Matthew 27
27
Chapter 27
The important Jews take Jesus to stand in front of Pilate
1Early the next morning, all the leaders of the priests and the important Jews met together. They decided how to make the Roman rulers kill Jesus. 2They tied Jesus' hands and feet and then they took him to Pilate's house. They put him under the authority of Pilate, who was the Roman ruler. #27:2 Pilate ruled over this part of the Roman world for Caesar. Caesar ruled the whole Roman world.
Judas dies
3Judas heard that the Jewish leaders wanted the Roman rulers to kill Jesus. Judas was the man who had helped Jesus' enemies to take hold of him. Now he was very sorry about what he had done. So he took back the 30 silver coins to the leaders of the priests and the important Jews. 4He said to them, ‘I have done the wrong thing. I helped you to take hold of a man who has done nothing wrong.’
They said to Judas, ‘That is not important to us. That is your problem.’
5So Judas took the money and he threw it down on the floor in the temple. Then he went away. He hung himself from a rope so that he died.
6The leaders of the priests picked up the coins. They said, ‘We used this money to catch and kill a man. So it is against our Law to use this same money for the temple.’ 7They decided to use the money to buy a field. They wanted to use the field to bury foreign people who died in the city. The field had been called ‘The Pot-maker's Field’. 8After this, it was called ‘The Field of Blood’. It is still called that even today. 9So the words that the prophet Jeremiah wrote long ago now became true. #27:9 See Jeremiah 19:1-13; 32:6-9 He had said, ‘Then they took the 30 silver coins. It was the amount of money the people of Israel had agreed to pay for the man. 10They used this money to buy the pot-maker's field. The Lord God had told me to do this.’
Pilate asks Jesus some questions
11Now Jesus stood in front of the Roman ruler, Pilate. The ruler asked Jesus, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’
Jesus replied, ‘You have said it.’
12The leaders of the priests and the important Jews spoke against Jesus. They said that he had done many bad things. Jesus did not answer them. 13So Pilate said to Jesus, ‘You hear what these men are saying against you. You should reply.’ 14But Jesus did not reply to what the men were saying against him, not even to one thing. Pilate was very surprised about this.
15Each year, at the time for the Passover festival, the Roman ruler would let one person go free out of the prison. The people could choose which person should go free. 16At that time, there was a man called Barabbas in prison. Everyone knew about the bad things that he had done. 17When the crowd came together at Pilate's house, Pilate asked them, ‘Who do you want me to let go free? Should Barabbas go free? Or should it be Jesus, who is called the Messiah?’ 18Pilate knew why the Jewish leaders had brought Jesus to him. They were jealous because people liked Jesus so much.
19Pilate was sitting on his special seat as a judge. Then his wife sent a message to him. She said, ‘Do not do anything to that man. He has done nothing wrong. Last night I had a dream about him. It gave me a lot of trouble in my mind.’
20But the leaders of the priests and the important Jews talked to the crowds of people. They said, ‘You must ask Pilate to let Barabbas go free. Then he must tell the soldiers to kill Jesus.’
21Pilate asked the people again, ‘Which of these two men should go free?’ The people answered, ‘Barabbas.’
22Then Pilate asked the people, ‘So what should I do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?’ The people all shouted, ‘Take him and kill him on a cross!’
23So Pilate said, ‘Why should I kill him? What bad things has he done?’
But the people shouted even louder, ‘Kill him on a cross!’
24Then Pilate knew that he could not do anything to make them quiet. He thought that the people would start to fight his soldiers. So he took a dish of water and he washed his hands in front of the people. He said, ‘It is not because of me that this man will die. You are the people who have caused it to happen.’
25All the people answered Pilate, ‘Yes, God should punish us and our children, if we have done the wrong thing.’
26Then Pilate let Barabbas go free, as the crowd wanted. But he said to his soldiers, ‘Hit Jesus many times with a whip. Then take him and fix him to a cross to die.’
27Then Pilate's soldiers took Jesus into the yard of the ruler's house. All the other soldiers in their group were there. 28They removed Jesus' clothes from him. They put a dark red coat on him. 29They used some branches with thorns to make a crown for him. Then they put it on his head. They put a long stick in his right hand. They went down on their knees in front of him. They laughed at him and they said, ‘Hello, King of the Jews, you are great!’ #27:29 A crown is a special hat that a king wears on his head. The dark red coat was like a coat that a king would wear. Roman soldiers also wore red coats.
30Then the soldiers spat into Jesus' face. They took the stick and they hit Jesus on his head with it many times. 31After they had laughed at him, they took the special coat off him. They put his own clothes back on him. Then they took him out to the place where they would kill him on a cross.
The soldiers kill Jesus on a cross
32When they were going to that place, they met a man called Simon. He came from the city of Cyrene. The Roman soldiers told Simon that he must carry Jesus' cross. 33The soldiers took Jesus to the place that is called Golgotha. (Golgotha means the place of a skull. #27:33 A skull is the bone inside a person's head. )
34They tried to give Jesus some wine to drink. They had mixed some medicine into the wine. Jesus tasted it, but he would not drink it. 35Then the soldiers fixed Jesus onto the cross. They took his clothes for themselves. They played a game to find out who would receive each piece of his clothes. 36Then the soldiers sat down and they watched Jesus carefully. 37Above his head they fixed a notice. This showed the reason why they were killing him. It said, ‘This man is Jesus, the king of the Jews.’ 38Then the soldiers also fixed two robbers to crosses near to Jesus. One robber was at Jesus' right side, and one was at his left side.
39The people who walked near there insulted Jesus. They laughed at him, 40and they said, ‘You said that you could destroy the temple and then build it again in three days. If you really are the Son of God, save yourself. Come down from the cross.’
41The leaders of the priests and the teachers of God's Law and the important Jews also laughed at him. 42They said, ‘This man saved other people, did he? But he cannot save his own life! He says that he is the king of Israel. So he should come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him. 43He says that he trusts in God. So if God wants him, God should save him now. He did say that he is the Son of God.’ 44Then the two robbers who were on the crosses next to Jesus also insulted him.
Jesus dies
45It was now midday. The whole country became dark for three hours. 46At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Jesus shouted loudly, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ That means, ‘My God, my God, why have you left me alone?’
47Some people who were standing there heard him. They said to each other, ‘He is shouting to Elijah.’
48One of these people ran quickly and he brought a piece of cloth. He poured cheap wine on it, and he put it on the end of a stick. He lifted it up to Jesus so that he could drink the wine from it. 49The other people said, ‘Wait! Now we will see if Elijah comes to save him.’
50Then Jesus shouted again with a loud voice, and after that he died.
51At that moment, the curtain inside the temple tore completely into two parts. It tore from the top down to the bottom. The ground shook and rocks broke into pieces. 52Places in the ground where people had buried dead bodies opened up. Many of God's people who had died now became alive again. 53After Jesus became alive again, those people came up out of those places. They went into God's city, Jerusalem. Many people saw them there.
54The captain and his soldiers had been watching Jesus. They saw the ground shaking. They saw everything that had happened. They were very frightened and they said, ‘It must be true! This man really was the Son of God.’
55There were also many women there. They were standing a long way away and they were watching these events. They had come with Jesus from Galilee to help him. 56Mary from Magdala was there. Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Mary the mother of Zebedee's sons, were also there.
Joseph from Arimathea buries Jesus' body
57That evening a rich man who came from a town called Arimathea went to Pilate. The man's name was Joseph, and he had become a disciple of Jesus. 58Joseph asked Pilate for the dead body of Jesus. Pilate told his soldiers to give Jesus' body to Joseph. 59So Joseph took Jesus' body. He put a clean piece of linen cloth around it. 60Then he put the body in a large hole in a rock. He had made the hole for his own body when he died. After he put Jesus' body there, he rolled a very big stone across the front of the hole to shut it. Then he went away. 61Mary from Magdala and Mary the mother of James were there. They were sitting where they could see the hole in the rock where Joseph had put Jesus' body.
Soldiers watch the place where Joseph had buried Jesus
62The next day was the Jewish day of rest. The leaders of the priests and the Pharisees met together with Pilate. 63They said to him, ‘Sir, that man told lies. When he was still living, he said, “Three days after I die, I will become alive again.” We know that is what he said. 64So you should tell some soldiers to watch the place where Joseph put Jesus' body. They should watch there for the next three days. Then his disciples cannot come to take his body away. If they did that, then they could say to the people, “God has caused Jesus to become alive again.” This will be worse than the lies that Jesus told when he was alive.’
65Pilate said to them, ‘OK. You may take a group of soldiers to watch the place. Let them fix the rock well, so that nobody can open it.’ 66So the Jewish leaders and the soldiers went to the place where Joseph had put Jesus' body. They fixed the big stone that closed the front of the hole with a seal. Then they would know if someone had moved it. The soldiers stayed there to watch the place very carefully.
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Matthew 27: EASY
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Matthew 27
27
1And when it was morning all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus so that they might put him to death. 2And having bound him they led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor. 3Then Judas, who delivered him up, seeing that he had been condemned, filled with remorse, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4saying, I have sinned in having delivered up guiltless blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5And having cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, he left the place, and went away and hanged himself. 6And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, It is not lawful to cast them into the Corban, since it is the price of blood. 7And having taken counsel, they bought with them the field of the potter for a burying-ground for strangers. 8Wherefore that field has been called Blood-field unto this day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremias the prophet, saying, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was set a price on, whom they who were of the sons of Israel had set a price on, 10and they gave them for the field of the potter, according as the Lord commanded me.
11But Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor questioned him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest. 12And when he was accused of the chief priests and the elders, he answered nothing. 13Then says Pilate to him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14And he answered him not so much as one word, so that the governor wondered exceedingly. 15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whom they would. 16And they had then a notable prisoner, named Barabbas. 17They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom will ye that I release to you, Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? 18For he knew that they had delivered him up through envy. 19But, as he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered to-day many things in a dream because of him. 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should beg for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. 22Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. 23And the governor said, What evil then has he done? But they cried more than ever, saying, Let him be crucified. 24And Pilate, seeing that it availed nothing, but that rather a tumult was arising, having taken water, washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am guiltless of the blood of this righteous one: see ye to it. 25And all the people answering said, His blood be on us and on our children.
26Then he released to them Barabbas; but Jesus, having scourged him, he delivered up that he might be crucified. 27Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus with them to the praetorium, gathered against him the whole band, 28and having taken off his garment, put on him a scarlet cloak; 29and having woven a crown out of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and, bowing the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And having spit upon him, they took the reed and beat him on his head. 31And when they had mocked him, they took the cloak off him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify. 32And as they went forth they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go with them that he might bear his cross.
33And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a skull, 34they gave to him to drink vinegar mingled with gall; and having tasted it, he would not drink. 35And having crucified him, they parted his clothes amongst themselves, casting lots. 36And sitting down, they kept guard over him there. 37And they set up over his head his accusation written: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. 38Then are crucified with him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. 39But the passers-by reviled him, shaking their heads 40and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou art Son of God, descend from the cross. 41And in like manner the chief priests also, mocking, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He saved others, himself he cannot save. He is King of Israel: let him descend now from the cross, and we will believe on him. 43He trusted upon God; let him save him now if he will have him. For he said, I am Son of God. 44And the robbers also who had been crucified with him cast the same reproaches on him. 45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour; 46but about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 47And some of those who stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calls for Elias. 48And immediately one of them running and getting a sponge, having filled it with vinegar and fixed it on a reed, gave him to drink. 49But the rest said, Let be; let us see if Elias comes to save him.
50And Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. 51And lo, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent, 52and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints fallen asleep arose, 53and going out of the tombs after his arising, entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. 54But the centurion, and they who were with him on guard over Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that took place, feared greatly, saying, Truly this man was Son of God. 55And there were there many women beholding from afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee ministering to him, 56among whom was Mary of Magdala, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57Now when even was come there came a rich man of Arimathaea, his name Joseph, who also himself was a disciple to Jesus. 58He, going to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. 59And Joseph having got the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn in the rock; and having rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, went away. 61But Mary of Magdala was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulchre. 62Now on the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees came together to Pilate, 63saying, Sir, we have called to mind that that deceiver said when he was still alive, After three days I arise. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be secured until the third day, lest his disciples should come and steal him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead; and the last error shall be worse than the first. 65And Pilate said to them, Ye have a watch: go, secure it as well as ye know how. 66And they went and secured the sepulchre, having sealed the stone, with the watch besides.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.