Jesus Mocked and Crucified

 

We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,

because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Welcome to this weekly study of Matthew's Gospel, a collaboration between Mary Barmore and Alice C. Linsley. To prepare, read Matthew chapter 27. When you have finished, answer the 10 questions. Scroll to the bottom to check your answers.

Introduction

Matthew 27 describes Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and burial in a tomb provided by Joseph Arimathea. Feeling great remorse, Judas returns the silver to the Temple authorities and commits suicide. Pilate releases Barabbas to the angry crowd instead of Jesus. Jesus is whipped (scourged) and mocked by soldiers in the Praetorium. Jesus is led to Golgotha, the place of execution. Simon of Cyrene is enlisted to carry Jesus' cross. After 3 hours of darkness, accompanied by earthquakes, the opening of tombs, and the raising of saints, Jesus dies. The chief priest and elders insist that the tomb be sealed and guarded because they fear that Jesus' disciples will take away the body and claim that Jesus rose from the dead.

Questions

1. What did the religious authorities do with the silver that Judas returned to them?

2. What did Pontius Pilate recognize about the religious authorities?

3. Who was Barabbas?

4. What evidence in the chapter indicates that Pilate recognized that Jesus was innocent?

5. In what way is the mocking of Jesus by the soldiers ironic?

6. Who was Simon of Cyrene?

7. Who mocked and reviled Jesus while he was on the cross?

8. What signs of Jesus' last hours on the cross indicate the cosmic implications of his death?

9. Who took responsibility for the burial of Jesus' body?

10. What did the religious authorities in Jerusalem fear would happen to Jesus' body?

Answers

1. They purchased a field in Jerusalem's Hinnom Valley to be used to bury foreigners and as a burial site for the poor. The field was called Akeldama, which means "Field of Blood" in Aramaic. Matthew 27 states that Judas hanged himself but Acts 1:18-19 reports that he fell and burst open in that field which was bought with his blood money.

2. Pilate recognized that the religious authorities had delivered Jesus to be executed out of envy (v. 18). Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. It can lead to murder. Cain murdered his brother out of envy. The religious authorities in Jerusalem sought to murder Jesus out of envy.

3. Barabbas was a Jewish prisoner described as a murderer, robber, and a violent rebel against Roman authority. Pilate gave in to the crowd's demand that Barabbas be released from prison instead of Jesus. Bar-abbas means "son of the father" in Aramaic.

4. Pilate asked the crowd what evil Jesus had done (v. 23) because Jesus stood before him blameless. Pilate also washed his hands before the crowd and declared, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to that yourselves." This signified that he did want to bear the blood guilt for sentencing an innocent person. The Jews in the crowd who wanted Jesus to be executed were willing to bear the blood guilt. The agitators in the crowd shouted, "His blood be on us and on our children." Nevertheless, every human in every generation bears guilt for Christ's blood because of our sin. The paradox is that His blood frees us from the curse of sin and death, from guilt, and from anxiety.

5. The Roman soldiers attempted to humiliate Jesus by mocking him as king. By dressing him in a scarlet robe, placing a crown of thorns on his head, and hailing him as "King of the Jews" the soldiers acted out a coronation, and unintentionally proclaimed him king. Their cruel farse reveals that they knew of the reports that Jesus was a king.

6. Simon of Cyrene was the man compelled by the Roman soldiers to carry the cross when Jesus became too weak to carry it. Cyrene is the name of modern-day Libya in North Africa. Simon was probably a Jewish pilgrim who came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Mark 15:21 states that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, who are believed to have become followers of Jesus.

7. While he was suffering on the cross, Jesus was mocked by people who passed by and by the chief priests, scribes and elders. Matthew states that he was also reviled by the robbers who were crucified with him (v. 44).

8. The cosmic implications of Jesus’ death are indicated by three hours of darkness because Jesus, the Light of the world, is the one who called light into being at the beginning. There was a violent earthquake because the whole creation trembled. The Temple veil split from top to bottom because the Lord Jesus Christ is the new Temple and our access to God the Father. Many who believed and trusted God's promises concerning the coming of the Son of God rose from their graves because Jesus trampled down death by his death. These events, witnessed by the centurion and others, signify the new divine order.

9. A high-ranking Jew named Joseph asked Pilate's permission to bury Jesus' body in his own rock cut tomb. He is designated Joseph Ar-Mathea which means that he was of the Horite Hebrew ancestry and the clan of Matthew. It is likely that the author of Matthew' Gospel was one of his relatives. 

The Ar is a shortened Horus name, as is evident in the case of the Nabataean King Harithath IV who bears the Horus name. King Harithath is called King Aretas in 2 Corinthians 11:32. The Har/Ar affix designates a royal person or a venerable figure. Many historical rulers have such names, including Artaxerxes, Archelaos, Arshem, Artix, Areli, Araxes, Arviragus, a Jebusite named Araunah, and Arishen, a Horite Hebrew who ruled a territory in the central Zagros between 2400-2301 BC. Ariaramnes was the great uncle of Cyrus the Great. In the ancient world, Horus was regarded as the patron of kings and priests. Joseph Ar-Mathea, was a high-ranking ruler-priest and a member of the Sanhedrin. He had sufficient political clout to petition Pilate for the release of Jesus’ body so he could be buried in the sepulcher that Joseph had excavated for himself.

10. The Jewish authorities knew that Jesus had foretold his third day resurrection, and they feared that Jesus' followers would take away his body and claim that he had risen from the dead. That is why they wanted the tomb sealed and guarded.

Join us next week as we begin to wrap up our study of Matthew's Gospel. A blessed Resurrection Sunday (Easter or Pasca) to all our readers!

If you are just now joining this study, you will find links to the previous lessons below. 

Why the Name Jesus?
Matthew Chapter 1: A Closer Look
Matthew Chapter 2: The Magi Worship the Christ and Defy Herod
Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus and John Fulfill Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 4: Jesus Exposes the Devil's Tactics
Matthew Chapter 5: Jesus Teaches with Superior Authority
Matthew Chapter 6: True Kingdom Seekers
Matthew Chapter 7: Entering by the Narrow Gate
Matthew Chapter 8: The Uniqueness of Jesus
Matthew Chapter 9: Christ the Compassionate Lord
Matthew Chapter 10: The Apostles' High Calling
Matthew Chapter 11: The Messiah Brings Relief
Matthew Chapter 12: Greater Glory Resides in Jesus
Matthew Chapter 13: Perceive His Kingdom Coming
Matthew Chapter 14: Christ Rules Over Nature
Matthew Chapter 15: The Power of Persistent Faith
Matthew Chapter 16: Preparing for the End
Matthew Chapter 17: Behold the Glory of the Son of God!
Matthew Chapter 18: Living as a Child of God
Matthew Chapter 19: The Demands and Rewards of Righteousness
Matthew Chapter 20: The Parable of the Laborers
Matthew Chapter 21: The Corner Stone Rejected
Matthew Chapter 22: The Parable of the Wedding Feast
Matthew Chapter 23: Woe to False Religious Leaders!
Matthew Chapter 24: Learning to Read the Signs
Matthew Chapter 25: Working While We Wait for Christ's Return
Matthew Chapter 26:  Jesus Betrayed and Arrested