Day 352 - Matthew 27, Verses 1-31

By: Norman W. Berry

Narrator: Chris Genthree

• 2 min. read • grade level: 6

It starts with a “morning;” a dreadful night had just passed; Jesus had been spit on and struck by the religious leaders; now we see Him taken before the Roman governor, Pilate, that He might be put to death! The only perfect Man Who ever lived! In the book of Job 4:7⁷Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? (Job 4:7), two questions were asked; read them, and then think of what this world did to this “innocent” and “righteous” Man (v. 4).

V.1-10 The Jews could not put any one to death, only the Roman governor could do this. Judas seems to have thought that the Lord would escape as He had done before. Satan could lead him to do this dreadful act, but he could not protect him from the result of sin. What was the money to him now!

V.9-10 Notice that even what Judas had done was predicted in the Old Testament (Zech. 11:12-13¹²And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. ¹³And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:12‑13)), almost 500 years before it happened. In (v. 3) “repented himself” means he had painful regret for what he had done.

V.11-31 The trial before Pilate. The Lord’s own testimony is the foundation of all, “thou sayest.” The Truth itself was standing before Pilate! He was the “Son of God” before the priests, and King before the Roman Governor.

V.14-24 Weak Pilate tries to find a way to release Jesus. His heart too is exposed to us. His wife’s dream adds to his dilemma. These acknowledged the Lord’s innocence. Judas (v. 4); Pilate’s wife (v. 19); Pilate (v. 24), Herod (Luke 23:15¹⁵No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. (Luke 23:15)); one of the thieves (Luke 23:41⁴¹And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. (Luke 23:41)); the centurion (Luke 23:47⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. (Luke 23:47)); and those with him (v. 54). At least seven!

He gives way to the priests’ desires and yields Jesus to their will.

V.25 A cry which they shall remember in a day yet future.

V.26-31 They would rather have a murderer than Jesus! Then the Roman soldiers take Jesus and begin a series of dreadful, shameful insults before taking Him outside the city to crucify Him.

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