Matthew 27: Crucified (1)
Pray Psalm 38.13-16.
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth.
Thus I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth is no response.
For in You, O LORD, I hope;
You will hear, O Lord my God.
For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me,
Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
Sing Psalm 38.13-16.
Leoni: The God of Abraham Praise
Their threats I will not heed, nor speak to their reproof;
to hear or speak I have no need—I claim Your truth!
LORD, hear my fervent prayer! Let not my foes rejoice;
redeem me from their traps and snares— LORD, hear my voice!
Read and meditate on Matthew 27.1-14.
Why did the Jews send Jesus to Pilate?
Prepare.
1. How do we see the faithfulness of God’s Word in these verses?
2. How did Jesus respond to Pilate? Where have we seen this response before?
Meditate.
Why do the nations rage,
And the people plot a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.” Psalm 2.1, 2
Just as God foretold, the rulers of Israel and Rome conspired to be rid of Jesus and free from His “bonds” and “cords”—the Law of God (cf. Hos. 11.1-4). But, as the rest of Psalm 2 indicates, God sees all this, and is using it to prepare for the enthronement of His Son, and the subjugation of the nations.
Judas, regretting his treachery, tried to atone for it by returning the bounty paid him. When the chief priests and elders refused to take it back, Judas “threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (v. 5). The money was used to buy a field for burying strangers, just as the Scripture foretold (v. 9; cf. Zech. 11.12, 13).
Standing before Pilate, Jesus, the Word of God, answered the question put to Him almost exactly as He had when He indicated that Judas would betray Him, and as He repeated before the high priest: “It is as you say” (v. 11). Here, rather than respond in the aorist tense as before (“You said it”), Jesus responded in the present tense: “It is as you are saying.” He is the “King of the Jews” and the Word Who is the I AM of God, the Word Who never fails, never changes, continues always, and is continuing yet today.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him.
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26.4, 5).
Jesus is, of course, the quintessential keeper of this proverb.
Watching Him traverse the hatred coming at Himself from all directions, with pure wisdom, is awe-inspiring.
“Now Jesus stood before the governor.
And the governor asked Him, saying, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’
Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say.’
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
Then Pilate said to Him, ‘Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?’
But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly” (Matt. 27.11-14).
Jesus was never “off-duty”.
Even during His kangaroo trial He exhibited wisdom, grace, and superiority of character.
All around Him were lying, lacking all decorum, yet He was calm and collected—in charge of Himself.
The Truth Personified (Jn. 14.6).
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Prov. 16.32). Jesus.
“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down,
without walls” (Prov. 25.28). The chief priests and elders.
As His followers, those who are called to imitate Him (1 Cor. 11.1); and
those who, through the Holy Spirit, have His mind (1 Cor. 2.16), we are called
to the same responses in our times of trial and tribulation.
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities,
do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Lk. 12.12).
Jesus went before us to show us how this is done.
Because of love. First and foremost.
Then with wisdom, grace, and decorum.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1.12).
Daily following in His perfect footsteps.
Led by His Holy Spirit.
Realizing, by His witness,
that we too, are never “off-duty”.
Reflect.
1. What are the keys to remaining calm and at peace in the midst of trials?
2. How did Jesus demonstrate His trust in God’s will during this trial?
3. We can’t avoid trials. What can we learn about Jesus from bearing up under trial for the glory of God?
For the Son of God chose to stand bound before an earthly judge, and there to receive sentence of death, in order that we, delivered from condemnation, may not fear to approach freely to the heavenly throne of God. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 27.11-14
Pray Psalm 38.17-22.
Pray these words, as you listen for the Spirit to convict you of any sins, and as you remember Jesus, going to the cross for your salvation.
Sing Psalm 38.17-22.
Leoni: The God of Abraham Praise
My sins I now confess; my anxious soul relieve!
Though foes are strong, LORD, heal and bless all who believe!
Forsake me not, O LORD! Repay my foes with wrath.
Stand by me with Your saving Word and guard my path!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast features excerpts from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column continues our study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
