Matthew 27 — Read & Listen Online | Father's Heart Bible™

The Father's Son Delivered to Pilate

Chapter 27.

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered and plotted to put Jesus to death. So they bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Then Judas, who had betrayed him, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was filled with remorse and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, "I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood." But they said, "What do we care? That's your problem."

He threw the pieces of silver into the temple, went out, and hanged himself.

The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put these into the treasury, since it is the price of blood." So after some discussion they used the money to buy the potter's field, as a burial place for foreigners. That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him, the price some of the people of Israel had placed on him, and they gave them for the potter's field, as our Father directed me.

Jesus Stands Silent Before Pilate

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so."

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear how many charges they're bringing against you?"

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over.

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much today in a dream because of him."

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. The governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" They said, "Barabbas."

Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

And he said, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified!"

So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."

And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" ^a

Then he released Barabbas for them, and after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock the King

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's headquarters and gathered the whole regiment around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they set it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. Kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him, took the reed, and struck him on the head again and again. When they had finished mocking him, they took off the robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.

The Son of God Is Crucified

As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus's cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with bitter gall; but when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among themselves by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the charge against him, which read: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, also mocked him, saying, "He saved others, but he cannot save himself. He is 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.'" And the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him in the same way.

The Forsaken Son Gives up His Spirit

Now from noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. And about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My Father, my Father, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "This man is calling Elijah." At once one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to him to drink. But the others said, "Leave him alone. Let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. And suddenly, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the holy ones who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee, caring for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Laid in the Tomb

When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph arrived, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Tomb Sealed and Guarded

The next day, the one after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, "Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, 'After three days I will rise.'" So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day, or his disciples may come and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has been raised from the dead.' Then this last deception would be worse than the first."

Pilate said to them, "You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting the guard.

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