Matthew is rushing his audience through the final hours of Jesus’ passion week. This chapter represents the events of Good Friday, taking us from Jesus’ early morning illegal trial all the way through His burial.
1) V1-10 – 1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor. 3When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me” [Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1-13; 32:6-9].
Jesus was arrested late at night after the Last Supper (Thursday evening), and it’s now early on the morning of what we traditionally call Good Friday – “good” because Jesus said, “It is finished.” Jesus was condemned to death by the Jewish leadership and bound, taken to Pontius Pilate, the governor. At this point, Judas the betrayer “was seized with remorse” (v3). He was so saddened by what he had caused for Jesus that he couldn’t keep the money the Pharisees had paid him. He confessed his sin, acknowledging that he had “betrayed innocent blood” and threw the money into the temple, because the Pharisees wouldn’t take it back, considering it “blood money” (v6). First, the Pharisees should have been there to aid Judas in repentance; instead they left him in his state of regret and implicitly suggested to him that there was no forgiveness available. Second, Judas’ state of regret was sincere – Paul refers to it as worldly sorrow, and it leads to death – but unlike in Peter’s case (Luke 22:31-32; John 21:15-23), it was never godly sorrow, which Paul says leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).
We read in v5 that Judas “went away and hanged himself.” Worldly sorrow leads to death; Judas saw no possibility of restoration, and I’m thinking a good part of that blame will land on the Pharisees, who were supposed to be the shepherds who cared for the sheep and turned them in the right direction. Undoubtedly, however, Judas is the “Son of Perdition,” the one for whom it was said, “It would have been better for him had he never been born.” The reality is that Judas made his own choices (even if led by the strong sway of an indwelling Satan – John 13:27); he deserved to die for his sin, just as we all do. But Judas couldn’t see the forgiving nature of our gracious God. He couldn’t forgive himself, and he took his own life. Judas decided that death would be the best solution to his problem, but he was wrong. He has to suffer in hell for all eternity because of his sin; he could have, had he chosen to do so, returned to Jesus and sought forgiveness. What would have been the worst thing that could have happened? Rejection? So what? He took his own life! What would have been the big deal if he had sought reconciliation before doing that? Would you seek forgiveness? Our God promises to forgive!
Finally, and briefly, the Pharisees did end up gathering the money they had paid to Judas, and they – most certainly unbeknownst to them – purchased a field according to the Scriptures. Matthew considers a couple different Old Testament passages to discern this event as a fulfillment of Scripture. Some skeptics have mocked the Bible because of circumstances like this, where a quote isn’t really a quote, or where the writer’s explanation seems a big stretch for the meaning of the original, but the truth is that it makes sense. Matthew saw this reality as prophesied in his reading of the Old Testament, and he said so.
2) V11-26 – 11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. 12When He was accused by the chief priests and the elders, He gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked Him, “Don’t You hear the testimony they are bringing against You?” 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor. 15Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19While 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.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!” 23“Why? What crime has He committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!” 24When 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!” 25All the people answered, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
While Judas was feeling the worldly sorrow that led to his suicidal death, instead of the godly sorrow that led Peter to repentance, Jesus was brought before Pilate, the governor, who asked if He was the king of the Jews (v11). Jesus answered in the affirmative (v11), which undoubtedly made Pilate think He was crazy (v13). Matthew explains that Jesus gave no answer to His Jewish accusers, and then – after the brief response in v11 – stood silent before His Gentile judge as well. This amazed Pilate, who was undoubtedly accustomed to having those on trial give an effort to maintain their innocence before suffering judgment; however, Jesus’ silence was also according to Scripture (Isaiah 53:7).
We read in v18 that Pilate knew the Jewish leaders envied Jesus, and because of his custom to release a prisoner to them at Passover time, Pilate offered them what he thought would be an easy choice. He would release Jesus – who had obviously done nothing wrong – or he would release Barabbas, a convicted murderer and insurrectionist that would have certainly been a nightmare for the Jewish leadership. So the choice was simple in Pilate’s eyes: the Jews could have Jesus – the Son of the Father – or they could have Barabbas – the son of daddy (a no-name). And that’s the sad irony that God put in place here for us to marvel that humanity chooses a no-name criminal over the very Son of God. As we find out, Pilate had another motive for making this seemingly obvious choice available to the crowd; his wife was tormented in a dream about Jesus, and she urged him not to play a part in His demise, because He was innocent. Nevertheless, the crowd, persuaded by the Jewish leadership, called for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified. Pilate couldn’t believe it and demanded to know why, but they shouted, “Crucify Him!”
Pilate “saw that he was getting nowhere” and needed to avoid a riot (v24), so he washed his hands in front of them to show that he was not responsible for the crucifixion of the innocent Jesus. In fact he was guilty, because he could have freed the innocent man, refused to crucify Jesus, and allowed the riot to commence, which would have certainly cost him both his career and his life at the hands of the Emperor. He chose to save his life rather than lose it, the very opposite of what Jesus chose to do – to die that He might live forever, and we who trust in Him at His side. Adding to his own guilt, Pilate had Jesus flogged before turning Him over to be crucified (v26). And then perhaps even more shocking than the fact that the Jews chose Barabbas over Jesus is their language in v25. When Pilate said to the crowd, “‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘Let His blood be on us and on our children.’” That makes me sad to hear; it causes my stomach to churn and my throat to dry up. But then I realize that my sin effectively cries out the very same words: “Crucify Jesus.” It’s shamefully ironic that that is my only hope.
3) V27-50 – 27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him. 28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. 32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified Him, they divided up His clothes by casting lots [that the word spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: “They divided My garments among themselves and cast lots for My clothing” (Psalm 22:18)]. 36And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. 37Above His head they placed the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads 40and 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!” 41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Him. 42“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. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue Him now if He wants Him, for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with Him also heaped insults on Him. 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” [Psalm 22:1]? 47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, “Now leave Him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him.” 50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit.
Jesus suffers a severe physical beating along with emotional mockery, and I can scarcely consider it without feeling ashamed. Watching Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” with Jim Caviezel’s brilliant acting, brought tears to my eyes. And I’m sure that represented very little of what Jesus actually suffered, for we can’t even begin to grasp the spiritual pain of bearing the wrath of God, having the Divine Father look away from the Divine Son. Presumably, because Jesus had been so badly beaten, He fell while attempting to carry the cross to the place where He would be nailed to it and hung to die. So the soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene, a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time from the world’s perspective, but right where God wanted him from the Biblical viewpoint, to carry the cross for / with Jesus. And once reaching Golgotha, Jesus was crucified.
Jesus was offered “wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it” (v34). This is the first of two occasions in this passage where Jesus is offered drink. Here, as in the parallel account from Mark 15:23, Jesus refuses to drink; however, a little while later, He accepts the offered beverage (v48 and Mark 15:36). Furthermore, Mark says the wine on this first occasion was mixed with myrrh, whereas Matthew says it was mixed with gall. What do we make of these seemingly minor details?
First, are they minor details? Not really, because Psalm 69:21 prophesies these details, which means they are significant additional evidences that Jesus is the Christ. In fact, that Scripture references both gall and myrrh, which leads us to conclude that Matthew emphasizes a part of the truth, while Mark stresses another, equating to further evidence that the gospel writers were accurate individual accounts of the same historical event. “Most probably,” says one commentator, “both gall and myrrh were added to the vinegar. The text does not explicitly state this, nor does it exclude the possibility. Nevertheless, ‘The ancients used to infuse myrrh into wine to give it a more agreeable fragrance and flavour.’ This means that it is quite possible that the vinegar already had myrrh in it, as would be expected among Roman soldiers, and gall was later added. Each writer focused on a different aspect. Furthermore, these verses do not necessitate a contradiction if we understand a contradiction to be the condition when the statement of one verse negates the possibility of the other being true. Technically, the inclusion of both gall and vinegar is very possible.’”
Next, why did Jesus refuse this initial offering but accept the second a little while later? It seems this first offering was effectively poisoned from Jesus’ perspective, containing a drug that would have significantly altered His mental state as He endured the suffering and completed His earthly mission. The second offering, however, was not drugged, and it was therefore acceptable to Him as a brief and mild thirst quencher while hanging on the cross.
The evidences that this Jesus was the Messiah continue in the next verse, as the soldiers cast lots for His clothing (v35). Matthew points out that this reality was in accordance with Old Testament Scripture prophecy (Psalm 22:18). As they sat and watched over Him (v36), they posted a sign legible in all the languages of the world’s culture (John 19:18-20), which read, “THIS IS JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS.” John’s gospel also tells us that the religious leaders were upset about the sign, because they felt it should have read that Jesus claimed to be the king of the Jews. But there would be no change in the sign, for 2 reasons: Pilate’s reason was that it would have been inconvenient and a further capitulation to the Jews; but God’s reason for leaving the sign unchanged was better – it was true.
Next, Matthew mentions the robbers executed on either side of Jesus, but he omits the detailed conversations they held with Jesus that Luke 23 includes. Instead, Matthew notes only the ridicule and mockery Jesus endured from passers-by, religious leaders, and even the thieves who all took part in witnessing the final hours of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The comments of the religious leaders are most difficult to hear; they simply didn’t understand that God’s methods of bringing salvation weren’t what they thought they would be. And they sinned grievously by putting to death the Savior who had come to save. And during that time, in the middle of the day no less (12-3 PM), “darkness came over all the land” (v45). Jesus then cried out the first part of Psalm 22 – “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” While some eye-witnesses thought He was calling Elijah (perhaps mocking His apparent inability to save Himself, or perhaps misunderstanding His cry to “Eloi” as “Eli”), and some scholars think He was facing the Father’s full wrath towards sin at this very moment, including actually being forsaken (which may somehow be temporarily true), the best way to understand these words require a little digging.
Unlike our twenty-first century American literacy rate, first century Judea would have lacked a majority of readers and writers. In fact, only the most educated received training for those disciplines we take for granted. Jewish boys would actually hear and memorize the entirety of Holy Scripture, beginning at a young age and continuing through adulthood. One method of memorization entailed saying the first line of a Psalm and then thinking through the remainder of it to ascertain the meaning in one’s mind. Many scholars think Jesus was crying out the first verse of Psalm 22 to focus on the remainder of the glorious Psalm, in which God the Father does not forsake the author, David, but actually rescues him. David shows himself faithful to God in that Psalm, despite his trying circumstances, and undoubtedly Jesus is doing the same as He hangs from the cross still trusting God the Father. Think of Jesus completing the Psalm below and He hangs from the cross in His final moments:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from saving Me, so far from My cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the one Israel praises. In You our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were saved; in You they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see Me mock Me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the LORD,’ they say, ‘let the LORD rescue Him. Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him.’ Yet You brought Me out of the womb; You made Me trust in You, even at My mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on You; from My mother’s womb You have been My God. Do not be far from Me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround Me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle Me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against Me. I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within Me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue sticks to the roof of My mouth; You lay Me in the dust of death. Dogs surround Me, a pack of villains encircles Me; they pierce My hands and My feet. All My bones are on display; people stare and gloat over Me. They divide My clothes among them and cast lots for My garment. But You, LORD, do not be far from Me. You are My strength; come quickly to help Me. Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue Me from the mouth of the lions; save Me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare Your name to My people; in the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him! Revere Him, all you descendants of Israel! For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the Afflicted One; He has not hidden His face from Him but has listened to His cry for help. From You comes the theme of My praise in the great assembly; before those who fear You I will fulfill My vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him — may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him — those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”
He was given a taste of wine vinegar, which He accepted, and then He cried out again. (John tells us that He said, “It is finished.”) And then Jesus “gave up His Spirit.” He yielded to death momentarily; He died.
4) V51-66 – 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54When 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!” 55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. 57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and 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. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. 62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So 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.” 65“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The implications of Jesus’ death are monumental to say the least. Matthew speaks of just a few immediate results of the death of the Son of God, including the rending of the curtain in the Temple – from top to bottom, no less. This massive tapestry would have been some 30 feet tall and 30 feet wide, as well as a dozen layers of thick fabrics in girth. To tear it at all would require serious torque and a significant cutting blade; but for this curtain to rip from the top to bottom at the very moment of Jesus’ death is symbolic. There would be no more need for an earthly priest to mediate between God and man. Jesus, with His perfect life and atoning, substitutionary, and sacrificial death, completed – once for all – the necessary priestly duties. In the tearing of this curtain, God was saying of the entire Old Covenant exactly what Jesus had said with His final words on the cross, as recorded by John, “It is finished.”
There was an earthquake of significance at the moment of Jesus’ death. The rocks seemed to recognize the injustice of Jesus’ death, and death itself even recognized the horror of what had occurred, as tombs broke open and people were resurrected (v52-53). This mysterious reality is hard to analyze and explain concretely, but it appears that certain holy saints who had died prior to Jesus actually came back to life and appeared in the city after Jesus was raised. The important element is “after” Jesus was raised. Matthew includes it here with the death of Jesus, but it seems that he was remembering that it actually occurred with the resurrection, rather than with the death, of Jesus. And we can’t be sure what became of these resurrected individuals; were they to die again as Lazarus? Or were they to be later taken into heaven in a sort of rapture? We don’t know.
With the earthquake, the Roman soldiers became fearful – even “terrified” – and proclaimed that Jesus must have been, “surely,” “the Son of God” (v54). Matthew announces the presence of many female eyewitnesses (v55-56), and then he goes on to explain how the burial of Jesus came to pass. Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and, therefore, a secret follower of Jesus, was wealthy, and sought Pilate’s permission to take and bury the body of Jesus. Perhaps he had to pay a sum of money for this privilege; it would not be surprising to see Pilate want to gain something from what had become a debacle of a day. Joseph – along with Nicodemus, as John’s gospel declares – and perhaps some additional assistants, wrapped Jesus’ body in linen and placed His body in a brand-new tomb, the one recently purchased by and reserved for Joseph himself. Matthew says, “He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance” (v60) and departed. Meanwhile, two of the women named Mary sat there while the work was being completed, “opposite the tomb” (v61). Of this peculiar detail that Matthew includes, one commentator says simply, “These pious women could not tear themselves from the spot where their Lord was buried. The last to leave Him dead, they were the first to see Him risen. And now they watch the last ceremonies at a distance, intending to complete the imperfect embalmment with loving care as soon as ever the Sabbath was over.”
Matthew’s final detail in this chapter, regarding the burial of Jesus, involves an occurrence “the next day” (v62). One commentator says, “On the Jewish Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees, when they should have been at their devotions, were dealing with Pilate about securing the sepulcher. This was permitted that there might be certain proof of our Lord’s resurrection. Pilate told them that they might secure the sepulcher as carefully as they could. They sealed the stone, and set a guard, and were satisfied that all needful care was taken. But to guard the sepulcher against the poor weak disciples was folly, because needless; while to think to guard it against the power of God, was folly, because fruitless, and to no purpose; yet they thought they dealt wisely. But the Lord took the wise in their own craftiness. Thus shall all the rage and the plans of Christ’s enemies be made to promote His glory.” Another commentator elaborates:
“It shows what consciences these men had, who accused the disciples of Christ of a violation of the Sabbath, for plucking a few ears of corn on that day; and sought to kill Jesus, because He healed a man on it, and bid him take up his bed and walk; and yet they themselves could leave their devotions, and first meet together and agree upon an address to Pilate, and then go in a body to his palace; and having obtained their request, march to Joseph’s garden, and make the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch, which were servile works, and, according to their laws and traditions, not to be done on the Sabbath day; and yet they scrupled them not, notwithstanding their characters and profession, which follow: the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate; these were the inveterate and implacable enemies of Christ; they took counsel how to put Him to death; they employed Judas to betray Him, and sent a band of soldiers with him to take Him; they suborned false witnesses against Him; they moved the people to prefer Barabbas to Him; they got Him condemned to death, and followed Him to the cross, where they mocked Him; and still, like the troubled sea, they were restless and uneasy; for though He was dead, they feared His resurrection; and though they could not prevent the thing, they consult to hinder the credit of it.”
It’s certainly possible that they waited until 6:00 PM on the Sabbath, which would have commenced the new day according to Hebrew time keeping, but the point is clear. They feared Jesus still – and even His disciples! Remembering and heeding His words – ironically for the first time – they had the tomb sealed and posted a guard. They wouldn’t be able to stop a resurrection; but at least they could thwart the rumor of it!
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