Matthew 27:1-31
Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."
Jesus Faces Pilate
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.
Taking the Place of Barabbas
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"
But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!" 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."
25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children." 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
This passage shows us how Jesus was handed over to death on a cross, how the betrayer hung himself in remorse, how the Son of God took a sinner’s place of death, and how He was mocked for doing all these things on our behalf for salvation from sin’s wrath of punishment. Firstly, we see Jesus handed over to those seeking to put Him to death by tying Him up and bringing Jesus to the governor. Then we see the results of how Judas had betrayed the Lord to the religious authorities who wanted Him dead and out of their way. He had remorse and wanted to undo his wicked act by returning the blood money, but they would not accept it back. He tossed the thirty pieces of silver into the temple and then went out from their presence and hung himself. The hypocrisy of the chief priests led them to not accept the coins because it was blood money, the very money they gave to shed blood by Judas handing over Jesus to shed His at their demand to the government who alone could put the Lord to death since they were unable to legally do so. They thought it was a good deed to buy a field to bury strangers in with that money, but they really were just taking their place in history according to the promise prophesied in Zechariah 11:12-13 as a sign of the broken covenant with His people for their continued unrepentant immorality and idolatry against Him. The governor asked Jesus if He really was the King of the Jews but He remained silent so the execution process could continue that He might offering Himself as a sacrifice on the cursed tree to take the curse of sin on Himself and set His chosen people free from judgment as deserved by all the sons and daughters of Adam. He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:6-7) in defense as it was written in the prophet Isaiah long before Jesus came in the flesh for this purpose. The criminal Barabbas was then voted to go free while Jesus was put in his place to die as a precursor to the gospel for us all. He took a sinner’s place to accept the just judgment of punishment by death just as all sin earns each of us (Romans 3:23, 6:23). The crowd was stirred up to demand the crucifixion of Christ against the governor Pilate’s judgment (who claimed that he could not be held responsible) and so Jesus was handed over to be killed by hanging on a tree as cursed (Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:13-14) for us all who have been called to Him for salvation from that punishment due to each one. When at last Jesus was nailed to the tree of the cursed, He was mocked by the Roman soldiers given the cruel task of killing Him slowly and painfully (Isaiah 53:3-4) for us as also foretold in Psalm 22:7-8, 16 for us to look back afterwards on the sovereign plan predetermined by God for our deliverance from the eternal punishment for our sin. They abused and ridiculed the Lord of heaven and earth without understanding that He was suffering for their salvation. How must some of them felt after they later witnessed His death and resurrection! We see then that these things of bad news provided the good news of deliverance from our own punishment for our sin by Jesus taking on ours (John 1:29, Hebrews 9:26-28). May we remember this when we think of the betrayal of our sin against Him that delivered our Lord to suffer and die in our stead by taking our place on the tree of cursing and endure any mocking of unbelievers who stand against our stand for the witness of this gospel to them (Acts 5:41, 1 Peter 4:13-14) that by these means some may be saved.
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