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.