Matthew 27:43 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

NIV: He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.''

NASB: HE HAS TRUSTED IN God; LET God RESCUE Him now, IF HE TAKES PLEASURE IN HIM; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’?'

CSB: He trusts in God; let God rescue him now--if he takes pleasure in him! For he said, 'I am the Son of God.' "

NLT: He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’'

KJV: He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

NKJV: He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

In English, the expression "putting on a clinic" means to demonstrate something in a definitive way. The religious leaders who condemned Jesus to death are "putting on a clinic" in cruel mockery. As a mutilated (John 19:1–4), crucified man (Matthew 27:35–38) hangs in agony, they join in viciously insulting and making fun of Him (Matthew 27:39–42). Now they add one more hurtful insult to the list. They joke that if God really wants Jesus, who trusts in Him, then God should save Him now. After all, Jesus claimed to be God's Son.

At this point, the religious leaders are not speaking to Him, they are laughing with each other about Him within His hearing. To them, His dying on the cross is evidence He was never the Messiah He claimed to be. The fact that He can be killed in this way means that His power must have been false. They are patting themselves on the back for convincing Pilate to crucify the man (Matthew 27:24).

We're not told Jesus' emotional reaction to any of these insults. One can assume, though, this one would be especially hurtful. Jesus is the Son of God, and He knows that God the Father is the one ultimately responsible for His death on this cross (Matthew 26:39). God the Father is sacrificing God the Son to offer salvation to humanity (Romans 5:19). Jesus even alluded to this when Pilate claimed authority to have Jesus crucified: "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above" (John 19:11). Isaiah, describing the will of God the Father in this moment, put it this way, "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief" (Isaiah 53:10).

Jesus is dying on the cross by His own choice and in submission to the will of God the Father. In some impossible to understand way, there is at least a feeling of separation between Him and the Father, as He is being crushed, which would have been devastating. Jesus will soon cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46).

Matthew 27:32–44 describes Jesus' march to the cross, aided by a man named Simon of Cyrene. Jesus is offered a numbing, bitter wine, but refuses it, and is nailed to the cross. Soldiers gamble for His clothes. A somewhat sarcastic sign above Him reads "the King of the Jews." Observers, including several Jewish religious leaders, mock Jesus for not being able to save Himself. Even the criminals being executed on either side of Jesus insult Him. Mark 15:20–32, Luke 23:36–43, and John 19:16–27 cover this same process.

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.