Jesus, the Innocent King, Bore the Judgment We Deserved
Matthew 27 opens with Jesus being handed over to the Roman governor after the religious leaders had condemned Him. Meanwhile, Judas was overwhelmed with remorse. He returned the thirty pieces of silver, saying:
“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” — Matthew 27:4
Although Judas recognised Jesus’ innocence, his remorse did not lead him back to Christ. Jesus then stood before Pontius Pilate. When Pilate asked,
“Are You the King of the Jews?” — Matthew 27:11
Jesus simply answered:
“It is as you say.” — Matthew 27:11
Pilate repeatedly recognised that Jesus had committed no crime. Yet, under pressure from the crowd, he released Barabbas instead. The people cried:
“Let Him be crucified!” — Matthew 27:22
Pilate symbolically washed his hands, but no outward action could remove responsibility for an unjust decision. The One who was perfectly innocent willingly accepted condemnation so that guilty sinners could one day be declared righteous before God.
This reminds us that Jesus was not condemned because He deserved punishment but because we did. Every false accusation, every act of injustice, and every step toward Calvary was part of God’s redemptive plan. Christ willingly stood in the place of sinners, bearing the judgment that rightly belonged to us. When we remember the cross, we should never see merely the suffering of an innocent man—we should see the immeasurable love of the sinless Son of God taking our place. This truth should fill our hearts with deep gratitude, humble worship, and renewed devotion to the One who gave Himself for us.
The Cross Is the Centre of God’s Plan of Salvation
The soldiers mocked Jesus. They dressed Him in a scarlet robe. They placed a crown of thorns on His head. They mocked Him, saying:
“Hail, King of the Jews!” — Matthew 27:29
What they intended as ridicule proclaimed a profound truth. Jesus truly is the King. At Golgotha He was crucified. Matthew records that darkness covered the land. Then Jesus cried:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” — Matthew 27:46
These words echo Psalm 22, revealing that even His suffering fulfilled Scripture. Finally:
“Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” — Matthew 27:50
Immediately:
“Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…” — Matthew 27:51
God Himself opened the way into His presence. The barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity had been removed through the sacrificial death of Christ. Even the Roman centurion declared:
“Truly this was the Son of God!” — Matthew 27:54
This reminds us that the cross is the very heart of the Gospel. Everything in Scripture had been moving toward this moment, when Jesus willingly laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Through His death, the separation caused by sin was overcome, and access to God was opened for all who believe. The torn veil powerfully declares that we no longer approach God through earthly priests or sacrifices but through Jesus Christ alone. Every time we think about the cross, we should be reminded not only of the seriousness of sin but also of the immeasurable greatness of God’s love.
Even in Death, God Was Preparing for Resurrection
After Jesus died, several remarkable events occurred. Matthew records:
- the earth quaked,
- rocks split,
- tombs were opened,
- and many bodies of the saints were raised after Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 27:51–53).
These signs declared that something unlike anything in history had taken place. Jesus was then lovingly buried by Joseph of Arimathea. Matthew writes:
“When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth.” — Matthew 27:59
He laid Jesus in his own new tomb. A large stone was rolled across its entrance. The religious leaders, remembering Jesus’ prediction of His resurrection, requested that the tomb be secured. Pilate replied:
“You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.” — Matthew 27:65
Ironically, every effort to prevent the resurrection from being believed would later strengthen the evidence that the tomb truly was empty. The chapter ends in apparent silence. But heaven had not finished writing the story.
Here, we are reminded that what appears to be the end is often the beginning of God’s greatest work. The disciples saw only loss, sorrow, and defeat, yet God was preparing the greatest victory the world would ever witness. There are seasons in our own lives when God’s purposes seem hidden, and hope feels distant. This chapter encourages us to trust Him even in those moments. The God who brought resurrection out of the darkness of Calvary is still able to bring life, hope, and redemption out of circumstances that appear beyond repair. His purposes never fail, even when we cannot yet see how He is working.
Deeper Waters
Matthew 27 stands at the centre of the Gospel because it records the climactic moment of God’s redemptive plan—the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the chapter, Matthew repeatedly emphasises Christ’s innocence. Judas confesses it. Pilate recognises it. Pilate’s wife warns of it. The centurion ultimately acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God. The sinless Lamb goes to the cross not because of His own guilt but because He has willingly taken the place of guilty sinners. This fulfils the pattern established in Isaiah 53, where the Servant of the Lord bears the iniquities of many.
The mock coronation presents a profound irony. The soldiers intend only to humiliate Jesus, yet every symbol points to the truth. The robe, the crown, and the title “King of the Jews” all proclaim His true identity. His throne will first be the cross before it is openly revealed in glory.
Jesus’ cry,
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
begins Psalm 22, a psalm that remarkably foreshadows many details of the crucifixion. In bearing the judgment of sin, Christ experiences the horror of abandonment that sinners deserve, so that those who trust in Him might never be separated from God.
The tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom is one of the most significant moments in the New Testament. The veil had symbolised restricted access to God’s holy presence. Its tearing by God Himself signifies that through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, direct access to the Father has been opened. This truth is later developed in Hebrews 9–10, where Jesus is revealed as both the perfect High Priest and the perfect sacrifice.
Matthew alone records the opening of the tombs and the raising of many saints after Jesus’ resurrection. These extraordinary events foreshadow the victory of Christ over death itself. His death is not merely an individual sacrifice; it is the beginning of the new creation, where death’s power has been decisively broken.
Finally, the sealing of the tomb demonstrates God’s sovereign wisdom. The authorities attempt to eliminate every possibility of deception, yet their very precautions become part of the evidence for the reality of the resurrection. Human opposition cannot frustrate God’s eternal purposes.
Matthew 27 encourages us to: stand in awe of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice, rest confidently in the access to God secured by His blood, trust God’s purposes even when circumstances appear hopeless, remember that apparent defeat in God’s hands often becomes the pathway to victory, and and live with gratitude because Christ bore the judgment we deserved.
Ultimately, Matthew 27 points us to Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, the rejected King, and the victorious Redeemer. At the cross, justice and mercy meet perfectly. God’s righteous judgment against sin is fully satisfied, while His boundless love is displayed in the giving of His Son. The One who appeared utterly defeated was, in reality, accomplishing the greatest victory in history—purchasing redemption for all who believe. The cross is therefore not merely the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry; it is the foundation of every one of us’s hope, forgiveness, and eternal life.