Matthew 27

Jesus is handed to Pilate, condemned, mocked, and crucified. Through the darkness, the cry of abandonment, the torn veil and the centurion’s confession, Matthew shows who is truly King. The chapter ends with Jesus buried in a sealed tomb under guard.

Matthew 27:1-2

The whole leadership agrees at daybreak to have Jesus killed. Only Rome could carry out an execution, so they bind Him and deliver Him to Pilate. The Son of God is passed from one set of hands to another.

BSA: conspired (“took counsel, plotted”): This was a deliberate, organized scheme, not a sudden outburst.

See also: Psalm 2:2.

Matthew 27:3

Judas sees where his betrayal has led. He is sorry and tries to undo it by returning the money. But grief alone does not bring him to the Savior he betrayed.

BSA: remorse (“deep regret, sorrow”): It was real pain over what he had done, yet it did not turn him back to God.

Matthew 27:4

Judas confesses that Jesus is innocent. That is a striking testimony from the man who knew Him closely. The priests brush him off, refusing any part in the guilt they have helped create.

BSA: innocent (“not guilty, blameless”): Judas himself declares that Jesus had done nothing deserving death.

Greek: ὄψῃ (opsē, G3708) — “you will see to it.” The priests’ phrase means roughly ’that is your problem.’ They hand off a burden that no one can simply hand off.

Matthew 27:5

Judas throws the silver into the sanctuary and ends his own life. It is a tragic end for one who walked with Jesus and ended in despair. Scripture records it without excusing it.

See also: Acts 1:18-19.

Matthew 27:6

The priests show a strange conscience. They will not put the money in the treasury because it paid for blood. Yet they had no trouble paying for an innocent man’s death.

BSA: treasury (“Temple store, Corban”): The money was money set apart for sacred use, and they judged this money unfit for it.

Matthew 27:7-8

The priests use the money to buy a field for burying foreigners. A place of death for strangers is bought with the price of the Lord’s betrayal. The name Field of Blood remained in memory.

BSA: foreigners (“strangers, those from other countries”): The field served outsiders, and Jesus’ death would soon open God’s welcome to all nations.

Matthew 27:9-10

Matthew sees the thirty coins and the potter’s field as the working out of Scripture. The wording echoes Zechariah 11:12-13, along with the potter and field imagery found in Jeremiah. Even a betrayer’s wages fit God’s plan.

BSA: fulfilled (“completed, brought to pass”): What the prophets saw in pieces came to its full shape in these events.

See also: Zechariah 11:12-13; Jeremiah 32:6-9.

Matthew 27:11

Pilate asks the only question that matters to Rome: is He a king? Jesus does not deny it, but He answers carefully. His kingdom is real, though not the kind Pilate fears.

BSA: You have said so (“it is as you have just said, you say it”): Jesus accepts the title but leaves Pilate to understand it in his own terms.

See also: John 18:36-37.

Matthew 27:12-14

Jesus will not defend Himself against the charges. His silence is not weakness. He is choosing the path of the Suffering Servant, and even the governor is amazed.

See also: Isaiah 53:7.

Matthew 27:15-16

Pilate has a yearly custom of releasing one prisoner. A well-known criminal named Barabbas is in custody. The setting is ready for an exchange no one could have planned.

BSA: notorious (“notable, well-known”): Everyone knew who Barabbas was and what he had done.

Matthew 27:17-18

Pilate offers a choice between Barabbas and Jesus. He knows the leaders acted from envy, not from any real crime. Even a Roman could see through the motive.

BSA: envy (“jealousy, spite”): They resented Jesus’ influence over the people.

Matthew 27:19

While Pilate is on the judgment seat, his wife sends a warning. A dream has troubled her, and she calls Jesus righteous. A pagan household sees what Israel’s leaders refuse to see.

BSA: innocent (“just, righteous”): She calls Him not merely not guilty, but a righteous man.

Greek: βήματος (bēmatos, G968) — “judgment seat, raised platform.” This was the raised seat from which a Roman official gave his verdicts. Pilate sits as judge, yet he is the one being tested.

Matthew 27:20

The chief priests work the crowd and persuade them to ask for Barabbas. The crowd was moved by leaders who knew how to sway them. Guilt is spread widely in this scene.

BSA: persuaded (“convinced by argument or evidence”): They won the crowd with argument and pressure, not with truth.

Matthew 27:21-23

The crowd chooses Barabbas and demands crucifixion. Pilate asks what evil Jesus has done, and no answer is given, only louder shouting. The guilty man goes free, and the innocent One takes his place.

BSA: Barabbas (“the son of Abba, a rebellious figure”): His name means ‘son of the father,’ and he is set free while the true Son of the Father takes his place.

See also: 1 Peter 3:18.

Matthew 27:24

Pilate sees he is getting nowhere and washes his hands. The gesture echoes an old Israelite practice of declaring one’s innocence. But water cannot clear a man who knowingly condemned a righteous person.

BSA: innocent (“not guilty, free from blame”): Pilate claims freedom from guilt, but his own words show he knew Jesus was wrongly accused.

See also: Deuteronomy 21:6-8.

Matthew 27:25

The crowd takes responsibility for Jesus’ death in a rash cry. Christians have long recognized that this must never be used to blame Jewish people today. Jesus Himself prayed for His killers’ forgiveness, and His blood was shed for all.

See also: Luke 23:34; Hebrews 9:14.

Matthew 27:26

Pilate releases Barabbas, has Jesus flogged, and hands Him over. Roman flogging was brutal and often left a man near death. Jesus takes all of it willingly.

Greek: φραγελλώσας (phragellōsas, G5417) — “having scourged, whipped.” This word describes a Roman scourging with a whip tipped with bone or metal. It was a savage punishment, often carried out before crucifixion.

See also: Isaiah 53:5.

Matthew 27:27-28

The soldiers gather their whole company in the governor’s headquarters and play a cruel game. They strip Jesus and dress Him in a red cloak, a cheap imitation of a royal robe. They mock the One who truly is King.

Greek: σπεῖραν (speiran, G4686) — “cohort, company of soldiers.” A full cohort could number several hundred men. The mockery was not a private cruelty but a public spectacle.

Matthew 27:29-30

A crown of thorns, a reed for a scepter, and a kneeling salute are all meant as ridicule. They strike Him and spit on Him. Their jokes were truer than they knew, since He is King of the Jews and of all.

BSA: Hail (“rejoice, greetings”): They copy the salute given to Caesar, turning homage into insult.

See also: Isaiah 50:6.

Matthew 27:31

When the sport is over, they return His own clothes and lead Him out to be crucified. The mockery ends, but the real suffering is still ahead.

See also: John 19:17.

Matthew 27:32

A passerby from Cyrene, a city in North Africa, is forced to carry Jesus’ cross. Simon did not choose this, yet he shared in the road to Calvary. It is a picture of what following Jesus can mean.

BSA: forced (“compelled, pressed into service”): Simon was drafted by the soldiers against his will.

Greek: ἠγγάρευσαν (ēngareusan, G29) — “they compelled, pressed into service.” This word came from the practice of an official forcing a civilian to carry a load. Jesus uses the same word when He speaks of going the second mile.

See also: Matthew 16:24.

Matthew 27:33-34

Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, is where He is brought. He is offered a bitter drink, which was meant to dull pain. He tastes it and refuses, choosing to face the cross with a clear mind.

BSA: gall (“a bitter, poisonous plant”): The drink was bitter and harsh, and it echoes the psalm describing the sufferer.

Greek: Κρανίου Τόπος (Kraniou Topos, G2898) — “Place of a Skull.” The Latin form of this name gives us the word Calvary.

See also: Psalm 69:21.

Matthew 27:35-36

They crucify Him, then gamble for His clothing. Then they sit and keep watch. For them it is a routine duty, while heaven is looking on at the greatest event in history.

BSA: casting lots (“a portion, a share determined by chance”): They treat His garments as a prize to be won by chance.

See also: Psalm 22:18.

Matthew 27:37

The written charge is nailed above His head. Meant as a mockery, it states the truth. Jesus is on the cross as King.

BSA: THE KING (“sovereign ruler, monarch”): The sign names Him as ruler, and the cross becomes His throne.

See also: John 19:19-22.

Matthew 27:38

Two robbers are crucified with Him, one on each side. He is placed among criminals, just as the prophet foretold.

See also: Isaiah 53:12.

Matthew 27:39-40

Passersby jeer and shake their heads. They throw back at Him His words about the temple and ask for proof of sonship. The same temptation came in the wilderness: prove it by coming down.

BSA: heaped abuse (“reviled, blasphemed”): The mockery was not just rude but a form of cursing.

See also: Psalm 22:7; Matthew 4:3.

Matthew 27:41-43

The religious leaders join in. They say He saved others but cannot save Himself, and the truth is that He will not, because saving others requires it. They promise belief if He comes down, but they would not believe even after He rose.

BSA: believe (“trust, have faith”): They offer trust only on their own terms, not in response to who He is.

See also: Psalm 22:8.

Matthew 27:44

Even the two men dying beside Him join in the abuse. Luke tells us that one of them later turned to Jesus. Here Matthew shows how complete the rejection was.

See also: Luke 23:39-43.

Matthew 27:45

From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covers the land. Creation itself seems to mourn. It is a sign that something solemn and terrible is happening.

BSA: darkness (“the absence of light, spiritual or physical”): The darkness is both a real event and a sign of judgment.

See also: Amos 8:9.

Matthew 27:46

Jesus cries out the opening words of Psalm 22 in His own language. He enters the full depth of suffering for sinners. Christians marvel at this and do not claim to fully explain it, but they trust that He bore what we deserved.

BSA: forsaken (“abandoned, deserted”): The word speaks of being left behind without help.

Greek: ἐγκατέλιπες (enkatelipes, G1459) — “you left behind, abandoned.” The word carries the sense of being left in a desperate place, with no one coming to help.

See also: Psalm 22:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Matthew 27:47-49

Some bystanders mishear His cry as a call to Elijah. One offers sour wine on a sponge, while the others wait for a rescue that never comes. They misunderstand His cry, as they have misunderstood Him all along.

BSA: sour wine (“vinegar, a type of sour wine”): This was the cheap, common drink of soldiers and workers.

See also: Psalm 69:21.

Matthew 27:50

Jesus cries out again and gives up His spirit. His life was not taken from Him by force. He laid it down.

Greek: ἀφῆκεν (aphēken, G863) — “released, let go.” The word is the same one used for dismissing or releasing something. It suggests that Jesus gave up His spirit by His own act.

See also: John 10:17-18; Luke 23:46.

Matthew 27:51

At His death, the temple veil is torn from top to bottom, and the earth shakes. The tearing from above shows it was God’s act. The way into God’s presence is opened.

BSA: veil (“curtain, partition”): This curtain separated people from the most holy place in the temple.

Greek: καταπέτασμα (katapetasma, G2665) — “veil, curtain.” This was the curtain that hid the Holy of Holies. Its tearing marks the end of the barrier between God and His people.

See also: Hebrews 10:19-20.

Matthew 27:52-53

Tombs open, and many holy people are raised. Matthew says they came out after Jesus’ resurrection and appeared in Jerusalem. It is a sign that Christ’s death and rising break the power of death. Christians have understood the details in different ways.

BSA: saints (“holy ones, set apart”): These are God’s people who had died, now given a preview of resurrection.

See also: 1 Corinthians 15:20.

Matthew 27:54

The centurion and his men, watching Jesus die, are terrified. A Roman soldier, a stranger to Israel’s faith, is the first to say what the crowds would not. It is a confession from outside the covenant people.

BSA: Truly (“surely, with certainty”): His words are a firm conviction, not a passing remark.

Greek: Θεοῦ υἱὸς (Theou huios, G2316) — “Son of God.” The phrase has no article in the Greek. It can be read as ‘a son of God’ from a pagan’s mouth, yet Matthew places it here as the true confession.

Matthew 27:55-56

Many women watch from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and served Him. When many others fled, they stayed, and they will be the first witnesses at the tomb.

BSA: minister (“serve, attend to His needs”): Their service was practical, faithful care.

Matthew 27:57

As evening comes, Joseph of Arimathea steps forward. He is rich, and he is a disciple. When the Twelve are hiding, he risks his standing to honor Jesus.

Greek: ἐμαθητεύθη (emathēteuthē, G3100) — “was made a disciple, became a learner.” The verb shows that Joseph had been taught by Jesus, though perhaps quietly. His courage now shows what that discipleship meant.

See also: John 19:38.

Matthew 27:58-59

Joseph asks Pilate for the body, and Pilate agrees. He wraps it carefully in clean linen. Jesus is given a respectful burial, not a criminal’s disposal.

BSA: clean (“pure, ceremonially undefiled”): The cloth was fresh and fit for honoring the dead.

Matthew 27:60

The body is laid in Joseph’s own new tomb, cut in the rock, and a great stone is rolled across it. The prophet had said the Servant would be with a rich man in His death. Everything appears finished.

BSA: new (“fresh, recently constructed”): No other body had been laid there, so the resurrection could not be confused with any other.

See also: Isaiah 53:9.

Matthew 27:61

The two Marys keep sitting opposite the tomb. They have nothing more they can do, but they will not leave. Their loving presence leads straight to the first Easter morning.

See also: Matthew 28:1.

Matthew 27:62-64

The next day, the leaders go to Pilate. They remember Jesus’ promise to rise, even though His own disciples seemed to have forgotten it. They ask for a guard, fearing a stolen body and a bigger deception.

BSA: deceiver (“one who leads astray, false teacher”): This was their name for Jesus, as they feared what His followers might claim.

See also: Matthew 16:21.

Matthew 27:65-66

Pilate tells them to use their own guard and make the tomb as secure as they can. They seal the stone and post the watch. All their precautions will only strengthen the evidence that the tomb was empty by God’s power.

BSA: sealing (“stamping, marking for security”): A seal on the stone meant that breaking it would be a crime against Rome.

Greek: σφραγίσαντες (sphragisantes, G4972) — “having sealed.” The word means to close with an official seal. The leaders trusted their security to hold what God had decided to open.