Matthew 27: The Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
Chapter with Audio
27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”
Jesus Before Pilate
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 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?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, 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 because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Jesus Is Mocked
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 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.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Jesus Is Buried
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb
62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
Chapter Analysis
Matthew 27: The Crucifixion And Burial Of Jesus Christ
Judas’ Remorse And Jesus Delivered To Pilate
📖 Matthew 27:1–10
¹ When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.
² They bound Him, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
³ When Judas, who betrayed Him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he felt remorse and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
⁴ He said he had sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they answered, “What is that to us? You see to it.”
⁵ Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the temple, departed, and went and hanged himself.
⁶ The chief priests took the silver pieces and said it was not lawful to put them into the treasury because they were the price of blood.
⁷ They consulted together and bought the potter’s field with them to bury strangers in.
⁸ Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood.
⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled concerning the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced,
¹⁰ which they gave for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.
🔹 The Truth
The leaders delivered Jesus to Pilate because they wanted Him killed.
Judas felt remorse, but remorse is not the same as true repentance toward God.
The price of betrayal fulfilled Scripture.
🔹 The Promise
Even human betrayal and guilt did not stop the fulfillment of God’s Word.
✅ Conclusion
Judas shows the terrible end of sin when grief does not turn into repentance and faith.
Jesus Before Pilate
📖 Matthew 27:11–26
¹¹ Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked if He was the King of the Jews. Jesus answered that he had said it.
¹² While He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
¹³ Pilate asked if He heard how many things they testified against Him.
¹⁴ But Jesus answered not one word, so the governor marveled greatly.
¹⁵ At the feast, the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner they wanted.
¹⁶ They had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
¹⁷ When they gathered, Pilate asked whom they wanted released: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ.
¹⁸ Pilate knew they had handed Him over because of envy.
¹⁹ While Pilate sat on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to have nothing to do with that just Man because she had suffered many things in a dream because of Him.
²⁰ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
²¹ The governor asked which of the two they wanted released. They said Barabbas.
²² Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus who is called Christ. They all said, “Let Him be crucified.”
²³ Pilate asked what evil He had done, but they cried out all the more, “Let Him be crucified.”
²⁴ When Pilate saw he could not prevail and that a riot was beginning, he washed his hands before the multitude, saying he was innocent of the blood of this just Person and they should see to it.
²⁵ All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
²⁶ Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus scourged and delivered Him to be crucified.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus was innocent, yet condemned.
The leaders acted from envy, and the crowd chose Barabbas over Christ.
Pilate tried to avoid responsibility, but he still delivered Jesus to be crucified.
🔹 The Promise
The innocent Christ willingly went to the cross in the place of the guilty.
✅ Conclusion
Barabbas went free while Jesus was condemned. This gives a powerful picture of substitution: the guilty released, the innocent punished.
Jesus Mocked And Crucified
📖 Matthew 27:27–44
²⁷ The governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
²⁹ They twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. They bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
³⁰ They spat on Him, took the reed, and struck Him on the head.
³¹ After mocking Him, they took the robe off, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
³² As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they compelled to carry His cross.
³³ They came to a place called Golgotha, meaning Place of a Skull.
³⁴ They gave Him sour wine mixed with gall to drink, but after tasting it, He would not drink.
³⁵ They crucified Him and divided His garments by casting lots, so that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled.
³⁶ Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.
³⁷ They put over His head the accusation against Him: “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.”
³⁸ Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
³⁹ Those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads,
⁴⁰ saying that if He was the Son of God, He should save Himself and come down from the cross.
⁴¹ The chief priests, scribes, and elders also mocked Him,
⁴² saying He saved others but could not save Himself. If He was the King of Israel, He should come down from the cross and they would believe Him.
⁴³ They said He trusted in God, so let God deliver Him if He would have Him, because He said He was the Son of God.
⁴⁴ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him the same way.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus was mocked as King, yet He truly was King.
He was crucified between criminals and counted with transgressors.
The mockers did not understand that if Jesus saved Himself from the cross, He would not save sinners through the cross.
🔹 The Promise
Jesus endured shame and suffering to accomplish salvation.
✅ Conclusion
The cross looked like defeat to men, but it was the very place where Christ was fulfilling God’s saving purpose.
Jesus Dies On The Cross
📖 Matthew 27:45–56
⁴⁵ From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness covered all the land.
⁴⁶ About the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
⁴⁷ Some who stood there heard it and thought He was calling for Elijah.
⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
⁴⁹ The rest said to let Him alone and see if Elijah would come to save Him.
⁵⁰ Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.
⁵¹ Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks split,
⁵² graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.
⁵³ After His resurrection, they came out of the graves and went into the holy city and appeared to many.
⁵⁴ When the centurion and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that happened, they feared greatly and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
⁵⁵ Many women who followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there looking on from afar.
⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus truly died on the cross.
The torn veil showed that access to God was opened through His death.
Creation itself testified as the earth quaked and the rocks split.
🔹 The Promise
Through the death of Jesus, the barrier is removed and access to God is opened.
✅ Conclusion
The death of Christ was not ordinary. Heaven, earth, and the temple all testified that the Son of God had given His life.
Jesus Is Buried
📖 Matthew 27:57–66
⁵⁷ When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who also had become a disciple of Jesus, came.
⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.
⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean linen,
⁶⁰ and laid it in his new tomb which he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed.
⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting opposite the tomb.
⁶² The next day, after the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered to Pilate.
⁶³ They said they remembered Jesus had said while alive that after three days He would rise.
⁶⁴ They asked Pilate to command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples steal Him and say He had risen from the dead, making the last deception worse than the first.
⁶⁵ Pilate told them they had a guard and should make it as secure as they knew how.
⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.
🔹 The Truth
Jesus was truly buried in a real tomb.
The leaders remembered His promise of resurrection even while rejecting Him.
The sealed stone and guard would later become evidence that His resurrection was not staged.
🔹 The Promise
No seal, stone, or guard could prevent the resurrection Jesus had promised.
✅ Conclusion
Matthew 27 ends with Jesus dead and buried, the tomb sealed, and guards posted. But the promise of the third day still stood.
Summary Conclusion
Matthew 27 records Judas’ remorse, Jesus before Pilate, the release of Barabbas, the mocking and crucifixion of Jesus, His death, the torn veil, and His burial in Joseph’s tomb. The chapter reveals the innocent Christ condemned in the place of the guilty, the Son of God suffering shame, and the way to God opened through His death. Though the tomb was sealed, Jesus’ promise of resurrection remained certain.
Final Questions For You
- How does Barabbas help us understand substitution?
- What does the torn veil teach about access to God through Jesus?
- Why could no seal, stone, or guard stop what Jesus had promised?