MatthewChapter 27
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1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made plans against Jesus. They planned to put him to death. 2They tied him up and led him away. They handed him over to Pilate, the governor. 3Judas, who had betrayed Jesus, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. Then Judas was filled with regret. He brought the thirty pieces of silver back to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said. "I have betrayed a man who did nothing wrong." "What do we care?" they answered. "That's your problem."a 5So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver. They said, "It's against the law to put this into the temple treasury. It is money paid for blood." 7They talked it over. Then they used the money to buy the potter's field. They made it a place to bury foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what Jeremiah the prophet had said came true. He said, "They took the thirty pieces of silver. That was the price the people of Israel set on him. 10They used the silver to buy the potter's field, as the Lord had commanded me." 11Meanwhile Jesus stood in front of the governor. The governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" "You have said so," Jesus answered. 12The chief priests and the elders made charges against him. But he did not answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus did not answer, not even to a single charge. The governor was very surprised. 15It was the governor's custom at the feast to set one prisoner free. The crowd got to choose the prisoner. 16At that time they were holding a well-known prisoner. His name was Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free for you? Barabbas? Or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" 18He knew the leaders had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous. 19Pilate was sitting in the judge's seat. While he sat there, his wife sent him a message. It said, "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. For I have suffered a lot today in a dream because of him." 20But the chief priests and the elders talked the crowds into asking for Barabbas. They wanted Jesus put to death. 21"Which of the two do you want me to set free for you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. 22"Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" 23"Why?" asked Pilate. "What wrong has he done?" But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!" 24Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere. Instead, a riot was starting. So he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am not guilty of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility." 25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" 26So Pilate set Barabbas free for them. But he had Jesus whipped. Then he handed him over to be crucified. 27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium. They gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.b 28They took off his clothes and put a scarlet robe on him. 29Then they twisted thorns together to make a crown. They put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and made fun of him. "Hail, King of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him. They took the staff and hit him on the head again and again. 31After 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 crucify him. 32On their way out, they found a man from Cyrene. His name was Simon. They forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. 33They came to a place called Golgotha. The name means The Place of the Skull. 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink. It was mixed with gall. But after he tasted it, he would not drink it.c 35They crucified him. Then they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36And they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they put up a written charge against him. It said: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him. One was on his right and one was on his left. 39People who passed by shouted insults at him. They shook their heads 40and said, "You were going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 41In the same way, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders made fun of him. They said, 42"He saved others, but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now. Then we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him. After all, he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with him insulted him. 45From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over all the land. 46At about three o'clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" That means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 47Some of the people standing there heard this. They said, "He's calling for Elijah." 48One of them quickly ran and got a sponge. He filled it with sour wine. He put it on a stick and held it up for Jesus to drink. 49But the others said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." 50Jesus cried out again in a loud voice. Then he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks split apart. 52The tombs broke open. The bodies of many of God's people who had died were raised to life.d 53They came out of the tombs after Jesus rose from the dead. They went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54The centurion and the men with him were guarding Jesus. They saw the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified. They said, "He really was the Son of God!" 55Many women were there, watching from far away. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to take care of his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph. The mother of Zebedee's sons was there too. 57When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea came. His name was Joseph. He himself was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59So Joseph took the body. He wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60He placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a big stone in front of the opening of the tomb. And he went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there across from the tomb. 62The next day was the day after Preparation Day. The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate together. 63"Sir," they said, "we remember something that liar said while he was still alive. He said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64So give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. If you don't, his disciples may come and steal his body. Then they will tell the people he has risen from the dead. This last lie would be worse than the first one." 65"You have a guard," Pilate answered. "Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66So they went and made the tomb secure. They put a seal on the stone and placed the guard there.