﻿Matthew.
Chapter 27.
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 
They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 
Then Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned. Filled with remorse, he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 
He threw the pieces of silver into the temple and withdrew. Then he went away and hanged himself. 
The chief priests picked up the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the treasury, since it is the price of blood.” 
After taking counsel, they used the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 
That is why that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 
Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one who was valued, whom the sons of Israel had valued, 
and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.” 
Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 
But when the chief priests and the elders accused him, he answered nothing. 
Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how much they testify against you?” 
But he did not answer him about even a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. 
At the feast, the governor customarily released one prisoner for the crowd, anyone they wanted. 
At that time they had a well-known prisoner called Jesus Barabbas. 
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?” 
For he knew that they had handed him over out of envy. 
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I have suffered greatly in a dream because of him.” 
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and have Jesus put to death. 
The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” They said, “Barabbas.” 
Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 
He said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” 
When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that an uproar was developing instead, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this blood. See to it yourselves.” 
All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 
Then he released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. 
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. 
They stripped him and put a scarlet cloak around him. 
They wove a crown of thorns and placed it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. Kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 
They spat on him, took the reed, and kept striking him on the head. 
After mocking him, they took off the cloak, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. 
As they went out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, and compelled him to carry Jesus' cross. 
They came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull. 
They gave him wine mixed with gall to drink, but after tasting it he would not drink it. 
After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots. 
Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 
Above his head they placed the written charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 
Then two robbers were crucified with him, one at his right and one at his left. 
Those who passed by reviled him, shaking their heads 
and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” 
Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes and the elders, mocked him, saying, 
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 
He has trusted in God. Let God rescue him now, if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 
The robbers crucified with him also insulted him in the same way. 
From about noon until about three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. 
At about three, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 
Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave him a drink. 
But the others said, “Wait; let us see whether Elijah comes to save him.” 
Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks split. 
The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 
After his resurrection, they came out of the tombs, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. 
When the centurion and those guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and what had happened, they were greatly afraid and said, “Truly this was God's Son!” 
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and had served him. 
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. 
When evening came, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph arrived. He too had become a disciple of Jesus. 
He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Then Pilate ordered it to be handed over. 
Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. 
The next day, the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 
and said, “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive, that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will be raised.’ 
Therefore order the tomb to be secured until the third day, lest his disciples come and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.” 
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 
So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone, with the guard there. 
