New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Matthew 27
1
It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people decided to put Jesus to death.
Reference
2
They tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.
Reference
People
3
Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.
Reference
Repentance
2 Corinthians 7:10
4
"I have sinned," he said. "I handed over a man who is not guilty." "What do we care?" they replied. "That's your problem."
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Timothy 4:2
5
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Samuel 17:23
6
The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, "It's against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man's death."
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 23:18
7
So they decided to use the money to buy a potter's field. People from other countries would be buried there.
9
Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, "They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel.
Reference
Prophecy
Matthew 1:22
10
They used the coins to buy a potter's field, just as the Lord commanded me."--(Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1?13; 32:6?9)
Reference
References Lord
Zechariah 11:13
11
Jesus was standing in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes. It is just as you say," Jesus replied.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 2:2
Matthew 10:18
Parallel theme
Matthew 26:25
Matthew 10:25
References Jesus
Mark 14:62
Matthew 26:64
1 Timothy 6:13
12
But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer.
Reference
13
Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the charges they are bringing against you?"
Reference
Witness
Matthew 26:62
14
But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge. The governor was really amazed.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 8:18
15
It was the governor's practice at the Passover Feast to let one prisoner go free. The people could choose the one they wanted.
16
At that time they had a well?known prisoner named Barabbas.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
Mark 15:7
17
So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called Christ?"
Reference
18
Pilate knew that the leaders were jealous. He knew this was why they had handed Jesus over to him.
Reference
19
While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that man. He is not guilty. I have suffered a great deal in a dream today because of him."
Reference
Judgment
John 19:13
Parallel theme
Proverbs 29:1
1 Peter 2:22
Matthew 2:22
Matthew 27:4
Matthew 1:20
Righteousness
Matthew 27:24
Luke 23:47
Isaiah 53:11
Zechariah 9:9
20
But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowd into asking for Barabbas and having Jesus put to death.
Reference
21
"Which of the two do you want me to set free?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
22
"Then what should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
Reference
23
"Why? What wrong has he done?" asked Pilate. But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!"
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 7:57
24
Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, the crowd was starting to get angry. So he took water and washed his hands in front of them. "I am not guilty of this man's death," he said. "You are accountable for that!"
Reference
Blood
Matthew 27:4
Parallel theme
Psalm 26:6
Matthew 26:5
Righteousness
2 Corinthians 5:21
1 Peter 3:18
26
Pilate let Barabbas go free. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be nailed to a cross.
Reference
Cross
Mark 15:15
Matthew 20:19
John 19:16
Parallel theme
Isaiah 53:5
Isaiah 50:6
Luke 23:16
Mark 10:34
1 Peter 2:24
References Jesus
John 19:1
27
The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the palace, which was called the Praetorium. All the rest of the soldiers gathered around him.
Reference
29
Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They placed it on his head. They put a stick in his right hand. Then they fell on their knees in front of him and made fun of him. "We honor you, king of the Jews!" they said.
Reference
Kingdom
Mark 15:18
Isaiah 49:7
Matthew 27:37
Parallel theme
Isaiah 53:3
Matthew 20:19
Jeremiah 20:7
Matthew 26:49
31
After they had made fun of him, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to nail him to a cross.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 53:7
32
On their way out of the city, they met a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross.
Reference
📍 Cyrene
People
Cross
Mark 15:21
Matthew 16:24
Luke 23:26
John 19:17
Parallel theme
Acts 2:10
Acts 6:9
Acts 13:1
Acts 11:20
1 Kings 21:13
Leviticus 4:12
33
They came to a place called Golgotha. The word Golgotha means The Place of the Skull.
Reference
📍 Locations
Parallel theme
Mark 15:34
34
There they mixed wine with bitter spices and gave it to Jesus to drink. After tasting it, he refused to drink it.
Reference
36
They sat down and kept watch over him there.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 27:54
37
Above his head they placed the written charge against him. It read, ~this is jesus, the king of the jews.=
Reference
40
and said, "So you are going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days? Then save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
Reference
41
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders made fun of him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 35:26
42
"He saved others," they said. "But he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross! Then we will believe in him.
Reference
43
He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. He's the one who said, 'I am the Son of God.' "
Reference
46
About three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice. He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" This means "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?"--(Psalm 22:1)
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 5:7
Isaiah 53:10
Lamentations 1:12
References God
Psalm 22:1
Psalm 71:11
References Jesus
Mark 15:34
Luke 23:46
47
Some of those standing there heard Jesus cry out. They said, "He's calling for Elijah."
Reference
Parallel theme
Malachi 4:5
48
Right away one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar and put it on a stick. He offered it to Jesus to drink.
Reference
49
The rest said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50
After Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he died.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 20:28
John 10:15
John 10:11
Daniel 9:26
Spirit
John 19:30
Luke 23:46
Hebrews 9:14
Mark 15:37
51
At that moment the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook. The rocks split.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 6:19
Isaiah 25:7
Matthew 27:54
Matthew 28:2
Revelation 11:13
Habakkuk 3:10
Temple
Mark 15:38
Luke 23:45
Revelation 11:19
Hebrews 9:3
53
They came out of the tombs. After Jesus was raised to life, they went into the holy city. There they appeared to many people.
54
The Roman commander and those guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They exclaimed, "He was surely the Son of God!"
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 27:36
Acts 27:1
Acts 21:32
Acts 23:23
Acts 27:43
References God
Mark 15:39
Matthew 27:43
Matthew 4:3
References Jesus
Matthew 8:5
55
Not very far away, many women were watching. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs.
56
Mary Magdalene was among them. Mary, the mother of James and Joses, was also there. So was the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Reference
People
Parallel theme
John 19:25
Mark 16:9
Matthew 28:1
Matthew 27:61
Matthew 13:55
John 20:1
John 20:18
Luke 24:10
57
As evening approached, a rich man came from the town of Arimathea. His name was Joseph. He had become a follower of Jesus.
📍 Arimathea
People
58
He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him.
59
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.
60
He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb. Then he went away.
Reference
62
The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.
Reference
63
"Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He claimed, 'After three days I will rise again.'
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 26:61
John 7:12
Resurrection
Luke 9:22
Matthew 16:21
Mark 8:31
Mark 10:34
Matthew 20:19
Matthew 17:23
John 2:19
Luke 18:33
64
So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples might come and steal the body. Then they will tell the people that Jesus has been raised from the dead. This last lie will be worse than the first."
65
"Take some guards with you," Pilate answered. "Go. Make the tomb as secure as you can."
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 27:66
66
So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed some guards on duty.
Reference
Parallel theme
Daniel 6:17
Chapter Summary
Matthew 27 begins at daybreak with the religious leaders formally deciding that Jesus should be put to death, after which they bind Him and deliver Him to Pontius Pilate, because Roman authority controlled the legal power necessary for crucifixion in Judea.
Judas sees the consequences of his betrayal and becomes deeply remorseful, returning the thirty pieces of silver and acknowledging that he has betrayed innocent blood, but his remorse does not lead him toward restoration, and his tragic death becomes one of the darkest consequences of the betrayal.
The religious leaders themselves refuse to accept responsibility for Judas' anguish, yet they nevertheless use the returned money to purchase a potter's field, an event Matthew interprets through Israel's prophetic Scriptures.
Jesus is then brought before Pilate, where the central accusation concerns His identity as the King of the Jews, but despite the accusations brought against Him, Jesus remains largely silent, astonishing the Roman governor.
Pilate recognizes that the leaders have delivered Jesus because of envy and attempts to use the Passover prisoner-release custom to avoid condemning Him, offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious prisoner.
The crowd chooses Barabbas and demands Jesus' crucifixion, while Pilate symbolically washes his hands and declares himself innocent of Jesus' blood, even though he ultimately gives the order for Jesus to be crucified.
The Roman soldiers then subject Jesus to an extended period of mockery, humiliation, and physical abuse, dressing Him as a parody of a king, placing a crown of thorns on His head, striking Him, spitting on Him, and sarcastically honoring Him as the King of the Jews.
After this abuse, Jesus is led toward Golgotha, but because of His physical condition the soldiers compel Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross, after which Jesus is crucified between two criminals.
Even while Jesus hangs on the cross, the people, religious leaders, and criminals mock Him, repeatedly challenging Him to save Himself, yet their challenge completely misunderstands the nature of His mission because Jesus' refusal to escape is precisely what allows Him to complete the suffering He has willingly accepted.
The sign placed above His head identifies Him as "Jesus, the King of the Jews," and this becomes deeply ironic because the soldiers intend it as an accusation while Matthew's narrative presents it as a declaration of Jesus' true identity.
From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covers the land, and Jesus cries out using the opening words of Psalm 22, expressing the profound suffering and apparent abandonment surrounding His death.
Jesus then cries out again and gives up His spirit, and His death is immediately accompanied by dramatic signs, including the tearing of the Temple curtain, an earthquake, and the opening of tombs.
The tearing of the Temple curtain is particularly significant because it symbolizes a profound change in the relationship between God and humanity, while the earthquake and resurrection imagery emphasize that Jesus' death is not portrayed as an ordinary execution but as an event of enormous spiritual and cosmic significance.
A Roman centurion, witnessing what has happened, becomes afraid and declares that Jesus truly is the Son of God, providing a striking confession from a Gentile military officer at the very moment when many of Jesus' own people are rejecting Him.
Meanwhile, several women who had followed Jesus from Galilee remain near the crucifixion, demonstrating remarkable loyalty while the disciples who had earlier promised never to abandon Jesus are largely absent from the scene.
After Jesus' death, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple, approaches Pilate and asks for Jesus' body, receives permission to take it, wraps it in linen, and places it in his own new rock-cut tomb.
The women remain near the tomb, while the chief priests and Pharisees approach Pilate because they remember Jesus' prediction that He would rise after three days and fear that the disciples might remove His body and claim that He has risen.
Pilate therefore permits the tomb to be secured with a seal and guards, unintentionally creating circumstances that make the empty-tomb account in the following chapter even more significant.
Matthew 27 is therefore a chapter of rejection, injustice, suffering, sacrifice, death, and unexpected testimony, in which Jesus is repeatedly mocked as a king while the narrative continually reveals that He is indeed the King.
The chapter's central message is that Jesus willingly accepts humiliation and crucifixion despite His innocence, fulfilling the purpose associated with His mission while His death produces signs that point toward God's power and the coming victory over death.
Matthew 27 ultimately presents the cross not merely as the tragic death of an innocent man, but as the decisive event through which Jesus gives Himself willingly, suffers rejection and humiliation, and dies as the Messiah, while the guarded tomb stands as the silent setting for the resurrection that will transform the meaning of everything that has happened.
Judas sees the consequences of his betrayal and becomes deeply remorseful, returning the thirty pieces of silver and acknowledging that he has betrayed innocent blood, but his remorse does not lead him toward restoration, and his tragic death becomes one of the darkest consequences of the betrayal.
The religious leaders themselves refuse to accept responsibility for Judas' anguish, yet they nevertheless use the returned money to purchase a potter's field, an event Matthew interprets through Israel's prophetic Scriptures.
Jesus is then brought before Pilate, where the central accusation concerns His identity as the King of the Jews, but despite the accusations brought against Him, Jesus remains largely silent, astonishing the Roman governor.
Pilate recognizes that the leaders have delivered Jesus because of envy and attempts to use the Passover prisoner-release custom to avoid condemning Him, offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious prisoner.
The crowd chooses Barabbas and demands Jesus' crucifixion, while Pilate symbolically washes his hands and declares himself innocent of Jesus' blood, even though he ultimately gives the order for Jesus to be crucified.
The Roman soldiers then subject Jesus to an extended period of mockery, humiliation, and physical abuse, dressing Him as a parody of a king, placing a crown of thorns on His head, striking Him, spitting on Him, and sarcastically honoring Him as the King of the Jews.
After this abuse, Jesus is led toward Golgotha, but because of His physical condition the soldiers compel Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross, after which Jesus is crucified between two criminals.
Even while Jesus hangs on the cross, the people, religious leaders, and criminals mock Him, repeatedly challenging Him to save Himself, yet their challenge completely misunderstands the nature of His mission because Jesus' refusal to escape is precisely what allows Him to complete the suffering He has willingly accepted.
The sign placed above His head identifies Him as "Jesus, the King of the Jews," and this becomes deeply ironic because the soldiers intend it as an accusation while Matthew's narrative presents it as a declaration of Jesus' true identity.
From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covers the land, and Jesus cries out using the opening words of Psalm 22, expressing the profound suffering and apparent abandonment surrounding His death.
Jesus then cries out again and gives up His spirit, and His death is immediately accompanied by dramatic signs, including the tearing of the Temple curtain, an earthquake, and the opening of tombs.
The tearing of the Temple curtain is particularly significant because it symbolizes a profound change in the relationship between God and humanity, while the earthquake and resurrection imagery emphasize that Jesus' death is not portrayed as an ordinary execution but as an event of enormous spiritual and cosmic significance.
A Roman centurion, witnessing what has happened, becomes afraid and declares that Jesus truly is the Son of God, providing a striking confession from a Gentile military officer at the very moment when many of Jesus' own people are rejecting Him.
Meanwhile, several women who had followed Jesus from Galilee remain near the crucifixion, demonstrating remarkable loyalty while the disciples who had earlier promised never to abandon Jesus are largely absent from the scene.
After Jesus' death, Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple, approaches Pilate and asks for Jesus' body, receives permission to take it, wraps it in linen, and places it in his own new rock-cut tomb.
The women remain near the tomb, while the chief priests and Pharisees approach Pilate because they remember Jesus' prediction that He would rise after three days and fear that the disciples might remove His body and claim that He has risen.
Pilate therefore permits the tomb to be secured with a seal and guards, unintentionally creating circumstances that make the empty-tomb account in the following chapter even more significant.
Matthew 27 is therefore a chapter of rejection, injustice, suffering, sacrifice, death, and unexpected testimony, in which Jesus is repeatedly mocked as a king while the narrative continually reveals that He is indeed the King.
The chapter's central message is that Jesus willingly accepts humiliation and crucifixion despite His innocence, fulfilling the purpose associated with His mission while His death produces signs that point toward God's power and the coming victory over death.
Matthew 27 ultimately presents the cross not merely as the tragic death of an innocent man, but as the decisive event through which Jesus gives Himself willingly, suffers rejection and humiliation, and dies as the Messiah, while the guarded tomb stands as the silent setting for the resurrection that will transform the meaning of everything that has happened.