Frameworks:
Matthew's Gospel, chapter 27
(The
objective of these ‘Frameworks' is to provide an easy-to-read
layout of the text in order then to use these individual verses
for verse-by-verse study or meditation. To focus each
verse we have also added in italic a description of what is happening)
FRAMEWORKS:
Matthew, chapter 27
v.1-10
Judas Hangs Himself
v.11-26
Jesus Before Pilate
v.27-31
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
v.32-44
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.45-56
The Death of Jesus
v.57-61
The Burial of Jesus
v.62-66
The Guard at the Tomb
v.1-10
Judas Hangs Himself
v.1
(plans to bring
about Jesus' execution proceed) Early
in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people
made their plans how to have Jesus executed.
v.2
(they take Jesus
to the Roman governor, Pilate) So
they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the
governor.
v.3 (Judas
is filled with remorse) When
Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he
was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver
to the chief priests and the elders.
v.4
(the authorities
don't want to know) “I have
sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What
is that to us?” they replied. “That's your responsibility.”
v.5
(so Judas went
out and committed suicide) So
Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away
and hanged himself.
v.6-8
(the authorities
use his money to buy a field as a cemetery for the homeless)
The chief priests picked up the coins
and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury,
since it is blood money.” So
they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial
place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field
of Blood to this day.
v.9,10
(in accordance
with Jeremiah's prophecy) Then
what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took
the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people
of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the
Lord commanded me.” [Zech. 11:12,13; Jer. 19:1-13;
32:6-9]
v.11-26
Jesus Before Pilate
v.11
(Pilate questions
Jesus & he answers) Meanwhile
Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are
you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied.
v.12
(but refuses
to answer the Jewish authorities) When
he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no
answer.
v.13
(Pilate again
questions him) Then Pilate asked
him, “Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”
v.14
(but he no makes
no answer) But Jesus made no
reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the
governor.
v.15
(there was a
prisoner-release tradition at Passover) Now
it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner
chosen by the crowd.
v.16
(a prisoner
in custody was Barabbas) At
that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus
Barabbas.
v.17,18
(Pilate asked
the crowd who they wanted releasing) So
when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do
you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is
called the Messiah?” For he
knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over
to him.
v.19
(Pilate's wife
sends him a warning) While Pilate
was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message:
“Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have
suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
v.20,21
(but the crowd
call for Barabbas) But the chief
priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas
and to have Jesus executed. “Which of the two do you want me to
release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
v.22
(he asks about
Jesus and is told crucify him) “What
shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate
asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”
v.23
(he questions
this but is shouted down) “Why?
What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all
the louder, “Crucify him!”
v.24
(Pilate washes
his hands (literally) of the whole thing) When
Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar
was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the
crowd. “I am innocent of this man's blood,” he said. “It is your
responsibility!”
v.25
(the people
accept their guilt) All the
people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
v.26
(so Pilate hands
him over to be crucified) Then
he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed
him over to be crucified.
v.27-31
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
v.27 (the
soldiers take Jesus) Then the
governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered
the whole company of soldiers around him.
v.28-30 (they
beat and mock Jesus) They stripped
him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a
crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his
right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail,
king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him and took the staff
and struck him on the head again and again.
v.31
(they then take
him to be crucified) After they
had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes
on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
v.32-44
The Crucifixion of Jesus
v.32 (they
force a passer-by to carry Jesus' cross) As
they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon,
and they forced him to carry the cross.
v.33
(they arrive
at Golgotha [the place of executions]) They
came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the
skull”).
v.34
(they offered
him and unpleasant drink) There
they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting
it, he refused to drink it.
v.35
(after crucifying
him they divide his clothes between them) When
they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting
lots.
v.36
(they then sat
and kept watch) And sitting
down, they kept watch over him there.
v.37
(above his head
a sign that proclaimed who he was) Above
his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus,
the king of the Jews.
v.38
(two men were
crucified with him) Two rebels
were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
v.39,40
(passers-by
mocked him and insulted him) Those
who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying,
“You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three
days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the
Son of God!”
v.41-43
(likewise the
authorities) In the same way
the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked
him. “He saved others,” they
said, “but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let
him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God. Let God
rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of
God.'”
v.44 (likewise
the men either side of him) In
the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped
insults on him.
v.45-56
The Death of Jesus
v.45
(for three hours
there was darkness) From noon
until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
v.46
(about 3pm he
cried out to his Father) 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?”). [Psa 22:1]
v.47
(some thought
he was appealing to Elijah) When
some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He's calling
Elijah.”
v.48
(one offered
him a drink) Immediately one
of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar,
put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
v.49
(the rest said leave
him alone) The rest said, “Now leave
him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him.”
v.50
(then he died)
And when Jesus had cried out again
in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
v.51,52
(the thick curtain
in the temple was split in two and an earthquake occurred)
At that moment the curtain of the
temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the
rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy
people who had died were raised to life.
v.53
(many dead people
appeared from the graves) They
came out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection and went into
the holy city and appeared to many people.
v.54
(the centurion
acclaims him) When the centurion
and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake
and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed,
“Surely he was the Son of God!”
v.55,56
(some of the
women disciples were watchers) Many
women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed
Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among
them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,
and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
v.57-61
The Burial of Jesus
v.57,58 (Joseph
asked to bury Jesus) As evening
approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph,
who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going
to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it
be given to him.
v.59,60
(he wrapped and buried the body) Joseph
took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it
in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled
a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.
v.61
(the two Mary's
watched) Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
v.62-66
The Guard at the Tomb
v.62
(the next day
the religious authorities petitioned Pilate) The
next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and
the Pharisees went to Pilate.
v.63
(they feared
deception) “Sir,” they said,
“we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said,
‘After three days I will rise again.'
v.64
(they asked
for a guard over the tomb) So
give the order for the tomb to be made secure 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. This last
deception will be worse than the first.”
v.65
(Pilate agreed)
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered.
“Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”
v.66
(so an additional
seal and a guard weas out on the tomb) So
they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone
and posting the guard.