Matthew 27:27-54

The Final Farewell (27:27-54).

In sober words Matthew now portrays what Jesus had to endure from the moment when He was handed over to His executioners to be mocked as ‘the King of the Jews' to the time when He breathes His last and His executioners testify that He is ‘the Son of God'.

Analysis.

a The mock adulation of the soldiers as they hail Him as ‘King of the Jews' (Matthew 27:27).

b The crucifixion of Jesus where He is numbered with two insurrectionists and displayed as ‘the King of the Jews'. He is mocked by the passers-by, the Chief Priests and the insurrectionists as He is hailed mockingly as ‘Son of God' and ‘King of Israel' (Matthew 27:32).

c Jesus' final hours in pitch darkness, both physical and spiritual (Matthew 27:45).

b God openly vindicates His Son - the veil of the Temple is torn in half, an earthquake rends the rocks, the Old Testament ‘saints' buried in Jerusalem are raised (after His resurrection) as their tombs are opened (Matthew 27:52).

a The centurion and his men bear witness that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 27:54).

Note how in ‘a' the soldiers mock Him, and in the parallel they worship Him. In ‘b' there are three witnesses to His downfall, and in the parallel there are three witnesses to His vindication. Centrally in ‘c' we have His final hours.

But this passage divides into two parts. In the first part we again have a typical Matthaean ‘sandwich'. The crucifixion of Jesus as the King of the Jews is sandwiched between the mockery of the Gentile soldiers and the mockery of the Jewish Chief Priests and people. Thus it may be analysed as follows:

a The mock adulation of the Gentile soldiers as they hail Him as ‘King of the Jews' (Matthew 27:27).

b The crucifixion of Jesus where He is humiliated and displayed as ‘the King of the Jews' (Matthew 27:32).

a He is hung between two insurrectionists and mocked by the Jewish passers-by, the Chief Priests and the Jewish insurrectionists as He is hailed mockingly as ‘Son of God' and ‘King of Israel' (Matthew 27:32).