Matthew 27
Matthew Chapter 27, Explained
The leaders deliver Jesus to Pilate. Judas, remorseful, returns the silver and hangs himself. Pilate, pressured by the crowd, releases Barabbas and delivers Jesus to be crucified after washing his hands. Soldiers mock and scourge Him. At Golgotha He is crucified between two thieves, reviled, and cries out before yielding His spirit. The temple veil tears, the earth quakes, a centurion confesses Him, and Joseph buries Him in a new tomb.
Key verses from Matthew 27
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46
“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”
Matthew 27:51
What happens in Matthew 27
The chief priests deliver Jesus, bound, to Pilate. Judas, seized with remorse, returns the thirty pieces of silver, casts them into the temple, and hangs himself; the money buys the potter's field. Pilate questions Jesus, who is largely silent, and marvels. Pressed by the crowd stirred up by the priests, Pilate offers to release Barabbas or Jesus; they demand Barabbas and cry for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate washes his hands and delivers Him after scourging.
The soldiers mock Him with a crown of thorns, a robe, and a reed, then lead Him to Golgotha, where He is crucified between two thieves, His accusation reading King of the Jews. Passersby and priests revile Him. Darkness covers the land; Jesus cries, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, and yields up the ghost. The veil tears top to bottom, the earth quakes, tombs open, and a centurion confesses, Truly this was the Son of God. Joseph of Arimathaea buries Him in a new tomb, sealed and guarded.
Where Matthew 27 sits
Roman crucifixion was a public, agonizing execution reserved for slaves and rebels, designed to shame and deter. Pilate, the Roman governor, held authority over capital punishment, which the Jewish leaders lacked. Matthew stresses fulfilled prophecy throughout, from the potter's field to the parted garments, presenting the crucifixion not as tragic accident but as the appointed sacrifice foretold in Scripture.
Themes in Matthew 27
The innocent condemned. Pilate finds no fault, his wife warns him, and he washes his hands, yet Jesus is condemned. Barabbas, a guilty man, goes free while the innocent One takes his place. The whole scene displays the great exchange at the heart of the gospel: the just for the unjust.
Forsaken for us. From the cross Jesus cries, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. In that darkness He bears the abandonment sin deserves, enduring the God-forsakenness we earned so that we might never be forsaken. It is the loneliest cry in Scripture, uttered on our behalf.
The veil torn. At His death the temple veil tears from top to bottom, the barrier between God and people opened by God's own hand. The earthquake and opened tombs announce that this death breaks the power of death. A Gentile centurion confesses what the leaders denied.
How Matthew 27 points to Jesus
This chapter is the crucifixion of Christ, and it is drenched in fulfilled prophecy. Jesus' cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me, are the opening words of Psalm 22, a psalm that also foretold pierced hands, mocking enemies, and gambling for His garments, all fulfilled at the cross. The soldiers parted His garments and cast lots, as it was written. Innocent, He dies in the place of guilty Barabbas, a picture of every sinner set free because Jesus took their condemnation. The torn veil declares that His death opens the way to God once closed by sin. What looked like defeat was the sacrifice the whole Bible had been moving toward, the Son of God laying down His life to reconcile us to the Father.
A thought to carry
Barabbas woke that morning condemned to die, and by evening walked free because Jesus hung in his place. That exchange is the gospel in miniature. The guilty go free; the innocent bears the cross. Look at the cross and see your own release.
A prayer. Lord Jesus, You were condemned though innocent, forsaken so I would never be. You took the cross that belonged to me and tore the veil that kept me out. I can hardly grasp such love. Draw me near through the way You opened with Your blood. Amen.
Want to sit with this chapter for yourself? Read all of Matthew 27 in the King James Version, then open The Living Bread to ask any question about it and pray with others, free.
Questions people ask about Matthew 27
Why did Jesus cry out that God had forsaken him?
On the cross Jesus quoted the opening of Psalm 22, expressing the anguish of bearing sin in our place. Christians understand that as He took upon Himself the judgment sin deserves, He experienced the forsakenness we had earned, so that those who trust Him would never be forsaken by God. His cry was both real agony and fulfilled Scripture.
What is the meaning of the temple veil tearing?
The veil separated the Most Holy Place, where God's presence dwelt, from the people. When it tore from top to bottom at Jesus' death, God signaled that the barrier between Himself and humanity was removed. Through Jesus' sacrifice, access to God is opened; forgiven people may now draw near without fear.
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