Matthew 27:1
Outline:
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King
III. \\#8:1-11:1\\ The Power of the King
IV. \\#Matthew 11:2-14:13\\ Decisions Concerning the King
V. \\#Matt 14:13-16:12\\ Training the Disciples
VI. \\#Matt 16:13-20\\ Decision by the Disciples
VII. \\#Matthew 16:21-20:28\\ Final Instructions of the King
VIII. \\#Matt 21:1-28:15\\ The Holy Week
A. \\#Matt 21:1-11\\ Sunday, Nisan 10-One week before
the resurrection
B. \\#Matt 21:12-17\\ Monday, Nisan 11
C. \\#Matt 21:18-26:16\\ Tuesday, Nisan 12
D. \\#Matt 26:17-75\\Wednesday, Nisan 13
E. \\#Matt 27:1-61\\ Thursday, Nisan 14 (Passover)
1. \\#Matt 27:1\\ Jesus’ Jewish interrogations
(a) \\#John 8:13, 19-23\\ Jesus before Annas
(b) \\#Mk 14:53-65\\ Jesus before Caiaphas
(c) \\#Matt 27:1\\ Jesus before the Sanhedrin
2. \\#Matt 27:2-26\\ Jesus’ Gentile interrogations
(a) Jesus before Pilate \\#Mt 27:2, 11-15\\
(b) Jesus before Herod \\#Lk 23:8-12\\
(c) Jesus before Pilate (again) \\#Mt 27:15-26\\
(c) Jesus before the Jews \\#Mt 27:15-25\\
3. \\#Matt 27:27-49\\ The crucifixion
4. \\#Matt 27:50-61\\ Jesus’ death and burial
F. \\#Matt 27:62-66\\ Friday, Nisan 15 (First day of
Unleavened Bread)
G. \\#Matt 28:1-15\\ Sunday, Nisan 17 (Resurrection and
Feast of First Fruits)
I. \\#Matt 27:1-61\\ Thursday, Nisan 14 (Passover)
A. \\#Matt 27:1\\ Jewish Trials (continued)
1. Jesus before Annas-Not recorded in Matthew.
\\#Joh 18:13\\
2. \\#Matt 26:57-68\\ Jesus before Caiaphas
3. \\#Matt 27:1\\ Jesus before the Sanhedrin
a. "When the morning was come"-\\John 18:30\\ told us
that it was dark when Judas went out form the Last
Supper, so officially the day had changed to the
Jewish Thursday either during or perhaps even
before that meal. However, with the dawn of a new
day, there is no question of the change in the
weekday.
b. "all the chief priests and elders… took counsel"
The illegal, overnight interrogations of the High
Priest lead to the official pronouncement of guilt
by the Sanhedrin.
(1) \\#Mark 15:1, Luke 22:66-71\\ also mention
their verdict.
(2) Luke tells us that the Sanhedrin did question
Jesus, but the amount of space dedicated by
the gospel writers to their questioning
indicates that it may have been a brief
interrogation, and Matthew makes it clear that
their verdict was a forgone conclusion.
B. \\#Matt 27:2-26\\ Gentile Trials
1. \\#Matt 27:2, 11-26\\ Jesus’ First Appearance before
Pilate
a. Jesus was brought before Pilate not once but twice,
although Matthew does not distinguish between the
two interrogations, running the two events together.
(1) \\#Mark 15:1-21\\ Mark and John \\#John 18:28-38\\
do likewise.
(2) However, Luke makes it clear that Pilate
questioned Jesus at two separate appearings.
(a) \\#Luke 23:1-7\\ Jesus before Pilate
(b) \\#Luke 23:8-12\\ Jesus before Herod
(c) \\#Luke 23:13-25\\ Jesus before Pilate again
b. \\#John 18:28\\ Adds the detail that the Jews brought
Jesus to Pilate "and it was early," again indicating
that Jesus’ time before the Sanhedrin was brief.
c. \\#Matt 27:3-10, Acts 1:18-19\\ record what became of
Judas after betraying Jesus.
(1) It is interesting that Matthew is the only gospel
writer to record Judas’ "remorse" in the
gospels, although Luke is credited with writing
the book of Acts and records it there.
(2) \\#Matt 27:3\\ Judas’ Repentance
(a) "Then Judas"-The fact that Matthew records
the event here might indicate that Judas
repented of his wickedness and determined
his physical demise even before Jesus was
crucified.
(b) "when he saw that he was condemned, repented
himself"
i. The word "condemned" means worthy of
punishment. Judas came to see that
what he did was wrong and that he was
worthy of death, so he chose to carry
out the penalty himself.
ii. What of his repentance?
aa. Jesus made it clear that Judas had
never repented before God
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that
believe not. For Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were that believed not,
and who should betray him.
John 6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I
chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of
Simon: for he it was that should betray him,
being one of the twelve.
Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world,
I kept them in thy name: those that thou
gavest me I have kept, and none of them is
lost, but the son of perdition; that the
scripture might be fulfilled.
bb. The type of repentance that Judas
displayed at this point is noted
to be "with himself." He did not
turn to do what God deemed right,
but what he deemed right.
cc. So Judas determines that what he
had done was wrong and sets about
to justify himself by his own
works.
(3) \\Matt 27:4-5\\ Judas’ Justification
(a) \\#4\\ "I have sinned…."-Judas
confessed his faults to others but there is
no record that he confessed them to God.
i. Notice that in his confession, Judas
acknowledges that Jesus was an
"innocent" Man. That is, Judas knew
that Jesus had done nothing worthy of
death.
ii. That was a good confession but not a
confession the confession that Jesus
was and is God and Savior.
(b) \\#5\\ "he cast down the pieces of silver
in the temple"
i. He returned his ill-gotten money.
ii. Judas may have betrayed Jesus but he
was still a moral man, better than
many his peers. He would not keep
that which, in a moment of wickedness,
he has gotten.
(c) "and hanged himself"
i. Knowing he was worthy of death but that
no court would convict him, Judas
executed himself.
ii. How much better Judas would have been if
had repented toward God and been saved!
iii. \\#Acts 1:18\\ However, as it is with
many suicide attempts which are hasty
in design, Judas’ hanging did not go as
he had planned.
aa. Jerusalem is built on high hills
with steep ledges.
bb. Probably to make certain that he
could not change his mind, Judas
hanged himself off one of those
ledges.
cc. But once hung, the rope broke and
Judas fell head first to the
ground, busting open.
dd. It is possible that Judas fell
while yet alive and it is also
possible that no found his
hanging body until it fell and
burst apart.
(4) \\#Matt 27:6-10\\ The pompous religious leaders.
(a) The Jewish leaders would not return the
blood money which they had taken out of
the temple treasury to it again. While
they deemed it proper to pay for death out
of the treasury, they considered it
improper to place money used for death
into the treasury.
(b) So they bought the very field where Judas
hanged himself and fell, "the field of
blood" as it came to be called
\\#Matt 27:8, Acts 1:19\\, in which to
bury the unclaimed dead.
i. \\#Matt 27:9\\ This field was at one
time used to dump the broken and
rejected works of the potters.
ii. The fact that it was used to bury
"strangers" would make one think that
no one claimed Judas’ body either.
iii. \\#Matt 27:9, 26:15\\ The price for
Judas’ betrayal was reconfirmed, 30
pieces of silver.
iv. That amount was prophesied in
\\#Zech 11:12\\.
v. Why does Matthew say it "was spoken
by Jeremy the prophet"?
aa. The best answer is that Zechariah
was in the section of the Jewish
Old Testament called the
prophets, the first book in that
section being Jeremiah, so that
sometimes, a quote from any of
that section might be referred
to as by Jeremiah.
bb. While I do not particularly like
this explanation, it does appear
to be the best given so far.
cc. Again, I am content to wait for a
better answer.
d. Again Matthew and Mark mirror each other, starting
with Pilate asking Jesus if He were the "King of the
Jews," but both John and Luke start the episode with
Pilate asking the Jews what the charges against
Jesus were.
(1) \\#Luke 23:2\\ records the charge as being a
traitor to Rome. Apparently the charge was that
Jesus was leading a revolt, declaring Himself to
be the Jewish King. The Jews knew that to get
the death penalty from Rome, the crime needed
to be against Rome and that it should be
substantial.
(2) \\#John 18:29-31\\ John reveals that the Jews
probably started with a more arrogant approach.
(a) Most likely, their first answer to Pilate
was that if Jesus were not a criminal,
they would not have brought Him to Pilate.
(b) In \\#John 18:31\\, Pilate was about to
send them away, telling them to use their
limited power to judge Jesus, for the Jews
did not have the right to execute a
prisoner.
(c) \\#Luke 23:1-5\\ Most probably, that is when
the Jews changed their approach to that
which is recorded in Luke, accusing Jesus
of subverting and plotting against Rome.
(3) Both Matthew and Mark record Pilate’s doubt at
the Jew’s reasons.
Mt 27:18 For he knew that for envy they had
delivered him.
Mr 15:10 For he knew that the chief priests
had delivered him for envy.
e. \\#Matt 27:2, 11-13\\ So Pilate asked Jesus concerning
the Jewish charge, "Art thou the King of the Jews?"
(1) \\#Matt 27:11-12\\ To which Jesus had little to
say and eventually quit answering all together.
(2) \\#John 18:33-38\\ records more details of the
answers Jesus did give. This helps us to
understand that Jesus was not disrespectful to
Pilate but rather that He knew there was no
reason to answer the Jewish allegations against
Him.
(3) Jesus has two brief discussions with Pilate.
(a) \\#John 18:33-37\\ Jesus explains to Pilate
that His kingdom is not one of this world
and that His servants will not fight.
(b) \\#John 18:38\\ Jesus very briefly bears
witness of why He has come into to the
world, namely, to bring truth. What a
shame that Pilate did not talk more with
Jesus about that issue.
(4) The Jews did not enter the Hall of Judgment
because they wanted to stay pure to eat the
Passover \\#John 18:28\\. After Pilate gave a
short interrogation, it is possible that Jesus
quit answering his questions
\\#Matt 27:12, Mk 15:3\\ (although I think that
Jesus did not stop answering his questions until
His second appearance before Pilate) or perhaps
Pilate was satisfied that Jesus was no criminal.
For whatever the reason, Pilate returned to the
accusers to deliver his first and only verdict,
"I find no fault in him."
\\#John 18:38, Luke 23:4\\.
(5) \\#Matt 27:13-14\\ Jesus’ refusal to answer all
of Pilate’s questions, that is, to make any kind
of defense for Himself, perplexed Pilate for it
seemed to Pilate as Jesus did not know the reach
of his powers to execute or free Him. Yet, it
was actually Pilate who did not understand the
powers of Jesus to either execute wrath or
mercy upon him! \\#Mark 15:5\\
2. \\#Luke 23:6-12\\ Jesus appears before King Herod.
a. Luke is the only gospel writer to reveal that Pilate
sent Jesus to King Herod to be tried.
b. This would have been Herod Antipas, son of Herod the
Great who was king when Jesus was born. This man
will be the Herod who refurbishes the temple,
imprisons and kills John the Baptist
\\#Matt 14:1-11\\, and whose death is recorded in
\\#Acts 12:20-25\\.
c. \\#Luke 23:7\\ Herod’s rule was both north (Galilee)
and west (Perea) of Jerusalem, but he had come to
Jerusalem to visit for some reason.
d. There must have been something about Jesus which made
Pilate feel uncomfortable from the beginning for
\\#Luke 23:12\\ makes it clear that there was strife
between Pilate and Herod so for Pilate to consider
sending Jesus to Herod would not have been a natural
thought for Pilate. For some reason, it appears that
Pilate did not want to sit in judgment upon this Man.
e. Although Herod had wanted to see Jesus perform some
miracle, Jesus would not respond to a single question
or statement of Herod \\#Luke 23:9\\, probably
because Herod had been privileged to hear so much
about the King and kingdom from John the Baptist,
only to turn from it and kill John.
f. \\#Luke 23:10\\ It would have been interesting to
watch the religious leaders following Jesus about
from court to court to make their accusations,
although it is doubtful that they had far to go.
g. \\#Luke 23:11\\ Jesus has been beaten by the Jews
during their interrogations \\#Mt 26:67-68\\
\\#Mk 14:65, Lk 22:63-65, John 18:22-23\\. Now the
Gentiles add their insults to Jesus, mocking Him by
dressing Jesus as a king \\#Luke 23:11\\.
h. For whatever the reason, Herod grows tired of dealing
with Jesus and sends Him back to Pilate.
3. \\#Matt 27:15-26\\ Jesus before Pilate the second time.
a. Matthew, \\#Mark 15:6-14, John 18:39-19:6\\ start with
Pilate’s attempt to release Jesus as the annual
"gift" to the Jews.
b. \\#Luke 23:13-15\\ records Pilate’s affirmation of his
previous verdict \\#John 18:38, Lk 23:4\\ of Jesus.
He states that neither he nor Herod have found any
reason to kill Jesus. This is Pilate’s second
declaration of Jesus’ innocence.
c. \\#Luke 23:16\\ However, it is likely Luke who records
Pilate’s first attempt to release Jesus, by offering
to have Jesus beaten and then released.
(1) From the onset, it is apparent that Pilate did
not feel comfortable with Jesus as he sent Jesus
to Herod for judgment.
(2) Here, Pilate offered to chastise and then release
Jesus, hoping that would satisfy the blood-lust
of the religious leaders.
(a) This is the wicked man’s attempt to do
right.
(b) Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of the
charge, but still he offered to beat Jesus.
(c) The only right course of action would have
been to have released the innocent Man and
to protected Him.
d. \\#Matt 27:15-19\\ His first attempt to release Jesus
failing, Pilate tried to release Jesus as the
Passover gift to the Jews. (The most predominant
"feast" \\#Matt 27:15\\ was the Passover.)
(1) Apparently, as a gesture to the Jews, Pilate
would release some Jewish prisoner, probably a
political prisoner arrested for stirring up a
riot against Rome. It is doubtful that any
violent prisoner had ever been released before.
(2) Yet this time, to be certain that the Jews would
ask for Jesus’ release, Pilate selected a
notorious prisoner \\#Matt 27:16\\, Barabbas.
(a) \\#Luke 23:19\\ says that Barabbas was
guilty of sedition (an insurrection or
riot, probably political in nature) and of
murder.
(b) The fact that Barabbas was a murderer puts
him in a far more serious category of crime
than Jesus. The selection of Barabbas as
the alternate would indicate that Pilate
wanted Jesus to be selected as the release
prisoner.
(c) \\#John 18:40\\ adds that Barabbas was a
robber.
(3) Pilate’s next attempt to release Jesus was to
give the Jewish public the choice of releasing
a killer, Barabbas, or a Doer of good works,
Jesus.
(a) \\#Mark 15:8\\ speaks of the "multitude"
which had gathered. It had taken enough
time for both Pilate and Herod to examine
Jesus so that a crowd had gathered outside
of Pilate’s Judgment Hall.
(b) Notice that Pilate gave the public the
choice of which prisoner to be released,
not the chief rulers.
i. His desire was to let Jesus go and so
he made the offer to the people, not
the murderous religious rulers.
ii. One wonders if Pilate gave the people
this choice annually or if he normally
selected the prisoner to release as a
gift.
iii. Regardless, it is obvious that Pilate
wanted Jesus to be released. At the
very least, Pilate did not want to be
the one who condemned Jesus to death.
(4) \\#Matt 27:19\\ While Pilate awaited the decision
of the people, his wife sent word to him that
he should have nothing to do with slaying this
innocent Man.
(a) This would have been a very, very rare
event—that Pilate’s wife would intervene
on the behalf of a prisoner? and a Jewish
prisoner at that!
(b) Yet, in a dream—or perhaps it could more
accurately be called a nightmare—God had
revealed to her that Jesus was innocent.
(c) "I have suffered many things this day"-The
dream that she saw must have disturbed her
tremendously.
(5) \\#Matt 27:20\\ Also while Pilate waited on the
decision, the religious leaders moved among the
people, "persuading" them to desire Barabbas be
released.
(a) On first thought, the chief priests’
persuasions could have been more like
intimidation as those who disobeyed could
have been ejected out of the Jewish
worship.
(b) But then \\Matt 27:20-24, Mark 15:13-14\\
\\#Luke 23:23, John 19:7\\ make it clear
that it was the desire of the people that
Jesus be killed as well as the leaders.
(c) That being the case, the trial of Jesus
ceased to be before Pilate and came to
be….
4. \\#Matt 27:15-25\\ Jesus before the Jews
a. There is a great deal of overlap in the outline
because the final punishment of Jesus was ultimately
determined by both Pilate and the Jews.
b. \\#20\\ Being stirred up by the religious rulers, the
people clearly asked that Barabbas, the criminal, be
released and Jesus be crucified \\#22\\.
c. Pilate seems to force the people to think about all
aspects of their decision.
(1) \\#21\\ He asked who should be released.
(2) \\#22\\ He then specifically asked what they want
to be done to Jesus.
(3) \\#23\\ And even more, he then asked them for
what crime or evil they wanted this man to
perish, calling Jesus a "just person" \\#24\\.
Although this is not an official declaration of
innocence, it amounts to the same thing.
(4) \\#Luke 23:22\\ states that sometime during this
conversation, Pilate does officially and for the
third time \\#John 18:38 and Luke 23:4\\
\\#Luke 23:14\\\, declare the verdict that Jesus
was innocent.
(5) \\#24\\ Pilate symbolically washed his hands
of the blood of "this just Person."
(a) Yet what official with the "power to
crucify… and… power to release…"
\\#John 19:10\\ could ever be considered
"innocent" in such matters?
(b) Perhaps his hand-washing was another
attempt to cause the people to rethink
their decision; but if so, it failed; for
the people make a statement which God both
heard and has honored for 2,000 years.
(6) \\#25\\ "His blood be on us, and on our
children." All the persecutions, the loss of
their land, the Holocaust itself, even the
decimation to be caused by the anti-Christ, are
all the results of the decision made and the
words uttered that hour!
(7) \\#Luke 23:23\\ records the loud and unified
cry of the people and the rulers to have
Jesus crucified.
d. \\#Matt 27:26-31, Mk 15:15-20, Luke 23:24-25\\
\\#John 19:1-15\\ Barabbas is released and the
crucifixion process begins.
(1) \\#Matt 27:26-31\\ Matthew summaries the first
official abuses in the crucifixion. Pilate had
Jesus scourged, allowed a crown of thorns to be
placed into Jesus’ brow, and allowed his guards
to mock Jesus as a king and abuse Him.
(a) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all similar in
this account. John gives additional detail.
(b) \\#Mark 15:16\\ does add the detail that the
soldiers escorted Jesus to the Praetorium
for their wicked actions then called "the
whole band" of soldiers together for their
"games."
(c) The Praetorium is a military term meaning
headquarters. It was a common hall which
served to house the soldiers.
(2) \\#John 19:12\\ Even though Matthew, Mark, and
Luke give the indication that Pilate had already
given Jesus up for crucifixion, John makes it
clear that Pilate was not finished trying to
release Jesus when he had Him scourged
\\#John 19:12\\.
(3) Pilate did several things in an attempt escape
judging Jesus and to have Jesus released.
(a) He sent Jesus to Herod.
(b) He offered to beat and then release Jesus.
(c) He made the people choose to release a
deadly prisoner.
(d) He washed his hands, giving a visual picture
that all of the blame for Jesus’ death
would be upon the Jews.
(4) The scourging of Jesus was the most extreme for
the scourging alone could kill a man and would
inflict pain and punishment beyond repair.
(a) \\#John 19:1-3\\ Yet Pilate presented Jesus
to the people, scourged, crowned with
thorns, and robed with a bloody robe,
apparently hoping they would have pity.
They had none \\#John 19:6\\.
(b) \\#John 19:4, 6\\ Pilate for the fourth and
fifth times pronounced Jesus innocent.
i. \\#John 18:38, Luke 23:4\\
ii. \\#Luke 23:14-15\\
iii. \\#Luke 23:22\\ (Around the same time,
Pilate called Jesus a "just person"
\\#Mt 27:24\\.
iv. \\#John 19:4\\
V. \\#John 19:6\\
(c) \\#John 19:7\\ In trying to persuade the
Jews to release Jesus, the chief priests
speak words of Jesus that they had not
spoken before, "he made himself the Son of
God."
i. \\#John 19:8\\ These words put a fear
into Pilate.
ii. Pilate must have felt uneasy about
Jesus all along to have worked so hard
to release Him.
iii. Hearing those words, Pilate must now
wonder if they could be true.
iv. \\#John 19:10-11\\ Pilate returns to
Jesus to ask Him from where He had
come. (In his heart, Pilate knew!)
v. \\#John 19:12\\ Even though Jesus will
not answer Pilate’s question, Pilate
continues to seek Jesus’ release,
perhaps in ways the Scriptures do not
reveal.
vi. \\#John 19:12-13, 15-16\\ In the end,
all of Pilate’s schemes fail. He must
make a final decision himself. Free
the Man whom he has declared innocent
no less than four times or turn Him
over to the will of a evil people.
Pilate chooses the latter. Washed
hands or not, this man is just as
guilty as the people he sought to
please.
(d) \\#John 19:14\\ It was when the guards had
finished their abuse and Jesus was brought
back before Pilate for His final
declaration of death that John noted the
day and time.
i. It was the day of "the preparation of
the passover," Thursday.
ii. After about the six hours. Typically
we would think that John would be
speaking of noon on that day, but that
contradicts the other gospel writers’
who say Jesus was crucified the third
hour (9 AM). More thoughts later.
iii. Jesus will walk up Calvary and be left
hanging on the cross at the very
moment the passover lambs were being
slain.
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