‏ Matthew 27:1-31

Put him to death; he had professed to be the Christ, and said that hereafter they should see him coming in the clouds of heaven. This they said was blasphemy, and for it they condemned him to die. Pilate; the Roman governor. As the Jews had no authority to put any one to death, it was needful, in order to accomplish their design, that the Roman governor should condemn him. They brought him to Pilate for this purpose; and Christ had foretold that the Gentiles, to whom Pilate belonged, would put him to death. Mt 20:19. Repented himself; he knew that Jesus was innocent, and yet he had been instrumental in delivering him to his murderers. He was therefore tormented by a conviction of his guilt. The evil of committing known sin is greater than sinners imagine; while the pleasure which they derive from it is less, and is nothing compared with the pain which it will give them. The commission of one sin not only opens the door and prepares the way for the commission of others, but leads to consequences which the sinner little imagines, and the contemplation of which fills him with horror. A deep conviction of sin, and the most pungent distress on account of it, full confession of guilt, and readiness to return the wages of iniquity, may all exist without true repentance, without any love to God and holiness, or any preparation for heaven. What is that to us? the language of men hardened in wickedness, and determined to execute their murderous purpose. Tempters to iniquity are hard-hearted and cruel; they will get men into trouble, but will not relieve them. They are of their father the devil, and like him they will tempt men to sin, and then torment them on account of it. There are two kinds of sorrow on account of sin. One is in view of its having been committed against God: this is godly sorrow, which worketh repentance unto salvation, and needeth not to be repented of. The other is sorrow on account of the evil to which sin exposes the sinner, and is wholly selfish. This is the sorrow of the world, which worketh death. 2Co 7:10. The sorrow of Peter exemplified the one, and that of Judas the other. Treasury; the place where the offerings or contributions of the people were kept. Hypocrites and formalists are sometimes exceedingly scrupulous about little things, while they commit the greatest and most aggravated transgressions without hesitation, and without remorse. While practising the grossest deception, and even killing the friends of God, they profess to be doing him service. Potter's field; a place where earthen-ware had been made.

Strangers; those who came from other countries, and died at Jerusalem. This day; the time when Matthew wrote his gospel, perhaps thirty years after the events here recorded. Jeremy; Jeremiah. The event here referred to is not mentioned in Jeremiah, but in Zec 11:12,13. The name Jeremiah in several ancient translations and manuscripts is not mentioned, and it reads, that which was spoken by the prophet. Slander and abuse, reviling and persecution may sometimes be best met by silence: and perfection of character requires such a control over one's own spirit as to be able not to speak, when it is manifest that no good will result from it. Envy; the uneasiness they felt in witnessing his increasing influence among the people. The indulgence of envy is a great sin. Nothing to do with that just man; do nothing against him, or towards condemning him. All efforts of unrighteous magistrates to screen themselves from guilt in knowingly condemning the innocent or acquitting the guilty, will be fruitless. They may deceive themselves and their fellow-men, but they cannot deceive God. He will hold them responsible; and the measures they take to hide their guilt will only increase their wickedness, and aggravate their condemnation. It is a fearful thing to incur the guilt of blood. When unrighteously shed, it rises to heaven for vengeance. Pilate was stripped of his authority, and died in exile, it is said by his own hand. The state of the Jews for eighteen hundred years shows that the guilt of shedding the blood of Christ was awful, and that God is just. His blood be on us; we will bear the blame of his crucifixion: if divine judgments come, let them come on us and our children. Scourged Jesus; according to the custom of scourging one condemned to die before his execution. Scarlet robe; in mockery of his claim to be the king of the Jews; for a purple or scarlet robe was the ensign of sovereignty. A reed; in mockery, as a sceptre.

‏ Luke 23:1-25

1-5. Christ brought before Pilate. Mt 27:1,2,11-18. Perverting the nation; exciting the people to rebel against the Roman government.

Give tribute; pay taxes. The accusation which the Jews brought against Jesus before Pilate was not that of blasphemy in claiming to be the Son of God, for which their council had condemned him. Mt 26:65; it was that of treason against the Roman government. His claiming to be the Son of God was no crime in a Roman court. They could not induce Pilate for this to put him to death. They therefore invented another accusation, and sought false witnesses to support it. So that while they condemned him for what was no crime, they sought to have Pilate condemn him for a crime which he never committed. Justly did he who knew what was in them, say, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Mt 23:33. Thou sayest it; Jesus not only acknowledged himself to be the King of the Jews, but explained to Pilate that his kingdom was not of this world; so that he found no fault in him on this ground. Joh 18:36,37. He stirreth up the people; causing tumults among them.

All Jewry; the whole Jewish country. He sent him to Herod; seeking thus to get rid of the case altogether. This was Herod Antipas, who put John to death. He was son to Herod the Great, under whose reign Christ was born, Mt 2:1; uncle to Herod Agrippa, by whom James was killed, and who was eaten of worms, Ac 12:2, 23; and great-uncle to that Agrippa who was almost persuaded by Paul to become a Christian. Ac 25.27. He answered him nothing; the Saviour would not answer questions prompted by a vain curiosity, without any desire to know the truth. Men of war; the soldiers of his guard.

Set him at naught; treated him with contempt. Is done unto him; rather, is done by him. The two examinations before Pilate and Herod had brought to light no action of Jesus worthy of death. Chastise; scourge or whip him. Of necessity; it was the custom, and the people would be displeased if he should not comply with it. Mt 27:15. This shows the manner in which the word necessity is sometimes used in the Bible. 18-25. Christ condemned by Pilate. Mt 27:20-26. As civil government is an ordinance of God, established for the protection of the innocent, and the condemnation and punishment of the guilty, magistrates who, against evidence, acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent, are an abomination to the Lord. Injustice under the cover of law is aggravated wickedness. False witnesses and corrupt judges merit, and without repentance will receive a most awful condemnation.

‏ John 18:28-40

Hall of judgment; the place where Pilate the Roman governor held his court.

Lest they should be defiled; they would not enter this apartment of a Gentile, lest they should be unfitted to partake of the passover; so careful were they about contracting ceremonial pollution, while they were seeking to commit the most horrible crime.

But that they might eat the passover; see not to chap Joh 13:1. Men may be very scrupulous as to the observance of outward ceremonies, yet very reckless as to the commission of enormous crimes. No outward profession or inward experience is evidence of piety, unless it lead men to hate known sin, and have respect to all God's commandments. Ps 66:18; Ps 119:6. 28-40. Christ before Pilate. Mt 27:1-25. Malefactor; an evil-doer, violater of law. Take ye him, and judge him; see note to chap Joh 19:6.

Not lawful; the power to put one to death had been taken away from the Jews by the Roman government; and this was the reason why they sought to have Pilate condemn him. The saying of Jesus; crucifixion was a Roman punishment, while the Jewish punishment for the crime of which they accused him was that of stoning. Le 24:11,15,16. By taking him to the Roman governor, they fulfilled his own prediction concerning the manner of his death. Mt 20:19. Art thou the King of the Jews? this question was put in consequence of the Jews having charged him with pretending to be a king, which they said was rebellion against Caesar. Lu 23:2; Joh 19:12. Of thyself; have you observed any thing treasonable in me; or do you ask this question in consequence of what others have told you? Am I a Jew? as much as to say, Since I am not a Jew, I cannot be supposed to be acquainted with the controversy which thine own countrymen the Jews have with thee. I wish to hear from thine own mouth in respect to this charge of making thyself a king. Not of this world; not an earthly kingdom. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a spiritual kingdom. He reigns by truth and love over the hearts and lives of men. the friends of truth obey his voice, and find in doing it great reward. 2Co 4:2; Ps 19:11. Art thou a king then? a king of any sort?

Thou sayest; this was equivalent to replying, I am a king. He then proceeded to show what kind of a king he was; one who came into the world to make known the truth, and to govern men not by force, but by spiritual influence. Pilate saw that his claims were no crime against the Roman government, and hence said, What is truth? by this question Pilate manifested both his ignorance of our Lord's meaning, and his indifference in respect to His doctrine.

I find in him no fault; this the Holy Ghost caused to be written on an imperishable record, that it might stand an eternal monument of the falsehood of the Jews, and the perfect innocence of Jesus Christ. Ye have a custom; Mt 27:15. Not this man, but Barabbas; Pilate had asked them which they would have him set at liberty, Barabbas or Christ. Mt 27:17. Barabbas was guilty of sedition, the crime which they wrongfully charged upon Jesus; he was also a robber and a murderer. Yet they preferred him to the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. Mr 15:7; Lu 23:19,25.

‏ John 19:1-16

Scourged him; apparently hoping by this punishment to satisfy the Jews. Compare Lu 23:22. 1-3. Christ scourged and mocked. Mt 27:26-31; Mr 15:15-20. Take ye him, and crucify him; said in irony by Pilate, and so understood by the Jews. Compare chap Joh 18:31. We have a law; Le 24:16. Pilate having pronounced him not guilty of sedition, of which they had accused him, they went back to the charge of blasphemy, on which he had been condemned by the council. Mt 26:63-66. He was the more afraid; this was to Pilate a new charge. He saw that the Jews were resolved to kill him, though innocent; and as he claimed to be the Son of God, he was therefore more anxious to release him. His wife also had sent to him to have nothing to do with that just man, for she had suffered many things in a dream because of him. Mt 27:19. Men who do, or consent to others' doing what they know to be wrong, are always liable to great and distressing fears. Conscience condemns them; and though it sometimes sleeps, it may at any moment awake and fill them with terror. Whence art thou? what is thine origin, human or divine?

No answer; Jesus had given all needful information about himself, and he did not think proper to add to it. Given thee from above; the power of the civil magistrate is from God, and to God he is accountable for the use of it.

He that delivered me; Caiaphas, as high-priest, representing the Jewish council.

The greater sin; guilty as Pilate was, the Jewish council was still more guilty. They had not only abused the power which God gave them, but were urging Pilate to abuse his; and they were doing it under greater light than he had. Judicial authority and power are gifts of God, for the use of which men are accountable to him; and injustice committed by magistrates under the cover of law, is among the most wicked of all transgressions. Not Caesar's friend; Tiberius Caesar, then emperor of Rome. Finding that Pilate would not condemn Jesus for blasphemy, they returned to the former charge, of rebellion against the Roman government, and contended that if he released Jesus he was an enemy to Caesar. He might therefore be complained of to the emperor, who was a very jealous and cruel man; and he might thus lose his office, perhaps his life. This induced him to proceed with the trial. Sat down in the judgment-seat; the place for passing sentence on criminals. He did this for the purpose of condemning Jesus. He loved his office more than his duty; and feared the loss of it more than the commission of judicial murder.

Pavement--Gabbatha; an elevated place, paved with costly stones. The preparation; the preparation for the next day, which was the Sabbath, and the great day of the Jewish Passover. Mr 15:42.

About the sixth hour; not far from noon. Mark says the third hour, or nine o'clock in the morning. Mr 15:25. The whole proceedings took several hours, and the different evangelists refer to different periods of the transactions. 16-22. Christ crucified. Mt 27:32-35.