Matthew 27 Devotional: Witness the trial, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus Christ. Reflect on the "Great Exchange" where the sinless Son of God died in the place of sinners to open the way to the Father.Ā
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Matthew Chapter 27. We have reached the darkest and most sacred hours of the Gospel. Today, we stand in the courts of Pilate and at the foot of the Cross on Golgotha. As we read, let us remember that this is not just a story of human tragedy, but the sovereign plan of God for our redemption.Ā
The Kingās Sacrifice and the Torn Veil
Matthew 27 is the climax of the passion of Christ. We see the betrayal of Judas ending in despair, the trial before Pilate where the crowd chooses a murderer over the Messiah, and the physical agony of the crucifixion. Yet, in the midst of the suffering, Godās sovereignty is on full display. As Jesus breathes His last, the temple curtaināwhich separated man from God's presenceāis torn in two from top to bottom.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the heart of Substitutionary Atonement. As your Statement of Faith affirms, we believe all have sinned and are separated from God, but through Christ's death, we are justified and forgiven. Jesus took the weight of the "cup" of judgment so that we might receive the "cup" of blessing. The torn veil tells us that the barrier created by our sin has been removed by His blood. We no longer need an earthly high priest; we have direct access to the Father through the finished work of His Son. Today, we are invited to look at the Cross and see both the gravity of our sin and the overwhelming magnitude of God's grace.
27 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel 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.
3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36 And sitting down they watched him there;
37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 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?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 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;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.
57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
The centurion, seeing the earthquake and the way Jesus died, exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" Let us enter prayer with that same confession of faith and awe.Ā
Dear Heavenly Father, We humble ourselves today as we reflect on the sacrifice of Your Son. We believe that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, lived a sinless life and was willingly crucified for our sins according to Your perfect will for our salvation. We are overwhelmed that the King of Glory would be mocked and shamed so that we could be called Your children.
Lord, I thank You for the "Great Exchange" that happened on the Cross. Thank You for taking my sin and giving me Your righteousness. Forgive me for the times I have taken this grace for granted or tried to earn my own way to You. Help me to live every day in the freedom of the "torn veil," approaching Your throne with confidence and gratitude. May the reality of the Cross kill the pride in my life and replace it with a heart that is truly born again by Your Spirit.
We pray for those who are still trying to save themselves through their own works; may the Holy Spirit convict them of their need for the Savior and lead them to the gift of Your grace. We lift up the universal Church, asking that we would be a people who constantly point a broken world to the Lamb of God. We pray for those facing injustice or false accusations today, that they would find strength in the example of the silent and sovereign King. May Your name be glorified through the message of the Cross in every nation. Amen.
The crowd chose Barabbas (the guilty) to be released while Jesus (the innocent) was condemned. How does the reality that Jesus took your "place" on the cross change how you will face your struggles or interactions today?Ā
Why did the Temple veil tear from top to bottom? The direction is crucial; it shows that the tearing was an act of God, not man. It signaled that the old sacrificial system was finished and that every believer now has direct access to Godās presence through Christ.
Who was Pontius Pilate and why did he wash his hands? Pilate was the Roman governor. Washing his hands was a symbolic gesture to claim he was innocent of Jesus' blood, though he still gave the order for the execution. It highlights that while humans made choices, Godās sovereign plan was being fulfilled.
Why did Jesus cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus was quoting Psalm 22, identifying Himself with the suffering servant. In that moment, as He bore the sins of the world, He experienced the weight of the separation from the Father that our sin deserved.
Thank you for joining us for Matthew 27. May you walk today in the humble confidence of a child of God, bought by the blood of the King. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the glorious news of Matthew Chapter 28.Ā