Matthew 27 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~AD 30, during Passover
Location
Jerusalem and Golgotha (near Jerusalem), Judea
Audience
Jewish Christians
Situation
Matthew 27 describes Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, his condemnation, mocking by Roman soldiers, crucifixion at Golgotha, death accompanied by supernatural signs like darkness and an earthquake, and burial in a new tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.
Key Background
Judea was a Roman province under Prefect Pontius Pilate, who held authority over capital punishment, as the Jewish Sanhedrin could not execute for blasphemy. Tensions ran high during Passover, with crowds in Jerusalem commemorating Israel's exodus, heightening fears among leaders that Jesus' messianic claims could spark unrest. Crucifixion was Rome's cruelest punishment for rebels and slaves, symbolizing utter shame, yet fulfilling prophecies like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 that early Christians saw as pointing to the Messiah's suffering.
When morning came, all the and of the people made their plan against Jesus to have him put to death.
They tied up, led away, and to the Roman governor.
When Judas — the one who had betrayed him — saw that Jesus was condemned, he was with He brought the back to the chief priests and elders.
he said. "I betrayed an man." But they replied, "What's that to us? That's your problem."
So Judas threw the silver coins into the and left. Then he went and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It's not legal to put this into the temple treasury, since it's
So after discussing it, they used the money to buy the as a burial place for
That's why it's been called the of ever since.
This fulfilled what was spoken through the "They took the thirty silver coins — the price the people of Israel had set on him — "
"and they used them to buy the potter's field, just as the Lord directed me."
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the of the Jesus answered, it
But when the chief priests and elders made their accusations, he gave no answer at all.
Then Pilate said to him, "Don't you hear all these charges they're bringing against you?"
But Jesus didn't answer him — not even a single word — and the governor was
Now it was the governor's custom during the to release one prisoner — whichever one the crowd wanted.
At that time they had a prisoner named
So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Who do you want me to release for you — Barabbas, or Jesus who is called The
He knew very well that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were
While Pilate was sitting on the his wife sent him a message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I suffered terribly in a last night because of him."
But the chief priests and elders the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
"Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" the governor asked. "Barabbas!" they shouted.
Pilate asked, "Then what should I do with Jesus who is called The One?" They all answered, on a
"Why? What crime has he committed?" Pilate asked. But they just screamed louder, "Execute him on a stake!"
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was starting instead, he took water and in front of the crowd. "I am not responsible for this he said. "This is on you."
The whole crowd answered, is on us and on
Then Pilate released Barabbas for them. He had Jesus and then handed him over to be executed on a stake.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the and gathered the whole around him.
They stripped him and put a on him.
They twisted together a of and shoved it onto his head, and put a stick in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. of the they said.
They spit on him and took the stick and kept hitting him on the head with it.
After they had finished mocking him, they took off the cloak, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to be executed.
On the way out, they found a man from named Simon, and they forced him to carry the
They came to a place called which means "Place of the Skull."
There they offered him with to drink, but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
After they to the they divided up his clothes by for them.
Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
Above his head they placed the against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE OF THE
Two were executed on stakes alongside him, one on his right and one on his left.
People passing by hurled insults at him, their
and saying, "You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days — save yourself! If you're the of come down from that execution stake!"
The chief priests, along with the and elders, mocked him the same way.
"He others," they said, "but he can't rescue himself! He's the King of Israel — let him come down from the stake right now, and we'll believe in him."
"He in — let rescue him now, if actually wants him. After all, he claimed, 'I am the Son of
Even the criminals who were staked alongside him threw the same insults at him.
From noon until three in the afternoon, covered the
Around three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, — which means, "My God, my God, why have you me?"
Some of the people standing there heard this and said, "He's calling for
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with put it on a stick, and held it up for him to drink.
But the rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
Then Jesus out with a and