Matthew 27

http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew+27/

After the chief priests decide to kill Jesus, they take Him to Pilate, the Roman leader over the area. When Judas hears about what happens, he takes the thirty pieces of silver and goes back the the chief priests. He tells them that he wants to take back what he's done because he's sinned in turning in an innocent man. There are so many times that we want to take back the sinful things that we have done, but it's too late. We have already put another nail in Jesus on the cross. He's dead because of what we have done and cannot take back. Once we see something or say something, we cannot unsee or unsay those things no matter how much we will it. Afterwards, we even know that we have sinned, and we regret it and try to make it like it never happened, but there is nothing we can do. After Judas tried to give the money back, he threw it in the temple and left to hang himself. After he had gone, the chief priests tried to decide what to do with the money. They decided they couldn't put it into the treasury because it was blood money, so they bought a potter's field with it and buried strangers there. Matthew says that's why to the day when he wrote this book that field was known as the Field of Blood. This purchase also fulfilled a prophesy. Jesus and God did not keep these things secret so that only a few knew about them; they were very public events that fulfilled the prophesies.

When Jesus stood before the governor, Pilate asked Him if He is the king of the Jews, and Jesus replied that He is. Then, the Pharisees and others in the crowd shouted accusations and charges at Jesus, but He did not respond. Pilate asked Jesus if Jesus heard the charges the Jews were shouting, yet Jesus still did not respond. This lack of reaction surprises Pilate. Even now, in a heated trial, there is something noticeably different about how Jesus acts. He does not freak out or lose His cool with everything going on. He also knew that He had to die. He could not leave or get away even though He had the power and authority to do so. He stood silently, waiting to heal and fix those who shouted at Him that very moment. That is what sets Jesus apart.

Pilate had a tradition of releasing one Jewish prisoner to the people each Passover. This year, he asked the crowd if they wanted him to release a well known prisoner named Barabbas or Jesus. Pilate knew that they had Jesus arrested because they were jealous. He hoped that the crowd would chose to release Jesus, and Pilate would be done with this case. At that moment, Pilate received a letter from his wife that told him to let the innocent man go because she had a dream about Him. Meanwhile, the chief priests persuaded the crowd to tell Pilate to let Barabbas go. Then Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus, and they told Pilate to crucify Jesus. When Pilate tried to ask why, the crowd just kept shouting "Crucify Him!" Eventually, Pilate gave up because a riot began to break out. He took some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. Then, he told them that he had no part in killing the man. Then, the crowd said they and their children would take responsibility for His death. So Pilate freed Barabbas and had Jesus whipped and prepared for crucifixion. The Jews thought they were doing something right because they were blinded by their ways. So often we tell ourselves that God wants something for us, even though it is really our own ways blinding us. This causes us to sin regardless. If we think we are doing right, we are doing wrong. It takes a knowing. The Holy Spirit will let you know.

After Pilate handed Jesus over to the soldiers, they gathered around Him, ripped His clothes off, and put a bright red cape around Him. They fashioned some thorns into a crown and placed them on Jesus' head. They placed a stick in His right hand and mocked Him, saying, "Long live the King of the Jews!" Then, they hit Him on the head with the stick and spat on Him. That is how the world views Jesus, as a joke and a weakling, but they need only wait. Remember what Jesus said about His return to Earth.

Following their mockery, the soldiers prepared Jesus for the crucifixion. They made a man named Simon carry Jesus' cross. That day, the Romans hung two other criminals on crosses on either side of Jesus. Jesus was in the middle. They placed an accusation above His head: "This is Jesus, King of the Jews." All who passed by insulted Him, even the chief priests, even the criminals hanging beside Him. They said if He was truly the Son of God, He could get Himself off of the cross. Jesus didn't listen to them. He trusted God. He knew that if God wanted to get Him off the cross, God would do it. Can you imagine having that kind of faith? I could not stare death in the eye, knowing that I could save myself and not do it because I was waiting for God's will. That is what sets Jesus apart. I don't know anyone who would die to save those who mocked them. Amazing faith. Truly sinless, blameless, and perfect. The Holy Man.

A great darkness came over the land for hours. Finally, Jesus shouted out, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" That is the moment Jesus took on all the sins of the world. He cried out that God had abandoned Him. God cannot be with sin. God had to leave the presence of sin when Jesus took on all of the sin. You cannot kill God, but God was gone from Jesus in His last moment. Then, Jesus shouted out again and died. At that moment, the curtain in the temple split. The curtain separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. Only the chief priest could go into the Holy of Holies. The Holy Spirit dwelled in that place. When the curtain tore, the Holy Spirit left and prepared to enter the hearts of the Christians. Meanwhile, a great earthquake shook the ground and split the rocks. Dead people came to life and left their tombs (whether for Heaven or literally, I'm not quite sure). A soldier saw all of this happen, and he declared that Jesus must have truly been the Son of God.

A rich man, named Joseph, who followed Jesus, asked Pilate for the body. Pilate granted it to him, and he placed it in his brand new tomb. He gave the best for Jesus. He rolled a large stone in front of the tomb to seal it off.

The chief priests went to Pilate and asked if they could use soldiers to guard the tomb because they were afraid the disciples would steal Jesus' body and claim He came back to life. Pilate granted them soldiers, and the chief priests secured the tomb the best they could.