paidion, v. 11), not an "infant"(Gr. brephos, ...
  • Matthew continued to stress God's predictions about and His protection of His Messiah to help his readers recognize Jesus as the promised King.2:13 For the second time in two chapters we read that an angel from the Lord appea...
  • It was common when Jesus lived for forerunners to precede important individuals to prepare the way for their arrival. For example, when a king would visit a town in his realm his emissaries would go before him to announce his...
  • Jesus' genealogy and virgin birth prove His legal human qualification as Israel's King. His baptism was the occasion of His divine approval. His temptation demonstrated His moral fitness to reign. The natural question a thoug...
  • Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
  • One indication of Israel's opposition to her King was the antagonism she displayed toward John and Jesus' methods (vv. 2-19). Another was her indifference to Jesus' message. Jesus and His disciples had preached and healed thr...
  • Jesus proceeded to do a second miracle to deepen His disciples' faith in Him even more.14:22 As soon as the people had finished eating, Jesus "immediately compelled"(Gr. eutheos enagkasen) His disciples to enter a boat and to...
  • 16:13 The district of Caesarea Philippi lay 25 miles north of Galilee. Its inhabitants were mainly Gentiles. Herod Philip II, the tetrarch of the region, had enlarged a smaller town on the site at the foot of Mt. Hermon.619He...
  • Jesus proceeded to clarify the way of discipleship. In view of Jesus' death His disciples, as well as He, would have to die to self. However, they could rejoice in the assurance that the kingdom would come eventually. Glory w...
  • The exorcism of an epileptic boy67817:14-21 (cf. Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43a)
    "The contrast between the glory of the Transfiguration and Jesus' disciples' tawdry unbelief (see v. 17) is part of the mounting tension that magnifies Jesus' uniqueness as he moves closer to his passion and resurrection."679...
  • There is a theological connection between this section and the former one. The death of Jesus provided the basis for God's gracious dealings with believers in His Son. This connection is clear to Matthew's readers because Mat...
  • Jesus came to Jerusalem to present Himself formally to the leaders of Israel as the nation's Messiah. He did this when He entered Jerusalem as Isaiah and Zechariah predicted Messiah would appear."Jesus entered Jerusalem for t...
  • The key phrase in Matthew's Gospel "And it came about that when Jesus had finished"(26:1) indicates another major transition (cf. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1). As usual, it occurs at the end of a major address. In this case it in...
  • Here the word "then"probably identifies a logical connection with what preceded.977Evidently Judas made these plans the same day that Jesus predicted His crucifixion in two days, namely on Wednesday (vv. 1-5). None of the eva...
  • Matthew stressed Jesus' righteousness for his readers by highlighting the injustice of His trials."The breaches in law are so numerous as to be unbelievable . . ."1026". . . even the ordinary legal rules were disregarded in t...
  • 27:3 Judas evidently felt remorse because he realized that he had condemned an innocent man to death. His remorse (Gr. metamelomai) resulted in a kind of repentance (Gr. metanoeo), but it was not complete enough. The first of...
  • Pilate was a cruel ruler who made little attempt to understand the Jews whom he hated.1047He had treated them unfairly and brutally on many occasions, but recently Caesar had rebuked him severely.1048This probably accounts fo...
  • 27:27 The soldiers in view were probably Pilate's troops. The Praetorium or courtyard may refer to the one in Herod's palace near the Jaffa Gate or more probably the one in the Antonia Fortress.1059All the soldiers of the coh...
  • Matthew's emphasis in his account of Jesus' crucifixion was on the mocking of the onlookers.27:32 Jesus was able to carry the crosspiece of His cross until He passed through the city gate (cf. Mark 15:21 John 19:17). Normally...
  • 27:45 That "land"(Gr. ge) was abnormally dark from noon until 3:00 p.m. Matthew's use of geprobably indicates Israel. Darkness in Scripture often represents judgment and or tragedy (cf. Exod. 10:21-22; Amos 8:9-10). Matthew's...
  • 27:51a The inner veil of the temple is undoubtedly in view here, the one separating the holy place from the holy of holies (cf. Heb. 4:16; 6:19-20; 9:11-28; 10:19-22). The tearing happened at 3:00 p.m., the time of the evenin...
  • Normally the Romans let the bodies of crucified criminals rot on their crosses without burial. If family members wanted to bury a crucified loved one, they had to apply for permission to do so. The Romans usually granted thes...
  • Matthew's Gospel is the only one that includes this pericope. It is a witness to the falsehood of the chief priests and elders' claim that someone stole Jesus' body (28:11-15).27:62 The day to which Matthew referred was the S...
  • 28:1 The NASB translation of the Greek preposition opseas "late"is misleading. The word can also mean "after,"and it makes better sense if translated as such here.1082The women waited until after the Sabbath to go to Jesus' t...
  • 28:11 Some of the guards left the others at the tomb and reported the earthquake, the angel, and the empty tomb to the chief priests.28:12-14 The action of these Sanhedrin members proves that their promise to believe in Jesus...
  • Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
  • The account of the calling of these first disciples clarifies that to repent and believe the gospel (v. 15) should result in abandoning one's former life to follow Jesus from then on. This is the appropriate response that Mar...
  • Jesus' sufferings until now had been anticipatory. Now He began to experience pain resulting from His trials and crucifixion. As the faithful Servant of the Lord who came to do His Father's will, His sufferings continued to i...
  • 15:2 Pilate had absolute authority over Jesus' fate under Roman law. Customarily trials such as this one took place in public.375First, the plaintiffs or accusers made their charges against the defendant. Then the prosecutor,...
  • Mark's brief account of Jesus' arraignment and sentencing concentrates on Pilate's offer to release Jesus or Barabbas.15:6 Evidently this custom served to improve relations between the Roman ruler and his subjects. Dictatoria...
  • 15:16 Praetorium is a Latin loan word that describes a Roman governor's official residence (cf. Matt. 27:27; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35). The Roman soldiers escorted Jesus to the courtyard (Gr. aule, cf. vv. 54, 66) of ...
  • 15:21 Probably only Mark mentioned Simon's sons because the Christians in Rome knew them or knew of them (cf. Rom. 16:13). Evidently Simon became a believer in Jesus. Mark mentioned very few people by name other than the Twel...
  • Mark's account of Jesus' death included five climactic events: the darkness, two of Jesus' cries, the tearing of the temple veil, and the Roman centurion's confession. All of these events happened during the last three of the...
  • 16:1 The Sabbath ended with sundown Saturday evening. The women did not come to the tomb until Sunday morning (v. 2, cf. Matt. 28:1). Why did Mark refer to the Sabbath at all? Probably he did so to clarify that Jesus had been...
  • Luke alone recorded this aspect of Jesus' Roman trial. He probably did so because Herod Antipas found no basis for condemning Jesus either. Thus Luke cited two official witnesses to Jesus' innocence for his readers' benefit (...
  • The overall impression that Luke presented with this part of his narrative is that Jesus' condemnation was a terrible travesty of justice. Pilate condemned an innocent man. This decision comes across as specially heinous sinc...
  • Luke omitted reference to the Roman soldiers' mockery and flogging of Jesus (Matt. 27:27-30; Mark 15:16-19). Perhaps he wanted to connect the Jews' call for Jesus' crucifixion and the crucifixion itself as closely as he could...
  • 23:33 Luke alone called the site of Jesus' crucifixion "the place called the skull"(Gr. kranion) rather than referring to it by its Aramaic name, Golgotha, and then translating it. This was undoubtedly an accommodation to his...
  • This is another incident that only Luke recorded. It reflects his interest in needy people receiving salvation from Jesus. This is such a dominent theme in Luke's Gospel that one commentator concluded that this incident is th...
  • This pericope is primarily transitional bridging the stories of Jesus' death and resurrection. It confirms the reality of Jesus' death. However, Luke included more information about Joseph of Arimathea (location unknown) than...
  • Luke's account of the events following Jesus' resurrection stresses the reality of that event and the reactions of the witnesses to it. All these people felt depressed because of Jesus' death, but when they learned of His res...
  • The Synoptics record Jesus' cleansing of the temple after His triumphal entry (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-16; Luke 19:45-46). Only John noted this cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The differences b...
  • 16:25 "These things I have spoken unto you"(NASB) indicates another transition in the discourse (cf. 14:25; 16:1, 4, 33; 17:1). Jesus acknowledged that He had not been giving direct answers to His disciples' questions. He had...
  • John began his version of this civil trial by narrating the initial public meeting of Pilate and Jesus' accusers.54318:28 "They"(NASB) refers to all the Jewish authorities (cf. Matt. 27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1). They led Je...
  • Having heard the Jews' charges, Pilate returned to the inside of his headquarters and began interrogating Jesus. His questioning centered on the issue of Jesus' kingship.18:33 The Jews' accusations motivated Pilate's question...
  • John condensed the scene in which Pilate declared Jesus innocent, the Jews accused Jesus further, Jesus replied nothing, and Pilate marvelled at Jesus' silence (Matt. 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:4-6). He simply related Pil...
  • There is quite a bit of unique material in this pericope. This includes the details of the Roman soldiers' abuse of Jesus (vv. 1-5) and the situation that Pilate's learning that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God instigated (...
  • John omitted the detail that Simon carried Jesus' cross (Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26), which might have detracted from John's presentation of Jesus as the divine Savior. He also made no reference to Jesus' sufferings ...
  • The horrors and shame of crucifixion are difficult for people who have grown up hearing pleas against "cruel and unusual punishment"to appreciate. It was a deliberately long and painful form of death that humiliated the suffe...
  • John is the only evangelist who recorded this incident.19:25 The four women standing nearby contrast with the four soldiers.593While the soldiers behaved callously and profited immediately from Jesus' death, the women waited ...
  • John did not mention the darkness that came over the land as the other evangelists did (cf. Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45). This is noteworthy in view of John's interest in the light and darkness motif. Perhaps he di...
  • 19:38 All four evangelists mentioned Joseph of Arimathea but only with Jesus' burial. The Synoptics tell us that he was a godfearing rich member of the Sanhedrin who was a follower of Jesus and who had not voted to condemn Je...
  • 1:15 In view of Peter's leadership gifts, so obvious in the Gospels, it is no surprise that he is the one who took the initiative on this occasion."Undoubtedly, the key disciple in Luke's writings is Peter. He was the represe...
  • 2:37 The Holy Spirit used Peter's sermon to bring conviction, as Jesus had predicted (John 16:8-11). He convicted Peter's hearers of the truth of what he said and of their guilt in rejecting Jesus. Their question arose from t...
  • The popularity and effectiveness of the apostles riled the Sadducees just as Jesus' popularity and effectiveness had earlier.5:17-18 The high priest "rose up"(Gr. anastas, cf. v. 34) taking official action as leader of the Sa...
  • 10:1 Caesarea stood on the Mediterranean coast about 30 miles north of Joppa. Formerly its name was Strato's Tower, but Herod the Great renamed it in honor of Augustus Caesar, his patron and the adopted heir of Julius Caesar....
  • 18:12 An inscription found at Delphi in Central Greece has enabled scholars to date the beginning of Gallio's term as proconsul to July 1, 51 A.D.740Gallio was a remarkable Roman citizen from Spain. His brother, the Stoic phi...
  • 22:23-24 Claudius Lysias could not understand why the Jews reacted as they did. If he did not understand Aramaic, his confusion would have been even greater. He could not tolerate a riot, so he decided to get the truth from P...
  • "The irregular structure of Luke's account of Paul's defense before the Sanhedrin evidently reflects the tumultuous character of the session itself. Three matters pertaining to Luke's apologetic purpose come to the fore: (1) ...
  • A. A loyal group of women accompanied Jesus and served Him on His ministry tours (Luke 8:1-3; Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:41).B. In contrast to normal custom and rabbinic standards, Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman and revealed to...
  • The writer began with a three-fold admonition, which is all one sentence in the Greek text. The long sentence intensifies the writer's appeal.306"In view of all that has been accomplished for us by Christ, he says, let us con...
  • Peter now reminded his readers of the consequences of Jesus' response to unjustified persecution. He did so to strengthen their resolve to rededicate themselves to follow God's will wholeheartedly and confidently. He also wan...
  • 4:15-16 However, we should not take comfort in suffering that we bring on ourselves for sinning, only suffering that we experience because we take a stand with Jesus Christ (cf. 2:20). Peter felt ashamed when he denied the Lo...
  • This time the trumpet blast announced judgment on a third of the heavenly bodies. Darkness is a common symbol of judgment in the Old Testament, and the day of the Lord was to be a time of darkness (Amos 5:18; cf. Isa. 13:10; ...
  • 11:11 The breath of life from God will revive the witnesses' dead bodies (cf. Gen. 6:17; 7:15, 22; 2 Kings 13:20-21; Ezek. 37:5, 10). Their resurrections will terrify onlookers because these God-haters could do no more to sil...
  • 16:10 The darkening of the (first) beast's throne appears to be literal; light will diminish (cf. Exod. 10:21-23; Isa. 60:2; Joel 2:1-2, 31; Mark 13:24). Another possibility is that this may be a figurative darkening in which...
  • 17:3 The angel carried John away in the Spirit to a wilderness area (cf. 1:10; 4:1; 21:10). This wilderness may refer to the desert near literal Babylon,558or it may anticipate the desolate condition of the harlot.559There he...
  • ". . . it is not difficult to see why the early church understood John to be teaching a millennium in Revelation 20. Three arguments support this interpretation: (1) the teaching of two resurrections, (2) the binding of Satan...
  • 21:2 In the same vision, John next saw a city descending out of heaven from God (cf. v. 10; 3:12; Heb. 11:13-16). It was holy in contrast to the former Jerusalem (cf. 11:8; Isa. 52:1; Matt. 4:5; 27:53). As the old Jerusalem w...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Matthew 9-28
  • I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. 24. I am innocent of the blood of this just Person: see ye to it.'--Matt. 27:4-24.So, what the priests said to Jud...
  • And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked Him. saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 12. And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. 1...
  • And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull. 34. They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink. 35. And they crucified Him, a...
  • Conder's suggestion of the site of Calvary as a little knoll outside the city, seems possible. It is now a low, bare hillock, with a scanty skin of vegetation over the rock, and in its rounded shape and bony rockiness explain...
  • And sitting down they watched Him there.'--Matt. 27:36.OUR thoughts are, rightly, so absorbed by the central Figure in this great chapter that we pass by almost unnoticed the groups round the cross. And yet there are large le...
  • The chief priests mocking Him, said, 42. He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if ...
  • Behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.' Matt. 27:51.As I suppose we are all aware, the Jewish Temple was divided into three parts: the Outer Court, open to all; the Holy Place, to which t...
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