Matthew 27:27-51

27:27 Then the governor’s [Pontius Pilate (appointed by the emperor as procurator of Judea)] soldiers [the soldiers had earlier flogged Jesus (Matt. 27:26)] took Jesus into the Praetorium [or headquarters; either a military headquarters or the governor’s palace; likely refers to tower or fortress of Antonia, near the temple] and gathered the whole company [Gr. “speira” or Latin “cohort” referred to a military unit of about 600, a tenth of a legion] of soldiers [also the Sanhedrin and the angry mob] around him.

27:28 [notice the shameful ways in which the soldiers mocked Jesus] [1] They stripped him and [2] put a scarlet [a royal color] robe [possibly one of the short red cloaks worn by the soldiers of that period] on him,

27:29 and [3] then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. [4] They put a staff in his right hand and [5] knelt [unknowingly they knelt before the King of kings; cf. Phil. 2:10-11] in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.

27:30 [6] They spit [a great insult; the Jews also spit on Jesus (cf. Matt. 26:67)] on him, and took the staff and [7] struck him on the head again and again [these repeated blows drove the thorns deeper into Jesus’ head].

27:31 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 [they took Jesus outside the city gates (cf. Heb. 13:12) to a place called Golgotha (cf. Matt. 27:33), a Heb. word meaning “skull” (Latin “calvaria”)].

27:32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.

27:33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).

27:34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.

27:35 When they had crucified him [the people of that day were familiar with the horror of crucifixion], they [four soldiers as per Jn. 19:23-24] divided up his clothes [the soft and seamless undergarment worn beneath the outer robe] by casting lots [similar to rolling dice; cf. prophecy recorded in Psalm 22:18].

27:36 And sitting down, they kept watch [to insure no one tried to rescue Him; to ensure that He died] over him there [at the place of crucifixion].

27:37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him [sign written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (cf. Jn. 19:19-20)]: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS [to the Jews this was a reference to their Messiah].

27:38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

27:39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads

27:40 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!”

27:41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.

27:42 “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.

27:43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

27:44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

27:45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

27:47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

27:48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

27:49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

27:50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice [the words He shouted were “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30), and then, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit” (Lk. 23:46)], he gave up his spirit [an idiom for death].

27:51 At that moment [moment of death] the curtain [two curtains in the Jewish temple, one at the entrance to the holy place and the other separated the holy place from the holy of holies (only the high priest could enter holy of holies, the special room representing God’s presence)] of the temple was torn in two from top [indicating that God Himself tore the curtain thus signifying that the way to Him was now available on the basis of Jesus death (cf. Heb. 10:19-20)] to bottom. The earth shook [an earthquake] and the rocks split [allowing the release of the bodies of many saints who had died and who appeared in Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 27:52-53].