Matthew 27:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

NIV: So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

NASB: and they bound Him and led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

CSB: After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

NLT: Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

KJV: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

NKJV: And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

The Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious ruling body, had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy for His claim to be the Messiah. Although the trial was entirely false (Matthew 26:57–68), and the verdict decided long before (John 11:53), they agreed on a sentence of death. Jewish law of the time, however, said such trials had to happen in openness and during the day. To wiggle around this requirement, a hasty repeat of the verdict is given after morning breaks (Matthew 27:1).

Jesus' enemies have another problem. Under Roman law, they did not have the authority to put prisoners to death. Only the Romans could perform legal executions. To accomplish their death sentence, Jerusalem's religious leaders will need the Roman governor of their region to give the order. To that end, they send a captive Jesus to Pontius Pilate for yet another verdict and sentence.

Christ's predictions about these events continue to be fulfilled exactly as He said: "The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles" (Matthew 20:18–19). Jesus continues to offer no resistance to those who accuse, beat, and march Him from place to place. He knows He is exactly where His Father means for Him to be.

Pontius Pilate served as the governor of the region of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. Sources outside the Bible describe Pilate as cruel, unfavorable to the Jewish people, and sometimes insecure. His tenure was marked by acts of violence, and he was eventually replaced. In 1961, an inscription was discovered in Caesarea Maritima that mentioned Pilate as a prefect in the region. He apparently only came to Jerusalem during feasts or festivals or when there was likely to be trouble that required his attention.

Matthew 27:1–2 briefly describes events taking place on the morning following Jesus' conviction and condemnation during the night. Jewish legal procedure of the time required a death penalty trial to be held during the daytime. For the sake of appearances, the council again condemned Jesus and sentenced Him to death. They did not have the authority to enact such a sentence, however. They needed Roman approval to do that. So, they tie Jesus up and march Him over to Pilate, the Roman governor of the region, in hopes he will agree to have Jesus executed. Mark 15:1, Luke 23:1, and John 18:28 offer the same information.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.