#1326 Matthew 27 Part 4 Darkened

 

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. Matthew 27: 45-56 ESV

Matthew 27: 45-56

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land - In Roman time this would be from noon till about 3 in the afternoon. Darkness is associated with God's judgment. He is giving a physical, historical sign here of the time at which His wrath is being poured out on His Son. Jesus is the altar upon which the sin offering rests, and this is every sin from the fall till the end of time. This is the darkness that awaits the unrepentant, those that hold onto their sin, demand that God bow to them, live unto themselves and forever reject God's only way, Jesus. He was hung up there in the light, had been a spectacle during the day, had been mocked, and recognized beyond the shadow of a doubt. Africanus, the historian, makes remarkable comments below, not arguing about whether this happened, but arguing against the naturalist's desire to put it off, dismiss what happened with an unsuitable natural explanation. 

There was contemporary evidence for this unusual darkness. “Origen (Contra Celsus, ii,33) and Eusebius (Chron.) quoted words from Phlegon (a Roman historian) in which he made mention of an extraordinary solar eclipse as well as of an earthquake about the time of the crucifixion.” (Geldenhuys in his commentary on Luke)

iii. Phlegon, Roman historian wrote: “In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad, there was an extraordinary eclipse of the sun: at the sixth hour, the day turned into dark night, so that the stars in heaven were seen; and there was an earthquake.” (Cited in Clarke)

On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Savior falls on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun. And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun? Let opinion pass however; let it carry the majority with it; and let this portent of the world be deemed an eclipse of the sun, like others a portent only to the eye. Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth—manifestly that one of which we speak. But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe? Surely no such event as this is recorded for a long period.8

Africanus rightly argues that a solar eclipse could not have occurred during the lunar cycle of the Passover, as this diagram shows. He also questions the link between an eclipse, an earthquake, and the miraculous events recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. Eclipses do not set off earthquakes and bodily resurrections. We also know that eclipses only last for several minutes, not three hours. For Africanus, naturalistic explanations for the darkness at the crucifixion were grossly insufficient, as he showed by applying real science. Creation.com - Africanus

…13He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning. 14They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night. Job 5: 13-14

…30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. 32And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised, among the remnant called by the LORD.… Joel 2: 30-32

…10And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish 11and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds. 12And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.… Revelation 16: 10-12

…29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.… Matthew 25: 29-31

Eli Eli lama sabachthani - My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me - This is from Psalm 22, a Psalm that describes the crucifixion in vivid detail 1,000 years before it happens. This is the Son of God, a member of the Trinity, God the Son being forsaken by God the Father and Spirit. It is honestly beyond my comprehension, but so complete was His obedience, so complete was my salvation, that Christ stoops this low, to be forsaken of His own Father until Holiness is satisfied. People ask, "how can God forsake God?", but Scripture is clear that there are three persons. I ask them, "how could anyone but God appease the infinite nature? How could anyone but the eternally begotten Son satisfy the infinitely holy and just God, and take the cup of His wrath towards all those who are being saved from all of time, in 3 hours?" 

1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? 2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest. 3Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.… Psalm 22: 1-3

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit - In John's gospel we find what Jesus said, "It is finished", the debt is paid, My sheep are bought back, the slaves are set free. The requirements of justice have been met, and God's holiness remains intact even in His mercy. 

…29A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit. 31It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.… John 19: 29-31

The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom - This is the veil that separated the Holy place from the Most Holy place in the temple. As many have mentioned, it was notably torn from top to bottom because God did the tearing. God and man have long been separated because of sin, but Christ made atonement for this. In the Holy of Holies is the Ark of the Covenant, and inside the Ark is the scrolls, the ten commandments, the law which was broken. Above them, the lid, that is the mercy seat, the foot stool of God, where the cherubim face His presence. On this thin layer, the mercy seat, which separates God from the broken law beneath, the priest sprinkles the blood of the atonement. Imagine being the priest who walked in to this scene.

Acts 6:7 says that in the days of the early church, a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Perhaps this torn veil demonstrated to them the greatness of the work of Jesus. It is also probably how the torn veil became common knowledge.

iii. “It is not a slight rent through which we may see a little; but it is rent from the top to the bottom. There is an entrance made for the greatest sinners. If there had only been a small hole cut through it, the lesser offenders might have crept through; but what an act of abounding mercy is this, that the veil is rent in the midst, and rent from top to bottom, so that the chief of sinners may find ample passage!” (Spurgeon)

…24and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.… Romans 3: 24-26

Earth quaked and rocks were split - Interestingly this will happen again at His second coming.

…3Then the LORD will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. 4On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. 5You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him.… Zechariah 14: 3-5

Saints who had fallen asleep were raised - This is an interesting testament and encouragement to those who are waiting even now. It should also help with understanding the picture of  rapture in 1 Thessalonians.

They were raised, “Not to converse again, as heretofore, with men, but to accompany Christ, that raised them, into heaven; and to be as so many ocular demonstrations of Christ’s quickening power.” (Trapp)

…16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. 17After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.… 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-18

Truly this was the Son of God - The centurions offer up the fear of God which is the beginning of knowledge, and even in their uninitiated state, not understanding before Who this was or why these Jews were so angry, they make a confession that bears the earmarks of those who truly believe. They have witnessed and participated in His abuse, have seen the sky blackened, the earth quake, all on the day when a man who has a placard above His head that reads, "King of the Jews", a man Who claimed to be the Son of God, was accused of blasphemy for such, and crucified. What a coincidence that it would all happen on this day. How wide their eyes must have opened when they looked further into the festival, the meaning of the Passover, and wider still when they find that all these things were spoken of by the prophets. Some heathens see what the religious elite refuse to accept even with more evidence than these soldiers had available to them. 

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#1325 Matthew 27 Part 3 Hail, King of the Jews

 

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. Matthew 27: 27-44 ESV

Matthew 27: 27-44

Then the soldiers of the governor - These were Roman soldiers because they were part of the Roman kingdom, not because they were from Italy. They were probably Syrians so they were able to speak the local language, especially Aramaic. These men were trained not only in fighting but in execution, and as you will see, they enjoy what they do. Jesus Himself held that the government does not bare the sword in vane, but it is there to deal with the evil doer, to establish justice and peace. When we don't live according to God's way we should expect rulers who are unjust, who abuse power, and here we see these men take great delight in their ignorance of Who they treating this way. I have known men who were Corrections Officers, and they took far too much pleasure in force. They were so use to posturing and intimidation that they tried to carry this same approach to the work place, where it was unacceptable, and I would contend, should have been unacceptable in the jail. 

…3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. 5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.… Romans 13: 3-5

1First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority— so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,… 1 Timothy 2: 1-3

They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him - They pick on Him as a pack of boys would pick on a mentally ill person. He is a Jew so they first humiliate Him by stripping Him, then they provide a scarlet robe, the closest thing they can find to the color of royalty. 

…7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: 8“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.” 9Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast.… Psalm 22: 7-9

Crown of thorns...reed - It is a comedy for them, it's like watching my daughter's cat play with a lizard, the Son of God has become a way to pass time for these men, a joke for them. "You said you were a king, so here is a robe, a crown and a scepter." C. S. Lewis said of Christ that He is either a liar, a lunatic or Lord, and these soldiers are certain it is the first two, insanity won't make something true, though the insane may be deeply convinced of what they believe. 

“Take heed of sinning in a crowd. Young man, abandon the idea that you may sin in a crowd. Beware of the notion that, because many do it, it is less a guilt to any one of them.” (Spurgeon)

Hail, King of the Jews - This is the single most bazaar treatment of anyone, calling Him unknowingly Who Matthew has skillfully demonstrated Him to be, first by lineage, the Son of David, and by His deeds, the Son of God. Jesus is actually getting punished for claiming to be Who He is, but as He has made clear to Pilate also, He is being punished by the will of the Father.

…17The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.” 19Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message.… John 10: 17-19

…10So Pilate said to Him, “Do You refuse to speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You and authority to crucify You?” 11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed Me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” 12From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.”… John 19: 10-12

Spit on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head - Recall that spitting is the highest sign of disrespect, of disdain, your life means so little to me that I spit on it. They try to show Him to not be king by giving him a mock scepter and then showing how easy it is to take the Lordship of this insane Man and hit Him in the face with it. What a spectacle to the reader who knows Who He is, I could not take this much disrespect.

iv. It is possible for us to mock Jesus today by the way we live. “You have mocked him by a feigned worship, and thus you have put the purple robe upon him. For that purple robe meant that they made him a nominal king, a king who was not in truth a king, but a mere show. Your Sunday religion, which has been forgotten in the week, has been a scepter of reed, a powerless ensign, a mere sham. You have mocked and insulted him even in your hymns and prayers, for your religion is a pretense, with no heart in it; you brought him an adoration that was no adoration, a confession that was no confession, and a prayer that was no prayer. Is it not so?” (Spurgeon)

v. Spurgeon wondered how Matthew heard of this crown of thorns and the mocking that went along with it. He wonders if it was not one of the soldiers that was later converted and came to faith in Jesus. “Our Lord’s marred but patient visage preached such a sermon that one at least who gazed upon it felt its mysterious power, felt that such patience was more than human, and accepted the thorn-crowned Savior as henceforth his Lord and his King.” - E Word

Man of Cyrene, Simon by name - A man from N. Africa, undoubtedly there for the Passover, is given the honor of bearing Jesus' Cross, I wonder if he understood? It says, "they compelled him," marvelously it was not his choice or desire.

i. Wonderfully, we have reason to believe that Simon came to know what it really meant to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus. There is some evidence to suggest that his sons became leaders among the early Christians (Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13). - E Word

ii. “How easy it would have been to carry the cross had he known Jesus as he came to know Him afterwards!” (Meyer)

22“The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” 23Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.… Luke 9: 22-24

Mixed with gall - Most think this was a narcotic with a sort of tranquilizing effect, but Jesus refused. I would have begged for much stronger, an epidural,  morphine, and I would have fought to force them to take my life more quickly. Jesus was not oblivious to what the cross looked like, and most would cringe at the thought of it for themselves, but He has chosen to walk this way, this was the reason He came. He chose to keep His wits about Him, I can't imagine, I have gone to great lengths to avoid much less.

…20Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. 21They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst. 22May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.… Psalm 69: 20-22

They divided His garments by casting lots - As to the prophecy. 

…17I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. 18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. 19But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.… Psalm 22: 17-19

This is Jesus, King of the Jews - Criminals had a placard with them that showed their crime, so all that pass by would know this as a warning not to steal or commit other acts which lead here. Jesus' charge was chosen by Pilate for spite against the Jewish leaders, yet it tells the reality which they did not want to accept.

…9Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? 10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. 11He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.… Genesis 49: 9-11

If You are the Son of God come down from the cross - They regard only the power to avoid this, to stop this, not comprehending the power it would take to go through this, to set His face like a flint, to endure hell's fury, human depravity and the wrath of almighty God. 

Let Him come down now from the cross and we will believe in Him - Always on their terms, but all would have been lost if He stepped down. So blind, they would not believe regardless, He has to die and we have to be born again to believe on Him.

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#1324 Matthew 27 Part 2 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. Matthew 27: 11-26 ESV

Matthew 27: 11-26

Jesus stood before the governor - Pilate was the representative of Rome. Rome held the power of execution, Pilate was there for the feast time, to keep the Pax Romana (Peace), and he had already had issues with the Jewish leaders before. According to history it didn't favor him very well, and it would seem that this could take him to the three strikes rule. This is the setting and some of the history given in a MacArthur sermon from 1985:

But what would Pilate do now? He knows He doesn’t deserve to die and yet he doesn’t want to irritate the crowd and create another incident. His life is on the line. His career is on the line. He’s got some real problems. You see, Pilate was in a very dangerous position. Let me tell you why. When he originally came to power, he made some big mistakes. The first thing he did to make a show of power when he was appointed governor was to ride into Jerusalem with a whole entourage of soldiers to show his power. And in came the soldiers and they had these banners, these flags. And on top of the flags in brass or some kind of metal was an eagle and on top of the eagle was a molded image of Caesar. Prior governors had had the sense to remove those kinds of things because the Jews believed them to be idols – any graven image. And the Jews had left idolatry since the Babylonian captivity, they didn’t tolerate it. And the other governors had been careful about that, but Pilate, wanting to show his power, came in with his whole group of soldiers, all with the image of Caesar, which of course the Romans believed to be a god. And so here was an idol in the city of Jerusalem, the holy city. The Jews rioted and protested and demanded that he take those off his banners. In a power play, he refused to do it.

After accomplishing what he wanted to in his splendorous appearance in Jerusalem, he turned to return the 60 miles to the seacoast in Caesarea where his basic operation was headquartered, and they followed him for five days, screaming and rioting and demanding – sometimes patiently, sometimes impatiently – that he remove those graven images. He refused to do it. He called a meeting of all these rioting Jews. He put them in the amphitheater, surrounded them with his soldiers and said if they didn’t stop the demands, he would cut off their heads. At which point they bared their necks, pulled their heads to one side and told his soldiers to go ahead and cut off all their heads. And they called his bluff. There was no way he could do it. There was no way he could report back to Rome that he had massacred a whole bunch of defenseless Jews in an amphitheater with their necks bared.

Furthermore, it could have led to a wholesale national revolution. He couldn’t have survived that situation because he was sent to keep the peace, not start a war. They called his bluff. He removed all of those images. And they were one up on him. They had him where they wanted him. A little later, he realized the need for a better water supply in Jerusalem. So he decided to build an aqueduct to bring water into the city of Jerusalem. And to do it, he took the money out of the temple treasury, money which was devoted to God. This so greatly irritated the Jews that it fomented another riot which he had to deal with by sending his soldiers into a huge crowd of people with clubs and spears and swords and at a given signal they clubbed and stabbed people to death to break up the riot.

The third and really most devastating thing that happened to Pilate was when he established a residence in the city of Jerusalem and made some shields for his soldiers, and on the shields he had engraved “Tiberius, The Emperor.” Which to the Jewish people again was an emblem of a false god and they demanded that the shields be changed. And he refused to do that. And so they sent word to Tiberius. They reported him actually to Caesar that he was doing this. Caesar sent word down to get those shields changed immediately. So they have him right where they want him. - J Mac

Are you the king of the Jews - Why does he ask Him this? Well the Jews first accused Him of plotting against the temple, and then they switched to blasphemy because He called Himself the Son of God. Now they're in front of a Roman representative, and they want the death penalty, so they need something that will peak his interest. Rome has put down insurrections in the past, and if this man claims to be a king in the face of Caesar then the Jewish leaders may convince Pilate that He is a threat to Rome and the Pax Romana. 

You have said so - He doesn't deny it, and we get more of the story behind this accusation in John's gospel.

28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. John 18: 28-40 ESV

6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. John 19: 6-16

So that the governor was greatly amazed - Everyone has a story, an excuse, but not Jesus. Pilate has probably had hundreds of men grovel before him, begging for their lives, but this guy is quiet. As John points out, Pilate could find no wrong in Jesus worthy of death. The Jews would except nothing but the death penalty, and moreover, God had chosen this to be His time, the Passover. 

A notorious prisoner called Barabbas - He was a thief and probably worse. Jesus will be most likely on the cross meant for this thief, between his fellow robbers. Pilate puts it out there, hoping that the people will choose the innocent over the guilty, that Pilate can let Jesus go, and it's not a horrible idea. Jesus had healed many, fed thousands, was well known in the land, and I think also that Satan does not want Christ to go to the cross. Everything in the OT points towards Him, His being the covering in the garden, the first sacrifice, the Ram that takes the place of Isaac, the suffering servant, even His betrayal is attested to, and this is the point of the Passover Lamb, that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Sin has a price, and it is the slave master  of all who practice it, are born into it. Satan wanted Jesus to fail at His temptation in the wilderness, and He even tempted Him through His friend Peter. The Lord was tempted once again in the garden, the anxiety, the anguish of the moment pouring out through His pours. In order for God to be just and yet save men, then He has to pay the price for their freedom, and the devil doesn't want Jesus to succeed. Certainly all of hell will come at Him as He goes to Calvary, but it is the wrath of His Father that burdens Him the most, being forsaken so that I won't be. 

For he knew it was out of envy - Surely they will choose Jesus and not a known criminal. Pilate plays his hand, and he sees through their egos, but they have worked up the crowd, and it is more fickle than he could imagine. Only days ago they shouted, "Hosanna", they gathered in large groups to be healed and hear Him teach, but now they scream for Barabbas. How is this possible?

His wife sent word to him - Have nothing to do with that righteous Man. Jesus was innocent, and His accusers were guilty, but no matter who tries to stop it, it is His destiny, for this reason He was born into this world. 

Let Him be crucified - They will except no less, and God will except no less, what a paradox. They seek His life for evil and God seeks it to perform the greatest good. His death is both unfair and yet fair in it's acquisition, what it accomplishes is the necessity of redemption. He goes to the cross and the criminal walks away.

When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing - He sees a riot, embarrassment, and ultimately, like most of us, he fears men more than God. He doesn't love the truth, he even asked what truth is, but one thing he doesn't want is the disappointment of Rome. They will say he made a mistake if he let's Jesus go and it turns into a riot. In the minds of those in the ivory tower, far away from here, they will say, "what's one man? Give Him to them and be done with it. Just keep the peace, there are 2 million people here for this festival, so give them Jesus." He's a politician and he doesn't want to kill Jesus, but he's a politician.

Washed his hands - Symbolism, as good as being baptized not knowing Who you believed in or what it means. 

See to it yourselves - And what sort of innocence is this that watches, that throws Jesus, the Innocent, to the mob?

His blood be on us and our children - Wow, just wow, and on so many levels. He is the blood that was pictured for us on the doorpost. This is so necessary, yet they don't want Him to go that they might be saved. Mob justifications are so impulsive and fraught with self righteousness. They don't see His blood as the covering that they need, and so they handle it as murderers. It is an outrage that they were concerned about getting close to the gentiles, being defiled and so not able to participate in the Passover, yet they were here guilty of the most heinous of sins and oblivious. 

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#1323 Matthew 27 Part 1 Hung Himself

 

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. 2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” Matthew 27: 1-10 NKJV

Matthew 27: 1-10 Suicide

When morning came - The trial by night was informal and illegal, and we saw that they were still searching for a charge during it. Now, as hypocrites do, they will pay homage to the law by conducting a session during the day to legitimize their pursuit. 

 “But as it was contrary to all forms of law to proceed against a person’s life by night, they seem to have separated for a few hours, and then, at the break of day, came together again, pretending to conduct the business according to the forms of law.” (Clarke)

Delivered Him to Pontius Pilate - They are seeking the death penalty and Rome holds that power, so they must present their case before the governor. 

“Pilate was in fact appointed prefect or procurator by Tiberius Caesar in A.D. 26. Prefects governed small, troubled areas; and in judicial matters they possessed powers like those of the far more powerful proconsuls and imperial legates; in short, they held the power of life and death.” (Carson)

ii. “The ordinary residence of procurators was Caesarea, on the sea coast, but it was their custom to be in Jerusalem at Passover time, with a detachment of soldiers, to watch over the public peace.” (Bruce)

iii. Philo, the ancient Jewish scholar from Alexandria, described Pilate: “His corruption, his acts of insolence, his rapine, his habit of insulting people, his cruelty, his continual murders of people untried and uncondemned, and his never-ending gratuitous and most grievous inhumanity.” (Barclay)

Was remorseful - Judas is regretting his decision to betray Jesus, he feels guilty perhaps, slighted maybe, the money did not offset the reality of the anguish. The strength of his mission was enhanced by being possessed of the devil himself, and now the poor man is feeling used and alone. He was used by both Satan and the religious rulers, but the entry way for both was his greed and unbelief. 

I have sinned by betraying innocent blood - Here the betrayer confesses Jesus' innocence. Now this is interesting, for whatever means he had used before to justify his betrayal, to turn upon the Son of God, his teacher, he can no longer reconcile these things. He wants to be free of guilt, this is painful, agonizing, and so he confesses it to those who paid him, the chief priests and elders, those that should know what to do, and, according to the law, be ready to hear evidence to the contrary lest they take an innocent life. Judas has first knocked upon the door of religion. It is not the right door. Again, I ponder the three years that Judas was with Christ, yet all he can say of Him in the end is, He is innocent. 

1“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2But the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.… John 10: 1-3

…8All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.… John 10: 8-10

What is that to us - They were useless, and as always they were not willing to lift a finger to help this man with his burden. The truth was not what they sought, and they were pushing hard against it. They refuse to take the money back.

Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple - He is not going to keep it, and so he tries yet another door, which is the same as the first door. Judas puts the money where the priest will have no choice but to deal with it. 

By throwing the money into the temple (the “naos, properly the inner sanctuary, where only the priests were allowed to go” according to France), Judas wanted to implicate the priests in his crime. It was his way of saying, “You also are guilty of this.”

ii. “The act of a desperate man, determined that they should get the money, and perhaps hoping it might be a kind of atonement for his sin.” (Bruce)

Went and hanged himself - Yet another door, another wrong door. God has expressly stated, "thou shalt not kill", and herein is the manifestation of man's sin, his pride that says, "my body, my choice, it's my life to do with as I please". Judas knows that cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, and he is seeking a way out, a way to express his guilt and pay for his sin. Now there are people who kill themselves for various reasons, some even to hurt someone else, some because of the hurt they have received of others, and here it is the burden of guilt, but this door is deceiving, it promises relief but it is the beginning of eternal sorrows. 

…11I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. 12While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them.… John 17: 11-13

…23From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.” Isaiah 66: 23-24

Because they are the price of blood - Even the priests know that it is blood money, this was about protecting their interests as the religious elite, their desire to have the people look to them alone. It was to protect their racketeering, the money they made by disgracing the temple. How disgusting though that they will again nod to a part of the law as if it legitimizes the breaking of the law, lying, murder. I have seen men like this, men who will use the law to protect their sin, men who will gladly condemn someone more righteous than themselves.

Called the "field of blood" to this day - Even the people living there knew this was no kindness to the strangers in the land, that this was a means for the superstitious leaders to rid themselves of the blood money. They thought this some legal loophole or means to wash their hands of innocent blood. Like mob bosses their is no repentance here, no regret, it is all necessary to protect their dark market empire.

What was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet - The passage is actually recorded in Zechariah, but the Jews divide the books into the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms or sayings. The prophets is collectively referred to by the first book or header book, Jeremiah. Zechariah is part of the Jeremiah Scroll.

Some think that Matthew refers to scroll of Jeremiah, which included the book of Zechariah. - E Word

…12Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. 13And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”— this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.  Zechariah 11: 12-13

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#1322 Matthew 26: 69-75 Are You Cool

 

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. Matthew 26: 69-75 ESV

Matthew 26: 69-75 Peter's Denial

…11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.… 1 Corinthians 10: 11-13

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard - This is the same Peter, who prior to this moment, rejected Christ's prophesy to the disciples that they would all bolt because of Him and that Peter would deny Him. He saw Jesus tell the waves and the wind to stop, and he acknowledged that Christ held the words of life. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Me." The Word incarnate, the very embodiment of Truth stood before Peter and told him, this is what you will do, and Peter vehemently refused to accept this. In the garden He warned the disciples that they needed to pray, but Peter was confident in his own resolve, and so he slept. "I already told You, God, that I am not going to deny You, so I don't need to pray." He was on a high, imagine 3 years with the Son of God as your teacher, watching Him perform miracle after miracle, even telling men and women what was going on in their hearts, but he wouldn't believe Jesus that he was weak, that his resolve wasn't enough. Peter, like all of us, had an unrealistic sense of self, he was an egotist like me, hard headed, sure of what he knew and what he thought he would do. But here he is already physically distancing himself, and many of have come forward to bear false witness, yet tragically no one comes to Jesus' aid, no one speaks up for Him, He is truly alone in this. Peter thinks he is tough, a man's man, someone who doesn't take crap from anyone, and remember, he said he could stand alone, that if everyone else fell away he wouldn't. He has always been the rooster in the yard, crowing the loudest, and before he weighs his thoughts.   

…33Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” 34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “ this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.… Matthew 26: 33-35

You also were with Jesus the Galilean - Peter is identified in the courtyard, and here is his chance to prove God wrong. What were Jesus' earlier words? This is cause to tremble.

32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.… Matthew 10: 32-34

I do not know what you mean - Poor guy was just trying to blend in with the crowd, and he most certainly didn't want to be called out. I give Peter credit that he is even this close since everyone else has seemed to vanish. Peter receives the ire of many a reader of this passage, but I ask you, where are the others in this scene? Peter is the only one close enough to receive this temptation, and I must ask myself, what would I have done, what have I done? 

Again, he denied it with an oath - The second servant girl doesn't just tell him, she says, "this man", so she is saying this to others. Now Peter is being outed and so he swears, "I swear, I don't know the Man." Now he really sounds like a fisherman. "Damnit, it was a ten pounder", but we all know that you don't own a scale, and looking at the picture it's what an honest person would estimate as a 5, maybe 6 pounder. 

Your accent betrays you - It would be awesome if both our words and our lives betrayed us to this world, that men could tell even in the worst of circumstances that this one belongs to Jesus. Accents are a familiar thing, and when I lived in the mountains the people there would call me "England", and I would tell them, "I'm not from there, I've never lived there, I was born in Charleston, S. C. and lived most of my life in Florida." They didn't think I sounded southern enough so they then called me, "California".  Up there in the corner of N.E. Georgia, W. North Carolina, and N.W. corner of S. C. they definitely sounded southern country, but there was a group of people north of there that had an even thicker accent which made them all sound like auctioneers when they talked. My wife's family is from Boston and some of my coworkers are from New York, Wisconsin, and even though everyone lives in the U.S., they all have different accents or dialects. Galilee was apparently very distinguishable, and the more he talked and swore the more apparent it became.

 “The Galileans spoke with a burr; so ugly was their accent that no Galilean was allowed to pronounce the benediction at a synagogue service.” (Barclay)

Invoke a curse on himself - "Damnit, I swear I don't know Him, and may lightning strike me dead if I am lying to you." Even more fervent than his earlier pledge of allegiance in the garden is his denial. He is spiraling now, his anxiety is at a peak, he's is aware of many eyes and ears upon him, but he has drifted into a very frantic survival mode. He is the cornered animal, hissing, growling, bearing his teeth, like the hognose snake pretending to be the pygmy rattler that he is not, like Caiaphas tearing his robes in order to sell his accusation. Peter had to look back on this years later and understand why it is best to be slow to speak, why it is best not to be ruled by emotions. We can't let the moment decide for us, we can't blame everything on our circumstances, for they only reveal the truth about us, and it can be humbling or damning. 

31Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33“Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.”… Luke 22: 31-33

And immediately the rooster crowed - Jesus saw this and told Peter before hand, and it causes it to sink in, but in Luke we also see that Jesus prayed that his faith would not fail, that this would not be a permanent falling away, but would rather lead Peter to repentance. Jesus also predicts Peter's return in Luke 22:32 pasted above. 

And he went out and wept bitterly - This broke Peter, and this is the call of repentance for everyone, that we be broken, no longer trusting in our own resolve or merit. It is the Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Human strength and will is inadequate. Jesus had prewarned him and prayed for him lest he be tempted to remain in despair, to not seek God's forgiveness or become suicidal. 

…16For You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You take no pleasure in burnt offerings. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.… Psalm 51: 16-18

…60“Man, I do not know what you are talking about,” Peter replied. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.… Luke 22: 60-62

"What makes the sinner repent - listen - is not to see your sin, but to see your Savior. Judas looked in Jesus' eyes, kissed Him and went to hell. Peter looked in Jesus' eyes, was crushed in tears. Peter loved his Lord, he saw Him with eyes of faith and trust and love. Peter loved the Lord." - J Mac

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