Introductory remarks:
Chapter twenty-seven begins after Christ has been brought before Caiaphas and false witnesses had testified against Him; then Peter denies Christ. None of the Gospel writers tell of the bloody way He was treated, only Hollywood, in movies like the Passion, taken from the Apocrypha, is capable of this. When Christ suffered on the cross, as I have mentioned before, He suffered alone. It was not intended that we feel sorry for Christ; we are exhorted simply to accept Him as our sin offering Who propitiated God for our sins.
On this absence of human suffering of Christ McGee noted:
"Matthew does not in fact give a record of the actual crucifixion. In fact, no gospel writer does that. They merely tell what went on around the cross. I know that there are men who depict in graphic terms how the nails were driven into the quivering flesh and how the blood spurted out, but that is not in the Bible. In the inspired record it is if God placed the mantle of darkness over the last three hours of the life of Jesus on the cross and said, 'This is something you cannot look at. (As I mentioned before, this is the time our Lord had to suffer privately - that is - alone) It is beyond human comprehension. The suffering cannot be fathomed.' It was a transaction between the Father in heaven and the Son on the cross. The cross became an altar upon which the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, was offered. The simple statement of Matthew is, 'And they crucified Him'."
This chapter is outlined thus: Jesus brought before Pilate, vs. 1, 2; the death of Judas, vs. 3-10; Jesus questioned by Pilate, vs. 11-14; Jesus sentenced to die, vs. 15-26; the soldiers mock Jesus, vs. 27-31; the crucifixion of Jesus, vs. 32-44; the death of Jesus, vs. 45-56; the burial of Jesus, vs. 57-61; the guard at the tomb, vs. 62-66.
Jesus Brought before Pilate
(Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1-2; John 18:28-32)
Verse 1, "When morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death."
LGT "And morning being come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people, took counsel against Jesus so that they might put Him to death:"
At daybreak the Sanhedrin reassembled in order to convict Jesus, and have Him put to death.
The Expositor's Greek Testament notes:
"This consultation took place at a meeting of Sanhedrim, which was probably only a continuation of the night meeting, though regarded as formally a second meeting, to keep right with the law which humanely required, at least, two sittings in a grave criminal case; the Sanhedrists in this, as in all things, careful to observe the letter, while sinning against the spirit of the law. Those who were present at the night meeting would scarcely have time to go home, as the hearing of many witnesses (26:59) would take hours. Absent members might be summoned to the morning meeting, or might come, knowing that they were expected. The meeting was supremely important, though in one respect pro formal. The law or custom required a death sentence to be pronounced during daytime therefore, the vote of the night meeting had to be formally confirmed. Then they had to consider in what shape the case was to be put so as to ensure the consent of Pilate to the execution of their sentence; a most vital matter. So they might compass His death; the phrase seems meant to cover both aspects of the business on hand; the formal sentence of death, and the adoption of means for securing that it might be carried into effect."
Verse 2, "And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor."
LGT "And having bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor."
"Pilate had a palace in Jerusalem, although his headquarters were in Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea. He was in Jerusalem at the Passover season because the city was crowded with Jews who had come to the feast, and generally there were riots on such occasions" (McGee).
The Death of Judas
(Acts 1:18-19)
Verse 3, "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders."
LGT "Then Judas, the one who delivered Him up, having seen that He was condemned, having regretted [it], returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders."
"When he saw that he was condemned,"
Judas saw them take Jesus away, and he knew that Christ was condemned to die.
"Repented himself,"
The Greek word for 'repent', metamelomai does not in itself mean that Judas changed his mind about his wicked betrayal, but that he had deep regret; Judas had sorrow for betraying the one who did nothing but show love to him. The word repent can take on a whole shade of different meanings, depending on the actions of the one who is repenting; true repentance is a change of mind that will manifest in a change of life.
"And brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders."
"You see, the Lord Jesus was there when Judas came. As the chief priests and elders were leading Him through the hall to Pilate, here comes Judas. Why doesn't Judas turn to the Lord Jesus and ask forgiveness? Instead of doing that, he addresses the religious rulers" (McGee).
When Peter repented he went out and wept bitterly, but Judas went out and hanged himself.
Verse 4, "Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that."
LGT "Saying, I sinned, delivering up guiltless blood. But they said, What [is that] to us? You will see [to it]."
"Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood."
You see, Judas confesses to the religious rulers, not to God or to the Christ; it does absolutely no good to confess to men, for confession must be to the Father (1 John 1:9). If we sin against a brother we are to go to that brother and ask for forgiveness; however when we sin, we are to go the Father and confess the sin, that is, say the same thing about the sin that God says about it; we don't need to ask forgiveness of the Father, for the forgiveness is already there; all we need to do is confess the sin, and we are immediately restored to fellowship; we are always in relationship, but not always in fellowship, that is, we are always a son or daughter, but not always in communion with our heavenly Father.
"And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that."
The religious rulers are saying that it means nothing to them if Judas feels sorry for betraying innocent blood. They tell him to go and handle his remorse in his own way; they got what they were after, and they paid him what he asked.
Verse 5, "And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
LGT "And having thrown down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, he withdrew, and having gone away he hanged himself."
"And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple,"
"But the best reading is eis ton naon, into the sanctuary. He cast the pieces over the barrier of the enclosure which surrounded the sanctuary, or temple proper, and within which only the priests were allowed, and therefore into the sanctuary" (Vincent).
"And departed, and went and hanged himself."
Judas, being an unbeliever, had no choice but to commit suicide, for he had no other recourse to settle his mind; a person who would go to the extremes that Judas went to, in order to betray his only friend in the world, he not only could not reconcile his own mind to what he had done, he deserved to die;
Edershein describes the scene:
"Out he rushed from the temple, out of Jerusalem, 'into solitude.' Whither shall it be? Down into the horrible solitude of Hinnom, the 'Tophet' of old, with its ghastly memories, the Gahanna of the future, with its ghostly associations. But it was solitude for it seemed now peopled with figures, faces, sounds. Across the Valley, and up the steep sides of the mountain! We are now on 'the potter's field' of Jerusalem - somewhat to the west above where the Kidron and Hinnom valleys merge. It is cold, soft clayey soil, where the footsteps slip, or are held in clammy bonds. Here jagged rocks rise perpendicularly: perhaps there was some gnarled, bent, stunted tree. Up there he climbed to the top of that rock. Now slowly and deliberately he unwound the long girdle that held his garment. It was the girdle in which he had carried those thirty pieces of silver. He was now quite calm and collected. With that girdle he will hang himself on that tree close by, and when he has fastened it, he will throw himself off from that jagged rock."
Verse 6, "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, it is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood."
LGT "And the chief priests, having taken the pieces of silver, said, It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since [it is] the price of blood."
They pay Judas these pieces of silver to identify the Lord so they can murder Him, but they are too pious to take the money back, and put it into the treasury. "These hypocrites were extending the Law of Deuteronomy 23:18 of not taking money made by harlotry" (EGT).
Verse 7, "And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in."
LGT "And having taken counsel together, they bought with them the field of the potter, for a burying ground for strangers."
The potter's field is believed to be the place where the potter took his clay from; the field was worked-out and useless; they used the field to bury strangers, that is, those Gentiles who came in during Passover who died. It is written in Acts 1:18 that Judas purchased the Potter's field, meaning simply, that it was purchased with the money supplied by him.
Verse 8, "Wherefore that field was called, the field of blood, unto this day."
LGT "Wherefore that field was called, Field of blood, to this day."
This name was given the field (Acts 1:19) because it was bought with the blood money paid Judas, that he identified Christ, so they could murder Him.
"Unto this day."
That is, to the day that Matthew wrote this Gospel, some thirty years later.
Verses 9, 10, "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken be Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."
LGT "Then that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet fulfilled, saying, And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him who was set a price on, of [the] sons of Israel, and gave them for the field of the potter, as [the] Lord directed me."
There has been a great deal of controversy among commentators about the reason Matthew attributes this quotation to Jeremiah, when it is more in line with the words of Zechariah.
"Since it was unlawful to put blood money into the temple treasure, the priests used it to purchase a field as a burial place for foreigners. This was done in fulfillment of prophecy (Zech. 11:12-17; cf. Jer. 18:1-4; Jer. 19:1-3)" (Pentecost).
Edersheim notes:
"But from henceforth the old name 'potter's field,' became popularly changed into the 'field of blood' (Haqal Dema). And yet it was the act of Israel through its leaders: 'they took the thirty pieces of silver - the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the potter's field!' It was all theirs, though they would have fain made it all Judas': the valuing, the selling, and the purchasing. And 'the potter's field' - the very spot on which Jeremiah had been Divinely directed to prophecy against Israel (Jer. 19): how was it now all fulfilled in the light of the completed sin and apostasy of the people, as prophetically described by Zechariah! This Tophet [center of Baal worship] of Jeremiah, now that they had valued and sold at thirty shekel Israel's Messiah-Shepherd - truly a Tophet, and become a field of blood! Surely, not an accidental coincidence this, that it should be the place of Jeremy's announcement of judgment: not accidental, but veritably a fulfillment of his prophecy! And so St. Matthew, targuming [altering its words] this prophecy in form as in its spirit, and in true Jewish manner stringing to it the prophetic description furnished by Zechariah, sets the event before us as the fulfillment of Jeremy's prophecy."
Jesus Questioned by Pilate
(Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:3-5; John 18:33-38)
Verse 11, "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest."
LGT "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor questioned Him, saying, Are You the King of the Jews? And Jesus said, You say [truly]."
Jesus is placed to stand face to face with the Roman governor; Matthew does not give many details about the Jews charges.
"Art thou the King of the Jews?"
In a Roman court the charge of blasphemy against the Jewish religion would not be legal grounds for the death penalty; however, treason would be; so for Jesus to claim to be God would not bring a charge against Him, but to claim to be the Jews King would be treason [disloyalty to Caesar].
"And Jesus said to him, Thou sayest."
This is literally, You have said the truth.
Verse 12, "And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing."
LGT "And when He was accused by the chief priests and the elders, He answered nothing."
When the chief priest and scribes leveled charges against Jesus, they were all false charges, so Jesus remained silent; but now He is the King of the Jews, He answers truth.
Verse 13, "Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?"
LGT "Then Pilate says to Him, Do You not hear how many things they are witnessing against You?"
The Jews made three accusations against the Christ.
Shepherd writes:
"They would not be defeated in their aim. They had foreseen that they might not obtain his [Pilates'] sanction to their accusation of blasphemy, through mere intimidation. So they pretend compromise and offer accusation of treason on three counts: (1) They charge Him with plotting sedition. 'We found this fellow perverting our nation,' they declared. The way the Jewish enemies of Jesus shifted their ground from a political to a religious charge was a piece of chicanery, born of subtle malignity. Of course, the charge of fomenting [stirring up] sedition [rabble-rousing] was the furthest thing conceivable from the whole character of Jesus. (2) The second item in the charge was that He forbade paying tribute to Caesar. This was a deliberate falsehood. On the previous Tuesday, Jesus had said to the Herodians: 'Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's,' this inculcating loyalty to the government as due from every citizen. (3) The third count of the charge was that He claimed to be the Messiah, a King. Of course Jesus did not claim to be a temporal king. It was such a kingship that He had refused to accept constantly. It was these same accusers of Jesus who were secretly nourishing in their hearts the desire for a temporal Messiah, a king who would throw off the yoke of Roman bondage."
Verse 14, "And he answered him to never a word: insomuch that the governor marveled greatly."
LGT "And He did not answer to him even one word, so that the governor marveled exceedingly."
"And he answered him to never a word:"
Jesus did not answer the false charges made by the Jews. This is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy that "He was the Lamb of God, who was dumb before His Shearer's" (Isa. 53:7).
"Insomuch that the governor marveled greatly."
Pilate expected Jesus to rail at him against the charges made by the Jews, and when He didn't Pilate was exceedingly amazed.
Jesus Sentenced to Die
(Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-19:16)
Verse 15, "Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would."
LGT "Now at [the] feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the multitude, whom they wished."
This was of course the Feast of the Passover.
On the custom to release a prisoner Barnes notes:
"From what this custom arose, or by whom it was introduced, is not known. It was probably adopted to secure popularity among the Jews, and to render the government of the Romans less odious [hateful]. Any little indulgence granted to the Jews during the heavy oppression of the Romans would serve to conciliate [pacify] their favor, and to keep the nation from sedition [incitement to rebellion]. It might happen often that when persons were arraigned before the Romans on charge of sedition, some peculiar favorite of the people, or some leader, might be among the number. It is evident that if they had the privilege of recovering such a person, it would serve much to allay [calm] their feelings, and make tolerable the yoke under which they groaned."
Verse 16, "And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas."
LGT "And they had then a notorious prisoner called, Barabbas."
The Greek word for 'notable' prisoner is episemon meaning, notorious; Mark 15:7 states that Barabbas committed murder during his rebellion.
Verse 17, "Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barrabas, or Jesus which is called Christ?"
LGT "Therefore, being gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you wish I release to you, Barabbas or Jesus, the One called Christ?"
Pilate, thinking he was going to be given the chance to not have to condemn an innocent man, thought for sure the Jews would choose Jesus over a condemned murderer. Barabbas had led an insurrection against Rome, as noted by Mark, and so Pilate was sure that the Jews would choose to release Jesus, for Pilate thought that Jesus was just a Jewish fanatic, and very harmless, and surely not a threat to Rome.
Verse 18, "For he knew that for envy they had delivered him."
LGT "For he knew that through envy they delivered Him up."
Pilate was not governor because he was stupid; on the contrary, he was very clever, for he knew that the envy came not from the people, but from the Jewish leaders.
Verse 19, "When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."
LGT "But as he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, [let there be] nothing between you and that righteous Man: for many things I have suffered to-day in a dream because of Him."
"Poor Pilate was getting more entangled every moment as he hesitated to set Jesus free whom he knew to be free of any crime against Caesar. Just at the moment when he was trying to enlist the people in behalf of Jesus against the schemes of the Jewish leaders, his wife sent a message about her dream concerning Jesus. She calls Jesus 'that righteous man', and her psychical sufferings increased Pilate's superstitious fears. Tradition names her Procla and even calls her a Christian, which is not probable. But it was enough to unnerve the weak Pilate as he sat on the judgment-seat up over the pavement" (A.T. Robertson).
McGee adds:
"Pilate's wife was as superstitious as could be. Perhaps she was tied up in a mystery religion, and this sort of thing could have been satanic. I do not believe that this warning came from God. If she had been a just woman, she would have investigated Jesus and found out more about Him. She did not, however. She was simply superstitious and asked her husband to have nothing to do with Him."
Verse 20, "But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
LGT "But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for themselves, Barabbas, and should destroy Jesus."
These religious rulers moved among the crowds and began to persuade them to ask for themselves, that Pilate give them Barabbas, and that he should kill Jesus. The crowds, being fickle, were very much afraid of the chief priests and rulers, who had the power to excommunicate them, were influenced by them; at the entry of Christ into Jerusalem, they cried 'Hosanna'; soon they will cry 'crucify.'
Verse 21, "The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas."
LGT "And the governor answering them, Which do you wish of the two [that] I should release to you? And they said, Barabbas."
The chief priests and elders were masters of persuasion, and they succeeded in turning the crowds against Jesus, for they are like puppets asking for Barabbas.
Verse 22, "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified."
LGT "Pilate says to them, What then shall I do with Jesus, the One called Christ? They all say to him, Let Him be crucified."
The people have now in unison turned from praising Christ to asking for Him to be crucified; Robertson says that "Sundays hero becomes the condemned criminal of Friday."
Verse 23, "And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified."
LGT "And he said, For what evil did He commit? But they kept crying out exceedingly, saying, Let Him be crucified."
"And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done"
In this phrase, Pilate demonstrates his unwillingness to prosecute Jesus. But being a magistrate, he should have exercised his authority and let Jesus go free. Pilate was torn between justice and pleasing the religious rulers.
"But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified."
This phrase is in the imperfect tense, showing the repeated action of the passion of the crowds, so it is literally, But they kept crying out exceedingly.
Verse 24, "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it"
LGT "But Pilate seeing that it availed nothing, but rather an uproar is arising, having taken water, washed off his hands before the crowd saying, I am innocent of the blood of this [Man]: you see [to it]."
"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made,"
The more Pilate tried to get the crowd to see reason, the louder they got; a mob is never logical.
"He took water, and washed his hands before the multitude,"
Pilate washed off his hands before the crowd to show them that his hands were clean of the charges against Jesus, a Jewish custom (cf. Deut. 21:6; Psa. 26:6); however, this didn't help Jesus, it just helped Pilate's ego; he then replied:
"I am innocent of the blood of this just person."
The washing of the hands did not free Pilate from his guilt. "He was bound as a magistrate to free an innocent man: and whatever might be the clamor of the Jews, he was guilty at the bar of God for suffering the holy Savior to be led to execution, in order to gratify the malice of enraged priests and the clamors of the tumultuous populace" (Barnes).
"You see to it."
Take Him and do whatever you will, for His blood is on your hands.
Verse 25, "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."
LGT "And all the people answering said, His blood [be] upon us, and upon our children."
This statement by the people has been the excuse used by anti-Semites ever since; Christians have blamed the Jews for the crucifixion of Christ; superstitious people of all nations have blamed the Jews; even the Arabs have blamed the Jews; but the reality is, Pilate couldn't wash away the guilt of killing Christ; the Jews couldn't wash away the guilt; we today, cannot wash away the guilt; because of original sin, we are all guilty of the death of Christ; each one of us nailed Christ to the cross; the only way we can be washed and made clean, is by accepting Christ as our personal Savior, and allowing His blood to cleanse us from every sin (John 3:16).
Verse 26, "Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."
LGT "Then he released to them Barabbas, but having scourged Jesus, delivered [Him] up, in order that He might be crucified."
"When Pilate learned that he had no friends in the crowd, and that he was unable to increase his popularity, he lost interest in Jesus" (TEGT).
"Among the Romans it was customary to scourge or whip a slave before he was crucified. This was done to inflict greater suffering than the crucifixion would be alone, and to add to the horrors of the punishment. Our Lord, being about to be put to death after the manner of a slave, was also treated as a slave - as one of the lowest and most despised of mankind Crucifixion was a Roman punishment; it was performed by Roman soldiers; Pilate pronounced the sentence from a Roman tribunal, and Pilate affixed the title to the cross. Pilate, therefore, as well as the Jews, was answerable to God for the death of the Savior of the world" (Barnes)
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
(Mark 15:16-20; John 19:2-3)
Verse 27, "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers."
LGT "Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus into the praetorian, gathered against Him the whole band [of soldiers]."
"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall,"
Jesus is at the will and whim of the Roman soldiers. Jesus had been judged outside and now is led into the 'common hall' in the palace, away from the Jews.
The Expositor's Greek New Testament states:
"When Jesus had been sentenced to crucifixion, the soldiers of the governor, i.e., his bodyguard, they conducted Jesus from the scene of judgment (without) to the praetorian, i.e., the official residence of the procurator, either Herod's palace, or more probably a palace connected with the fort Antonia, with barracks attached. The word has various meanings: a general's tent, a governor's residence, the barracks of the Praetorian Guard itself."
"And gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers."
As I mentioned earlier, Roman soldiers were gathered around Jerusalem during the feast of Passover, in order to keep peace, and to stop any possible insurrections. "The band or cohort was a tenth part of a Roman legion, and consisted of from 400 to 600 men, according to the size of the legion" (Barnes).
Verse 28, "And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!"
LGT "And having stripped Him, they put around Him a scarlet robe, and having laminated a crown of thorns, they put [it] on His head, and a reed in His right hand, and bowing the knees before Him, mocked Him saying, Hail, King of the Jews!"
The mockery described in this verse was intended for the whole nation of Israel, who was looking for their King, as well as to Christ Himself.
"Since Christ was condemned because He was a king, the soldiers contemptuously [mockingly] treated him as royalty. A scarlet robe was put on Him. A king must have a crown. Since no crown was available, they fabricated one from the branches of a thorn bush and set it on His head. A king must have scepter, and so a rough staff was pressed into His hand. A king was worthy of honor, and so the soldiers knelt in mockery in front of Him and addressed Him as a king, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!'" (Pentecost).
Verse 30, "And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head."
LGT "And having spit upon Him, they took the reed and struck [Him] on His head."
The soldiers turn their mockery into cruelty, for the prisoner was to die anyway, they take sport with Him, and begin to beat Him with their fists and with the rod He had in His hand.
Verse 31, "And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
LGT "And when they had mocked Him, they took off Him the robe, they put on Him His own Garments; and led Him away to crucify."
The insulting, offensive, mocking treatment of the soldiers was confined to the soldiers barracks. Christ was re-clothed, and taken out into the public to His crucifixion.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
(Mark 15:21-32; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17-27)
Verse 32, "And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross."
LGT "And going forth they found a man, a Cyrenean, by name Simon; him they compelled that he might carry His cross."
The Garden, His betrayal, His trials, His being beaten to a bloody pulp, all left Christ unable to bear His own cross, so they laid the cross on Simon the Cyrene. Cyrene was a city in Africa, lying west of Egypt, where there was a large colony of Jews, who were accustomed to come to Jerusalem to the Feast of Passover.
Barnes notes about the cross:
"It was a part of the usual punishment of those who were crucified that they should bear their own cross to the place of execution. It was accordingly laid at first on Jesus and He went forth, as John says, bearing it. Weak, however, and exhausted by suffering and watchfulness, He probably sunk under the heavy burden, and they laid hold of Simon that he might bear one end of the cross, as Luke says, after Jesus. The cross was composed of two pieces of wood, one of which was placed upright in the earth, and the other crossed it after the form of the figure 'T'. The upright part was commonly so high that the feet of the person crucified were 2 or 3 feet from the ground. On the middle of that upright part there was usually a projection or seat on which the person crucified sat, or, as it were, rode. This was necessary, as the hands were not alone strong enough to bear the weight of the body; as the body was left exposed often many days, and not infrequently suffered to remain till the flesh had been devoured by vultures or putrefied in the sun. The feet were fastened to this upright piece either by nailing them with large spikes driven through the tender part, or by being lashed by cords. To the cross-piece at the top, the hands, being extended, were also fastened, either by spikes or by cords, or perhaps, in some cases, by both. The hands and feet of our Savior were both fastened by spikes. It was the instrument on which the Savior made atonement for the sins of the world. The whole of the Christian's hope of heaven, and all his peace and consolation in trial and in death, depend on the sacrifice there made for sin, and on just views and feelings in regard to the fact and the design of the Redeemer's death."
Verse 33, "And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull."
LGT "And having come to a place called Golgotha, which is called, a place of a skull."
The name Golgotha means skull. The mound was shaped in the form of a skull; it was not a place of skulls, as Tyndale says.
Edersheim notes:
"The procession moved on towards Golgotha. Not only the location, but even the name of that which appeals so strongly to every Christian heart, is matter of controversy. The name cannot have been derived from the skulls, which lay about, since such exposure would have been unlawful, and hence must have been due to the skull-like shape and appearance of the place. Accordingly, the name is commonly explained as the Greek form of the Aramaean Gulgalta. Or Hebrew Gulgoleth, which means a skull."
Verse 34, "They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink."
LGT "They gave Him vinegar to drink with gall mingled: and having tasted, He would not drink."
This is a fulfillment of Psalm 69:21: "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."
"Luke adds that along with Jesus, who had taken the place of Barabbas, the murderer, two others, malefactors, were being led out by the halter of death. When they came to the rock-strewn skull-shaped knoll, a place called Golgotha - they offered Jesus wine flavored with myrrh and gall; but when He had tasted it He would not drink it. He preferred to drink the bitter dregs the cup, which His Father had given Him, and remain in full possession of all His powers through it all. The narcotics, prepared possibly by the charitable hands of the women of Jerusalem were to alleviate the sufferings of the victims of the horrible death by deadening the sense. Jesus would not receive them though offered repeatedly and by humane hearts" (Shepherd - The Christ).
Verse 35, "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."
LGT "And having crucified Him, they divided His garment, casting a lot."
Matthew describes the crucifixion with a participial phrase, and having crucified Him, getting off the subject as quickly as possible. None of the Gospel writers spent many words describing Christ death on the cross. It is not wrong to think of Christ's physical agony, and to even describe it through the eyes of ancient historians as long as we don't miss the reality of His Spiritual suffering; Christ became sin for us, bearing our sins away forevermore, never to remind us of them again. The fact that He was separated for three hours from His Father, no man can describe; as I have mentioned before, this is one of the main reasons I am galled at the making of the movie 'The Passion'. Not even a popular Hollywood hero like Mel Gibson can give a true picture of what our Savior went through.
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, they parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."
This quotation from Psalm twenty-two is missing in my Greek Testament, probably because the translators added it from the other accounts.
Verse 36, "And sitting down they watched him there."
LGT "And sitting down, they kept guard over Him there."
The Greek word for 'watched' is etaroun from tareo meaning to watch guard attentively. The four soldiers were commissioned to keep guard in order that no one come and rescue Him.
Verse 37, "And set up over his head his accusation written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
LGT "And they put over His head His accusation: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
It was the custom of the day to have the crime of which the criminal committed placed over his head.
A.T. Robertson writes:
"The title (tilos, John 19:19) or placard of the crime (the inscription, he epigraphe) which was carried before the victim or hung around his neck as he walked to execution was now placed above the head of Jesus on the projecting piece. This inscription gave the name and home, Jesus of Nazareth, and
the charge on which He was convicted, the King of the Jews and the identification, This is. The four reports all give the charge and vary in others. The inscription in full was: This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. The three languages are mentioned only by John (19:20), Latin for law, Hebrew (Aramaic) for the Jews, Greek for everybody. The accusation correctly told the facts of the condemnation."
Verse 38, 'Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left."
LGT "Then are crucified with Him two robbers, one at [the] right, and one at [the] left."
Jesus was hung between two robbers, a band of which, some believe; Barabbas may have been the leader, which Jesus took the place of.
Verses 39, 40, "And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."
LGT "But those passing insulted Him, shaking their heads, and saying, You who destroys the temple, and in three days and builds it again, save yourself, if you are a Son of God, [and] come down from the cross."
"And they that passed by reviled him,"
Calvary was near the road that led into Jerusalem that would be used for going to the feast; the passers by flung insults at Him, mocking him. "The last drop in Christ's bitter cup. To us it may seem incredible that even His worst enemies could be guilty of anything so brutal as to hurl taunts at one suffering the agonies of crucifixion. But men then felt very differently from us, thanks to the civilizing influence of the Christian faith, which has made the whole details of the Passion history so revolting to the Christian heart. These sneers at the great sufferer are not invented fulfillments of prophecy (Psalm 22:7, 8), but belong to the certainties of the tragic story as told by the synoptists" (TEGT).
Wagging their heads,"
This phrase is literally, shaking their heads in the direction of the cross in defiant derision.
"And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself.
Jesus had made this claim before, but the claim was misunderstood as to be meaning the Temple in Jerusalem, and not His own body. This is one of the charges leveled against Him. If He could do all this, He certainly could save Himself.
"If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."
This phrase is literally, if Thou be a Son of God. The fact that Christ was the Son of God is the very thing that had Him crucified. The Jews were looking for the Messiah, and when He came, they crucified Him; when Christ comes the second time, they will have no choice but to receive Him, because He was crucified.
Verse 41, "Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the elders, said,"
LGT "And also the chief priests, in like manner, with the scribes and elders, mocking, said,"
The Greek word for 'mocking' is empaizontes, meaning to act as silly children (Robertson).
"You would think that after this pack of bloodhounds had succeeded in getting Him on the cross, they would go home and let Him die in peace, but they didn't. They stayed there taunting Him while there was still life in His body" (McGee).
Verse 42, " He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."
LGT "Others He saved, Himself He is not able to save: if He is the King of Israel, let Him come down now, from the cross, and we will believe on Him."
"He saved others; himself he cannot save."
This is very cutting irony. No truer words were ever spoken, but these religious rulers certainly did not know it; for they were not speaking about salvation, however, if Christ would have saved Himself, others He could not have saved; it is because He spared not His own life, but gave His life a ransom for many, that He saved others.
"If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."
These liars would not have believed Christ under any circumstance, or they would have believed Him when He said that He was the Son of God, as many of His followers did, and as we believers have done, even today, by reading the Words in the Book.
Verse 43, "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God."
LGT "He trusted on the God, let Him deliver him now, if He desires Him: for He said, I am the Son of God."
Of course Christ trusted God for He was the God's only Begotten One. This verse proves that the whole crowd was aware that Christ was the Son of God, they simply would have nothing to do with Him; this proves that the unbelieving portion of the Jews, the majority, by the way, did not want to have this Jesus rule over them. These poor saps were saying in effect, we find this Jesus despicable, so our God would never desire Him, let alone, claim Him as His Son.
Verse 44, "The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth."
LGT "And together also the robbers, the ones who were crucified together with Him, began to reproach Him."
Matthew does not record the fact that one of the robbers repents, and later receives Christ as his Savior.
The Death of Jesus
(Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-30)
Verse 45, "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
LGT "Now from the sixth hour darkness was over all the land until [the] ninth hour."
These three hours of darkness is very significant in that it was the time that Christ died spiritually for the sins of the whole world. God shrouded Christ in darkness, as He became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of Christ in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). God could not look at Christ as a sinner, and God also shielded Christ from the world; Christ paid the price for all sin, and He paid the price alone; there is no way on earth that any human mind could possibly comprehend the suffering Christ experienced being separated for those three hours. We will spend eternity learning this wonderful mystery. We have never experienced perfection, so it is impossible that we could understand what it meant for a Perfect Christ to be separated from His Perfect Father.
Verse 46, "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lamasabahthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
LGT "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
This cry from Christ of His desolation comes at the close of the three hours of darkness.
T. Robertson wrote:
"This is the only one of the seven sayings of Christ on the Cross given by Mark and Matthew. The other six occur in Luke and John. This is the only sentence of any length in Aramaic preserved in Mathew, though he has Aramaic words like amen, corban, mammon, pascha, raca, Satan, and Golgotha. The so-called Gospel of Peter (Apocryphal) preserves this saying in a Docetic (Cerinthian) form: My power, my power, thou hast forsaken me1" The Cerinthian Gnostics held that the aeon Christ came on the man Jesus at his baptism and left him here on the Cross so that only the man Jesus died. Nothing from Jesus so well illustrates the depth of his suffering of soul as he felt himself regarded as sin though sinless (II Cor. 5:21). John 3:16 comes to our relief here as we see the Son of God bearing the sin of the world. This cry of desolation comes at the close of the three hours of darkness."
Shepherd adds:
"These words mark the climax of the suffering of Christ for a lost world. Here He drank to the dregs the cup of sorrow, grief, and pain on our behalf. In these hours when the sun refused to shine upon suffering deity, Jesus found fitting expression to His feeling of desolation in the words of the Psalmist. Isaiah had given a portrayal of the suffering Servant who was to be wounded for our transgressions. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God that taketh away the collective sin of a world of sinners. Christ gave Himself a ransom for many. Him who knew no sin God made sin for us. On the cross Christ became a curse for us and so redeemed us from the curse of the law. We are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ shed on Calvary. He gave Himself a ransom for all. The writers of the Gospels make it plain that Jesus had a baptism to be baptized with and a cup to drink. Paul and other writers of the epistles lay out clearly the same plan of redemption. Jesus had to pay the price alone and tasted death - spiritual death - for every man. Spiritual death is broken communion. Jesus had a taste of such a broken communion, the first and the last He ever experienced - on those desolate hours when darkness lay upon the earth and upon His soul. That is the reason He used the words of distressed astonishment: Eloi, Eloi, Lama abachthani (Hebrew) - My God, My God, to what end or purpose hast thou forsaken Me?" (The Christ quoted by Pentecost).
Christ's physical death would soon follow; He had to die spiritually before He would be able to die physically; you see, until He took our sins, He could not have died; remember, it wasn't until after Adam and Eve sinned, were they able to die; Christ was not created, He was begotten, for He was eternal deity, therefore eternal, and had to become sin in our place and die a sinners death, in order to redeem us all.
Verse 47, "Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias."
LGT "And some of the ones who were standing there having heard, said, That this [Man] calls for Elias."
These bystanders, completely ignorant of Christ's plea, say, He calls for the prophet Elias to aid Him. You would think that they might mock saying, Look, He is admitting that God has forsaken Him; this proves that He is not the Son of God.
Verse 48, "And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink."
LGT "And immediately one of them, having run and taking a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, offered Him to drink."
A bystander, taking pity on Christ, ran and got a sponge, filled with sour wine, offered it to the Christ. This wine mixture was a favorite of the soldiers.
Verse 49, "The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save Him."
LGT "But the rest said, let be; let us see if Elias will come to save Him."
The rest are the ones standing there mocking, not even allowing one to give Him a drink, saying, Let us see if Elias will come and rescue Him.
Verse 50, "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."
LGT "And Jesus again having cried with a great voice, yielded up [His] spirit."
Jesus laid down His life for us all, and He gave it up as He willed it, that is, He Himself yielded up His own Spirit; when we die we have nothing to say about it, that is, it is not up to us, when or where, or why, or how, but when Christ died, He had everything to say about it, for no one took His life, He gave it up freely for us all.
Verse 51, "And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent."
LGT "And behold the veil of the temple was rent into two, from top to bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were rent."
"The veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom;"
The Veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom, suggesting that God was the One who rent the Veil. This also made a way for all believers, from that time forward, that is, because of the death of our Savior, gave us all free access to the throne of grace, and we do not have to go through a priest, because we are all now priest before God.
Edersheim notes:
"The Veils before the Most Holy Place were 40 cubits (60 feet) long, and 20 cubits (30 feet) wide, of the thickness of the palm of the hand, and wrought in 72 squares, which were joined together; and these were so heavy, that, in the exaggerated language of the time, it needed 300 priests to manipulate each. If the Veil was at all such as is described in the Talmud, it could not have been rent in twain by a mere earthquake or the fall of the lintel, although its composition in squares fastened together might explain, how the rent might be as described in the Gospel."
"And the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent."
Shepherd writes:
"Following the rending of the Veil came the supernatural earthquake. It is true that Palestine has experienced down through history various seismic disturbances. In 31 B.C. there was such an earthquake, and several thousands of people in densely populated districts of Judea were buried beneath the ruins of their houses. But the exact coincidence of the earthquake with the death of Jesus is hardly conceivable on mere naturalistic grounds. God's hand was evidently in the earthquake as it was in the supernatural phenomena accompanying the birth of Jesus, and why should we not give credence to this as readily as to those?" (The Christ - quoted by Pentecost).
Verses 52, 53, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."
LGT "And the tombs were opened and many of the bodies of the fallen asleep saints, arose, and having gone forth out of the tombs, after His arising, entered into the Holy City, and appeared to many."
"The splitting of the rocks by the earthquake and the opening of the tombs can be due to the earthquake. But the raising of the bodies of the dead after the resurrection of Jesus, which appeared to many in the holy city, puzzles many today who admit the actual bodily resurrection of Jesus. Some would brand all these portents [signs] as legends since they appear in Matthew alone. Others would say that after His resurrection should read after their resurrection, but that would make it conflict with Paul's description of Christ as the first fruits of them that sleep (1 Cor. 15:20). Some say that Jesus released these spirits after his decent into Hades. So it goes. We come back to miracles connected with the birth of Jesus, God's Son coming into the world. If we grant the possibility of such manifestations of God's power, there is little to disturb one here in the story of the death of God's Son" (Robertson).
Verse 54, "Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."
LGT "But the centurion, and they who with him kept guard over Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that took place, feared greatly, saying, Truly this was God's Son."
"There is no article with God or Son in the Greek so it means God's Son. Evidently the centurion was deeply moved by the portents, which he had witnessed. He had heard the several flings at Jesus for claiming to be the Son of God and may even have heard of His claim before the Sanhedrin and Pilate. How much he meant by his words we do not know, but probably he meant more merely a righteous man (Luke 23:47). Petronius is the name given this centurion by tradition. If he was won now to trust in Christ, he came as a pagan and, like the robber who believed, was saved as Jesus hung upon the Cross. All who are saved in truth are saved because of the death of Jesus on the Cross. So the Cross began to do its work at once" (Robertson).
Verse 55, "And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:"
LGT "And there were many women from afar off, looking on, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him."
These women who ministered to Jesus' needs during His three years, stood afar off, for fear of the rabble that were jeering at their Christ. "These women Attending Him and providing for His wants. While multitudes of men joined in the cry Crucify Him! And forsook Him in His trying moments, it does not appear that any of His female followers were thus unfaithful. In the midst of all His trials, and all the contempt poured upon Him, they adhered to their Redeemer. Never did female constancy shine more brightly, and never was a happier example for all who should afterward believe on Him" (Barnes).
Verse 56, "Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children."
LGT "Among whom was Mary the Magdalian, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee."
This Mary Magdalene was the Mary from Magdela, and not the woman who had been a sinner nor the Mary of Bethany.
The Burial of Jesus
(Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)
Verse 57, "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
LGT "And evening being come, a rich man from Arimathea came, Joseph by name, who also himself was discipled to Jesus."
"When even was come,"
"The Hebrews reckoned two evenings, an earlier and a later. Former began midway between noon and sunset, or at three o'clock in the afternoon. The latter began at sunset, six o'clock. The reference here is to the earlier evening, though the time may have been well on toward the beginning of the later. The preparation had to be hurried because the Sabbath would begin at sunset" (Vincent).
"There came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
Joseph was a silent follower of Jesus, the same as Nicodemus, the Pharisees who came to Jesus secretly (John 3). Now these two will come out in the open, and no longer fear the Jews.
T. Robertson writes:
"The request of Joseph of Arimathea for the body of Jesus was a relief to Pilate and to the Jews also. We know little about this member of the Sanhedrin save his name Joseph, his town Arimethea, that he was rich, a secret disciple, and had not agreed to the death of Jesus. Probably he now wished that he had made an open profession. But he has courage now when others are cowardly and asked for the personal privilege (eitesato, middle voice, asked for himself) of placing the body of Jesus in his new tomb. Some today identify this tomb with one of the rock tombs now visible under Gordon's Calvary. It was a mournful privilege and dignity that came to Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:39-41) as they wrapped the body of Jesus in clean linen cloth and with proper spices placed it in this fresh (kainoi) tomb in which no body had yet been placed. It was cut in the rock for his own body, but now it was for Jesus. But now (verse 60) he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed. That was for safety. But two women had watched the sad and lonely ceremony, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (mother of James and Joseph). They were sitting opposite and looking in silence."
Verse 58, "He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus, Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered."
LGT "He having gone to Pilate, begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up."
Joseph was a silent disciple of Jesus up to this point; but now he goes to Pilate boldly as recorded by Mark, as if this is what he was commissioned to do. Pilate gave Joseph permission to take and bury the body.
Verse 59, "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth."
LGT "And having taken the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean linen cloth."
Joseph and Nicodemus took the body to the tomb and wrapped in clean linen cloth, and anointed the body with myrrh and aloes brought by Nicodemus, a hundred pound weight (John 19). "It seems as if the clean linen cloth in which the body had been wrapped, was now torn into cloths or swaths, into which the body, limb by limb, was now bound, no doubt, between layers of myrrh and aloes, the head being wrapped in a napkin" (Edersheim).
Verse 60, "And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed."
LGT "And placed it in his new tomb, the one he had hewn out of the rock, and having rolled a great stone to the door, went away."
Joseph placed the body in the new tomb he had made for himself, and rolled a great huge stone in the doorway, and then went away. Making a tomb out of rocks was common among the Jews. "Being cut out of a rock, there was no way by which the disciples could have access to it but by the entrance, at which the guard was placed, and consequently it was impossible for them to steal Him away. The sepulcher, thus secure, was rendered more so by rolling a great stone at its entrance; all possible precautions thus being used, in the providence [divine intervention] of God, against imposition and deceit" (Barnes).
Verse 61, "And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher."
LGT "And there was Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulcher."
"Note this tender incident in connection with the death of Jesus. Several women were faithful and stayed at the cross. They were loyal when the apostles had fled" (McGee). There was Mary and the Mary of Magdela sitting opposite the tomb where Joseph had buried Jesus.
The Guard at the Tomb
Verses 62, 63, "Now the next day, that followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again."
LGT "Now on the morrow, which is after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate saying, Sir, we have called to mind that that deceiver said while He was living, After three days I rise."
These religious rulers went to Pilate saying that they just now remembered that Jesus predicted that He would rise again the third day; when Jesus had predicted this, they didn't get it; or they pretended they didn't get it, but now all of a sudden, when it fits their schemes, they remember; there is also the probability that they knew good and well that whatever this Deceiver predicted, it would come to pass. I am not too sure they were really convinced Jesus was an imposter and a vagabond; I think they knew that He was from God, but they still didn't want anything to do with Him.
Verse 64, "Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first."
LGT "Command therefore, the sepulcher to be secured until the third day, lest His disciples coming steal Him away, and say to the people, He is risen from the dead, and the last deception shall be worse than the first."
These false prophets of God are saying that the last deception, that He arose from the dead, will be worse than the first deception, which He claimed to be the Messiah. The fact that they are demanding that the tomb be made secure is proof to Me that they knew more than their unbelief would allow them to admit. Unbelief is deliberate, and it is impossible to believe without the aid of the Word of God, made clear to our minds by the Holy Spirit.
Verse 65, "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it sure as ye can."
LGT "And Pilate said to them, You have a guard: Go and make [it as] secure as you know [how]."
Pilate is really unconcerned at this point about the Jews concerns. He tells them to go and make the sepulcher as secure for themselves as they can.
Verse 66, "So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."
LGT "And they, having gone, made the sepulcher secure with the guard, [and] sealing the stone."
They went to the tomb and made it so secure that no one could possibly have come and stolen the body of Jesus.
Shepherd writes:
"The Pharisees do not dictate to Pilate how the sepulcher is to be made secure; they leave that to him: and they find him more willing than before to accede [agree] to their wishes. He had tried to escape from their determination to have Jesus put to death, but he raises no difficulty about the guarding of the tomb. Nevertheless, they are not welcome visitors. He had seen through their malignity before (v. 17,18), and no doubt he saw through it now. He dismisses them with a curt consent to their suggestion. Take a guard; go, make it secure as ye can. That his words mean take a guard, rather than Ye have a guard, seems clear from the fact that the only guard, which they had, was the Tempe-police, and this they could have employed without coming to the Procurator. Evidently they want something, which required his permission; and it is Roman soldiers who are set to guard the tomb.
The sealing of the stone would seem to be the Pharisees' own idea. The hierarchy overreached themselves in these precautions. All that they accomplished was to increase the number of witnesses to the resurrection."
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