Matthew 27:27-56

SUMMARY
In today’s reading, Jesus was taken by the Roman soldiers to where he would be crucified. Jesus went through public humiliation and torture. Passersby mocked him and he was stripped of his clothing. A crown was made out of thorn branches and placed on his head. On his way to the site of crucifixion, a man named Simon was forced to carry Jesus’ cross. He was taken to a place called Golgotha where he was crucified. The soldiers nailed him to the cross with two criminals, one the left and the other to right side of Jesus.

At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way till 3o’clock.Jesus shouted ‘Eli, Eli, Lamesebechthani’ which means my God, why have you forsaken me?” then He gave up the ghost.
The temple veil was torn into two from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart. The graves opened, many of God’s people were raised. They left their graves after Jesus had risen to life.
The officers guarding Jesus felt the earthquake and saw everything else that happened. They were frightened but proclaimed ‘this man is really the son of God’.

LIFE APPLICATION
From the passage we read that Christ went through public humiliation, torture, mockery and abandonment. His reproach was to wipe away our sin. He was poorly handled and found no comfort so that in Him we might find comfort. The tearing apart of the veil in the temple has given we who were sinners before access to His presence without guilt. We can now call to God with boldness as the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. lt takes a deep insight(revelation) to understand His suffering, death and resurrection. Open your heart to receive the insight!

Personal Declaration
l receive deeper insights of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection and walk in my total victory in Jesus name. Amen

Reading – Matthew 27:27-56

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 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, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[b]

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[c] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[d] and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 27:46 Some manuscripts Eloi, Eloi
2. Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22:1
3. Matthew 27:53 Or tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they
4. Matthew 27:56 Greek Joses, a variant of Joseph

All scriptural passages are taken from the NIV version of the bible.