Jesus' Suffering (Matthew 27a)

How much did Jesus suffer even before His crucifixion? Let’s glimpse His suffering in Matthew 27:1-33.

Who was Jesus taken to next?

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. (Matthew 27:1-2 NIV)

What did Judas do?

When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5 NLT)

What did the priests do?

The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It’s not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.” They took counsel, and bought the potter’s field with them to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called “The Field of Blood” to this day. (Matthew 27:6-8 WEB)

What prophecy did this fulfill?

This fulfilled the words of Jeremiah the prophet: And I took the thirty pieces of silver, the price for the one whose price had been set by some of the Israelites, and I gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me. (Matthew 27:9-10 CEB)

Did Jesus respond to the false charges?

Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Those are your words!” Jesus answered. And when the chief priests and leaders brought their charges against him, he did not say a thing. Pilate asked him, “Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27:11-14 CEV)

Did Pilate give the people a choice to release Jesus?

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. (Matthew 27:15-18 ESV)

Who did they choose?

While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!” The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” “Barabbas!” they answered. Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?” They all answered, “Crucify Him!” Then he said, “Why? What has He done wrong?” But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him!” all the more. (Matthew 27:19-23 HCSB)

What did Pilate do?

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. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:24-26 KJV)

What did the soldiers do?

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort to Him. And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head. And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. (Matthew 27:27-31 NASB)

What did they demand that Simon do?

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). (Matthew 27:32-33 NIV)

An innocent man suffered because of His love for the world. But He wasn’t just a man. He was God in the flesh. What pampered king of this world would willingly suffer for his people? What kind of God was willing to suffer for all humanity? You decide!