The Suffering, Signs, and Salvation of Jesus. Matthew 27

In Matthew 26 Jesus is betrayed by Judas, arrested and taken to Caiaphas the high priest to be interrogated by the scribes and the elders.

Witnesses came and said they heard Jesus say that He could destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. The High Priest then asked him under oath to tell them if was the Messiah, the Son of God.

In Matthew 26:64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

This enraged the high priest and the rest of the court. They declared Jesus a blasphemer, decided he deserved to die and then spit on him, beat him, and some even slapped him. As they hit Him they told him to prophesy and tell them who it was that hit Him.

While this was going on Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, fulfilled Jesus prophecy and denied that he knew Jesus three times. Jesus had told him he would do this, and after the third time the rooster would crow. The rooster crowed after Peter’s third denial and Peter broke down in tears over his sin toward Jesus.

Matthew 27:1-10

Matthew 27 begins the morning after Jesus is questioned, beaten, and condemned to die. When Judas finds out that they have decided to kill Jesus he is remorseful and returns the 30 pieces of silver to the Jewish leaders. But, it’s important to note that the word used here in the greek is different from the word we use for repent. Judas was not remorseful in the sense that would lead to him changing his mind or his heart. Instead, Scripture tells us that Judas we filled with the regret that leads to despair. I want to mention this because Judas turns further from the Lord in his remorse where Peter turns toward the Lord in his grief over his actions. Judas kills himself in his despair. Because Peter’s remorse was repentant Jesus restores him later after his resurrection.

The Jewish leaders use the 30 pieces of silver form Judas to buy a field as a burial place for foreigners. The place was known as the field of blood because of how the $ was gained, not because it was where Judas hanged himself. The $ was literally blood $ given as payment for Jesus’ betrayal that led to his crucifixion.

Matthew 27:11-26

The next step in the trial of Jesus was to take him before Pilate, the governor. The Jewish leaders brought Jesus before the governor with the claims that he was guilty of misleading the nation, preaching against paying taxes, and claiming to be a king. Each one of these was political rather than religious. The Romans did not concern themselves with the religious issues of the Jews, so they brought Jesus up on political and social charges that they knew the Romans would take serious.

Pilate did not find any fault in Jesus. And, when Pilate found out that Jesus was from Galilee he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod was the one who had killed John the Baptist and had jurisdiction over the area that contained Galilee. But, Matthew doesn’t record this in his gospel and sticks with Pilate. Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate because Jesus refused to speak before the one who had killed the mouthpiece and prophet of the Lord.

Pilate was still of the opinion that Jesus had done nothing wrong, and in an attempt to absolve himself of what happened next he put the decision in the hands of the people. It was tradition at that time of year for one prisoner to be released. He brought Jesus and one of the worst prisoners he had before the people to let them choose. Pilate told the people they could choose Jesus or Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber and a murderer, and Pilate assumed the people would reject Barabbas and have Jesus released.

But, the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to release Barabbas and led the crowd in the charge to crucify Jesus. When the crowd yelled crucify him, Pilate asked them “Why? What has he done wrong?” But, they just kept crying out “Crucify Him, crucify him!”

In Matthew 27:24 it was that Pilate washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!” With that the crowd answered and said “His blood be on us and on our children!”

And with that Barabbas was released and Jesus was mocked by the military.

Matthew 27:27-31

According to Matthew 27:27-31… They dressed him in a scarlet robe, twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They placed a staff in his right hand and knelt down before him and mocked him by saying “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then they spit on him, took his staff, hit him in the head, and stripped him of the robe and led him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:32-44

According to Matthew 27:32 they had to force another man to carry the cross of Jesus. Jesus was too weak from the beatings over the last night and day that he couldn’t carry the beam on his shoulders or back.

When they arrived at the place called Golgotha they crucified Jesus. This means that they nailed his wrists to the beam on the cross and his feet to the post the beam was attached too. The cross was more than the pain of the nails, it was torturous pain with every breath that he took. The cross could eventually suffocate a man as he lost the strength or couldn’t take the pain of pushing on the nails in his feet to take a breath.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross the soldiers divided his clothes up and cast lots (like rolling dice) to see who would get to have it. After they divided up his belongings they sat down and guarded him.

There was a sign placed above Jesus’ head that read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:38-44 tells us that while Jesus was on the cross the people who passed by him insulted and taunted him. It says in verses 42-44 that the chief priests, scribes, and elders were there mocking him by saying “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him. He trusts God; let God rescue him now— if He takes pleasure in Him! For he said, I am the Son of God.”

Even the criminals being crucified next to him were taunting him.

Matthew has consistently testified to the signs and wonders that accompanied the life and ministry of Jesus. He has also shown us on many occasions where the leaders of the Jews continued to demand one more sign from Jesus before they would believe and follow Him. And here while Jesus is on the cross they are once again telling him what He can do to win their allegiance and belief.

Matthew 27:45-56

So, in typical Matthew fashion we get a series of the signs that accompanied the crucifixion and death of Jesus. These signs further testify to the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us on the cross.

4 Signs & Wonders at the Death of Christ

1. There was darkness over the entire land from 12-3:00pm

This is reminiscent of the plague of darkness that God brought against the Egyptians when He was freeing them from slavery.

(Continuity of Jesus and Israel… the covenant of Moses/law is being discarded while at the same time God is fulfilling the covenant He made with Abraham. The law has been a guardian until the time of fulfillment has come… not the guardian is no longer needed and the promise given to Abraham is fulfilled through Jesus. The Pharisees were committed to the law of Moses to the degree that they were rejecting the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham.)

2. The curtain in the temple that divided the holy of holies from the sanctuary was torn from top to bottom.

The tear was from the top to signify that it was torn by the Lord and not by man. (More on this later)

3. The earth quaked and the rocks were split\

4. Tombs opened up and the bodies of many saints who had died were resurrected and appeared to man.

These signs and wonders at His death resulted in awe, fear, and praise!

4 Truths from the passage:

1. Jesus willingly took the insults, beatings, and crucifixion.

He was humiliated and received everything that they did to him without fighting back or even saying a word.

Peter speaks of Jesus as an example for us to follow based on the way He endured the suffering of the crucifixion.

1 Peter 2:21–25 (CSB)

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;, 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray,, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

2. Jesus received the wrath of God for our sin while He was on the cross

Matthew 27:45–50 (CSB)

45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land., 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”, 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.

The cup of wrath Jesus prayed about in the Garden of Gethsemane was poured out whileHe was on the cross. Jesus was enduring the wrath of God during the time that darkness came over the land. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB), “21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” At this point Jesus has been made sin, and when the darkness was over Jesus cried out to the Father quoting from Psalm 22. Psalm 22 begins with “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” But, Psalm 22 doesn’t end like it begins. The Psalm that begins with suffering ends with praise.

Psalm 22:25–28 (CSB) says, “25 I will give praise in the great assembly because of you; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. 26 The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before you, 28 for kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations.”

Jesus declared with His cries that His work was done. As Psalm 22:25 said, He had fulfilled His vows, and as Matthew 27:50 says, “He cried out again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit.” Note, death wasn’t forced on Jesus, He yielded to death, because unless He surrendered to death it would never come for Him. Nothing can take the life of God.

3. Jesus redeems us and restores us to the fellowship that was lost in the Garden of Eden (Torn Curtain)

When Jesus died he undid the curse of sin. Matthew 27:51 says, “Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split.”

It was just a few days ago that Jesus prophecied the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. We know that event happened in 70 AD, but it was at this moment that the earthly temple was rendered expired and the new temple was inaugurated.

The temple curtain separated the presence of God from the people of God. It symbolized the need for a mediator between God and man. The priests functioned to bring sacrifices for the people before the Lord. The curtain was a reminder of the intimacy and fellowship with God that we lost when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

As one writer said, “The only likely observers of the curtain-tearing would have been priests tending to the evening sacrifices in the Holy Place. They witnessed the undoing of their vocation as the man they rejected was sacrificed outside the city.”

The tearing of the curtain means there is nothing keeping us from intimacy with the God other than Jesus. Jesus is the new temple. Like He said to the disciples, he would tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. In Christ there is no curtain. In Christ the division between Jews and Gentiles is broken down. And in Christ the division between men and women is broken down.

This doesn’t mean that Jesus did away with the roles of men and women as it pertains to leadership in the church and marriage. But, it does mean that we have roles to play rather than a value. Neither male or female is more valuable in the kingdom of God. In fact, through Christ we find that the value of all humanity is restored to image of God that was lost in the Garden.

All throughout His ministry Jesus had been tearing down the walls the temple represented, the inner curtain was simply the last.

The death of Christ was a once for all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.

Hebrews 10:11–18 (CSB) says, “11 Every priest stands day after day ministering and offering the same sacrifices time after time, which can never take away sins. 12 But this man, after offering one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God., 13 He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. For after he says: 16 This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, the Lord says, I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds, 17 and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

The sacrifice of Jesus was the full and final sacrifice for sin. There was no need for the Holy of Holies or the sacrificial system that it represented anymore. Jesus completely fulfilled the law God gave to Moses and kept the promise God made to Abraham.

3. Jesus defeats sin and death and promises life through the power of His resurrection.

The truthfulness of His resurrection power fueled the actions of the chief priests, pharisees, and the Romans. Matthew 27:62-66 says, “62 The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards.”

The power displayed in the resurrection of the Jairus’ daughter, the son of the widow at Nain, and his friend Lazarus was again on display in the resurrection of many saints when Jesus died. This is the same power that was displayed three days later when Jesus Himself was resurrected and no longer in the tomb.

3 Points for personal application:

1. Salvation and satisfaction are found in Christ.

What was lost in the garden is gained through Christ

The deepest need of your soul is sin, and its deepest impact is your separation from God.

2. Hope is always present in the goodness and grace of God

Even in the darkest moment of the cross hope was present in the promise of God.

Throughout the entire Bible we see moments where all hope seems lost. But, all throughout the Bible the people of God depend on the promise of God to keep His Word. God is good and He is gracious. And, in His goodness and His grace He offers us hope in His promise to save all who call on His name. He offers us hope in the promise of His covenant with us through Jesus Christ. The hope of the world lies in the promise that God made to us, not the other way around. He is good and He is gracious, and He is keeping His promise to redeem and restore us through Jesus Christ.

3. The good news about Jesus demands to be shared

How can we keep this good news to ourselves?! The demands many things… it demands our devotion and it demands a commitment to sharing it.

I believe the Lord desires to use us to reach more and more lost and unchurched people with the good news of Jesus Christ. And I am confident that He is going to do this through you. My hope and prayer for us is that we will be obedient to the opportunities the Lord puts in front of us. With each step of obedience the Lord is preparing for us the next opportunity.

Take advantage of the Christmas season to share the truth of Christ with someone. Talk about Him with your kids, your parents, your siblings, your cousins, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, the people in line at the grocery store, and anyone who will listen.

The good news about Jesus demands to be shared! Let’s commit to telling the world that the one with the power to raise dead people from the grave willingly died to bring life to their soul.