Matthew 27:60 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

NIV: and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

NASB: and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

CSB: and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb.

NLT: He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left.

KJV: And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

NKJV: and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, has been secretly following Jesus (John 19:38). Now, finding a level of courage, he has asked Pilate for Jesus' body. He wants to help to get Jesus buried before the Sabbath begins at sundown (Matthew 27:57–59). He has been helped in this by a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who also spent time with Jesus (John 19:39–40). Together they wrapped Jesus' body with burial spices.

Now Joseph lays Jesus in his own, new, never used tomb which had been cut out of rock in a garden setting (John 19:41). Joseph and Nicodemus are both wealthy men. A new tomb cut into rock, in a lavish location, would have been quite expensive. Also pricey were the burial spices provided by Nicodemus. This fulfills yet another prophecy about Jesus as the Messiah. Isaiah 53:9 says, "They made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death."

Joseph rolls a great stone over the opening of the tomb to seal it and then goes away for the night.

Matthew 27:57–66 describes Jesus' burial and the watch placed over His tomb. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower of Jesus, asks for Jesus' body. Pilate agrees. Joseph wraps Jesus' body in a clean linen shroud and places it in his own, never-used tomb, which is cut out of the rock in a garden. Jesus' enemies ask Pilate to place Roman soldiers at the grave site. They seek to prevent anyone from stealing His body and claiming He has been resurrected. Pilate agrees. The tomb is sealed. A guard is posted. These events are also seen in Mark 15:42–47, Luke 23:50–56, and John 19:38–42.

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.

Accessed 5/2/2024 3:44:56 PM