Matthew 27

Theme = Is he the King of the Jews or not?

It takes us right back to Matthew 1 & 2.

Pontius Pilate:

Appointed Roman ruler in A.D. 25-26. He was anxious to please Caesar. His political life ended in misfortune (Bible Dictionary).

He gave in because his tenure was insecure and he dreaded exposure. Such wrongs had he wrought that when he could have done good, he was deferred through cowardly fear of the accusing past (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 648-49).

Matthew 27:11-23Pilate – Herod - Pilate

v. 16 Barabbas - evidently a zealot who had killed a Roman.

v. 19 Listen to your wife.

v. 24 Pilate’s hands were never dirtier than just after he washed them (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov. 1974, 13).

v. 25 Who was really there?

Don’t be so harsh, it was probably just the fanatic leaders who were there.

Mormons don’t have a monopoly on dedication. Perhaps other eastern religions will accept the gospel in the future.

Remember, they did not have a Joseph Smith, so their devotion must account for something!!!

The young will live to see a certain madness in some majorities in the world in a way heretofore thought impossible. Pilate yielded Barabbas instead of Jesus to just such a crowd. Someone has recently coined what is called the Gadarene Swine Law, which is, simply put, that just because a group is in formation does not mean that it is going in the right direction (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience, 63-64).

“His Blood Be On Us, and Our Children!”

1. Titus, a Roman, destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

2. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were responsible for the deaths of millions of Jews in the 1900’s.

v. 29 “Crown” = Greek for wreath which was symbolic of victory.

“Thorns” = A sign of the fall.

The soldiers were mocking Christ, but it’s meaning was appropriate!

We should not complain about our own life’s not being a rose garden when we remember who wore the crown of thorns (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, May 1987, 72).

v. 32 “The Cross”

Consisted of 2 parts, one a strong stake, 8-9 feet tall fixed into the ground. The second, a cross piece, which was carried by the criminal.

Only the Lord can compare crosses, but all crosses are easier to carry when we keep moving (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, November 1976, 14).

v. 34

“Vinegar to drink mingled with gall” = pain killer!

v.46

Fourth utterance! The agony of Gethsemane returned! This time he was alone (Luke 22:43).

Seven Sayings on the Cross:

1. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

2. Today, thou shalt be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).

3. Woman, behold thy son (John 19:26).

4. My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matt. 27:46).

5. I thirst (John 19:28).

6. It is finished (John 19:30).

7. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46).

Matthew 27:40

“If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” It was not an idle suggestion, but a powerful reminder that he could!

Matthew 27:46

Why Did God Withdraw His Spirit?

If this withdrawal had not taken place, the Savior would not have fully known the consequences of sin as experienced by those for whom he suffered. If this were the case, men might say, “He never fully understood the total ramifications of sin. True, he suffered, he agonized, but he never felt the loneliness, the rejection, the estrangement that accompanies the withdrawal of God’s light.” But such was not the case (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, 142).

No one could claim he was spared any consequence of sin. There was no softening of the blow. He descended beneath it all.

Elder James E. Talmage suggested another compelling reason for the Father’s withdrawal of his Spirit: “That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fullness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 661).

v. 56

Mary Magdalene became one of the closest friends Christ had among women; her devotion to him as her healer and as the one whom she adored as the Christ is as unswerving; she stood close by the cross while the other women tarried afar off in the time of his mortal agony. She was among the first at the sepulcher on the resurrection morning, and was the first mortal to look upon and recognize a resurrected being (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 247).

v. 60

The Garden Tomb was carved out of solid rock on a hillside in Jerusalem. It is one of two spots that is believed to be the actual location.

The Tomb

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection

Matthew 28:11-15

Roman discipline decreed death to every soldier who deserted his post, the guards fled in terror anyways James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 678).

v. 13

Come on! Could this really happen?

v. 16-20

The epilogue and summary.

The challenge and the stewardship!

Golgotha