Matthew 26-28
New Catholic Bible
The Passion and Resurrection[a]
Chapter 26
The Plot against Jesus.[b] 1 When Jesus had finished discoursing on all these subjects, he said to his disciples, 2 “In two days it will be Passover, at which time the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Meanwhile, the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled together in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,[c] 4 and they made plans to arrest Jesus by deceit and have him put to death. 5 However, they said, “It must not occur during the feast, or the people may begin to riot.”
A Woman of Bethany Anoints Jesus.[d] 6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and poured it over his head as he reclined at table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they became indignant, and they remarked, “Why this waste? 9 This ointment could have been sold for a considerable sum, with the money given to the poor.”
10 Jesus was aware of their attitude, and he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has performed a good deed for me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[e] but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has prepared me for burial. 13 Amen, I say to you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”
14 Judas Betrays Jesus.[f] Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, 16 and from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
17 The Preparations for the Passover Supper.[g] On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread,[h] the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said: “Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My appointed time is near. I intend to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ ” 19 The disciples thereupon followed Jesus’ instructions, and they prepared the Passover.
20 The Treachery of Judas Foretold.[i] When evening came, he reclined at table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 Greatly distressed on hearing this, they began to ask him, one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
23 He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me is the one who will betray me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said: “Is it I, Rabbi?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.”
26 The Last Supper.[j] While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after he had pronounced the blessing, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take this and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and after offering thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 And I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I shall drink it anew with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30 And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial.[k] Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all be scandalized because of me, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised up, I shall go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter said to him, “Even if all the others will be scandalized because of you, I will never be.” 34 Jesus replied, “Amen, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”[l] 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.
36 The Agony in the Garden.[m] Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to suffer grief and anguish.
38 Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful, even to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” 39 Moving on a little farther, he threw himself prostrate on the ground in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, allow this cup to be taken from me. Yet let your will, not mine, be done.”
40 Returning to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you not keep watch with me for just one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went apart for a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 Then he came back again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 He left them there and went away again, praying for the third time in the same words as before. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Behold, the hour has come for the Son of Man to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up! Let us be going! Look, my betrayer is approaching.”
47 Jesus Is Arrested.[n][o]While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him there was a large crowd of men, armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now his betrayer had agreed with them on a signal, saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man. Arrest him.” 49 Proceeding directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came forward, seized Jesus, and placed him under arrest.
51 Suddenly, one of those who were accompanying Jesus reached for his sword, drew it, and struck a servant of the high priest, slicing off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put back your sword into its place. For all who take the sword shall die by the sword. 53 Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to my Father for help[p] and he will not immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
55 At that hour, Jesus said to the crowd, “Why are you coming forth with swords and clubs to arrest me, as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple, and you did not arrest me. 56 But all this has taken place so that the writings of the Prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
57 Jesus Is Condemned by the Sanhedrin.[q] Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance up to the courtyard of the high priest. Then, going inside, he sat down with the attendants to see what the outcome would be.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin tried to elicit some false testimony against Jesus so they could put him to death, 60 but they failed in their efforts, even though many witnesses came forward with perjured testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it within three days.’ ”
62 The high priest then rose and said to him, “Have you no reply to counter the testimony that these witnesses have given?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I command you to tell us before the living God whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. But I tell you:
From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and exclaimed, “He has blasphemed! What need do we have for any further witnesses? Behold, you have just heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?” They shouted in reply, “He deserves to die.” 67 Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. Some taunted him as they beat him, 68 “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?”
69 Peter Denies Jesus.[r] Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. One of the servant girls came over to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71 When he walked out to the entrance gate, another servant girl caught sight of him and said to the people around her, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it, this time with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
73 Shortly afterward, some bystanders came up to Peter and said to him, “You unquestionably are one of them. Even your accent gives you away.” 74 Then Peter began to shout curses, and he swore an oath: “I do not know the man.” At that very moment, a cock crowed, 75 and Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and began to weep uncontrollably.
Chapter 27
Jesus Is Handed Over to Pilate.[s] 1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in council to decide how to put him to death. 2 They bound him and led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself.[t] 3 When Judas discovered that Jesus, whom he betrayed, had been condemned he was seized with a sense of remorse, and he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” They replied, “Of what importance is that to us? That is your responsibility.” 5 Flinging the silver pieces into the temple, he departed. Then he went off and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests retrieved the silver coins and said, “It is not lawful for us to deposit this into the temple treasury, for it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together, and then used it to purchase the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 This is the reason why that field to this very day is called the Field of Blood.
9 Thus was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:[u]
“And they took the thirty pieces of silver,
the price set on his head by the people of Israel,
10 and they used them to purchase the potter’s field
as the Lord had commanded me.”
11 Jesus Is Questioned by Pilate.[v]Meanwhile, Jesus was brought into the presence of the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said so.”[w] 12 And when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he offered no reply. 13 Pilate then said to him, “Have you not heard how many charges they have brought against you?” 14 But he did not offer a single word in response, much to the governor’s amazement.[x]
15 Jesus Is Sentenced to Death. Now on the occasion of the feast, the governor’s custom was to release to the people one prisoner whom they had designated. 16 At that particular time, they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. 17 Therefore, after the people had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which man do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him over.
19 While he was still seated on the judge’s bench, his wife sent him a message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man. I have been greatly troubled today by a dream that I had about him.”[y]
20 Meanwhile, the chief priests and the elders had persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 Therefore, when the governor asked them, “Which of the two men do you want me to release to you?” they shouted, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate asked them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them shouted, “Let him be crucified!” 23 He asked, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they only screamed all the louder, “Let him be crucified!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was about to occur, he took some water and washed his hands[z] in full view of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility.” 25 With one voice the entire crowd cried out, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”[aa] 26 He then released Barabbas to them, and after Jesus had been scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
27 Jesus Is Crowned with Thorns.[ab] Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they placed it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. Then, bending the knee before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They also spat upon him and, taking the reed, used it to strike him on the head. 31 And when they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the robe, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him away to crucify him.
32 The Way of the Cross. As they went out, they encountered a man from Cyrene,[ac] named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.
33 Jesus Is Crucified on Calvary. When they came to a place called Golgotha, which means the Place of the Skull,[ad] 34 they offered him some wine to drink that had been mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink the mixture.[ae] 35 And after they had crucified him,[af] they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down there to keep guard over him. 37 Above his head was inscribed the charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two thieves were crucified with him, one on his right and the other on his left.[ag]
39 Those people who passed by jeered at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who claimed you could destroy the temple and rebuild it within three days, save yourself! If you truly are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41 In much the same way, the chief priests, together with the scribes and the elders, joined in the mockery, saying, 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he is the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusted in God; now let God deliver him if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 The thieves who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
45 Jesus Dies on the Cross.[ah] Beginning at midday, there was darkness over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock[ai] Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”—that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47 On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 One of them immediately ran off to get a sponge, which he soaked in vinegar, put on a stick, and gave to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait! Let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus again cried out in a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
51 And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked and rocks were split apart. 52 The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many.[aj] 54 Now when the centurion and those who were keeping watch over Jesus with him witnessed the earthquake and all that was happening, they were terrified, and they said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”
55 Many women were also present, looking on from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to him. 56 Among these were Mary Magdalene,[ak] Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
57 Jesus Is Placed in the Tomb.[al] When evening came, there arrived a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus. So Pilate ordered that it be handed over to him.
59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb that he had hewn out of the rock. He then rolled an immense stone against the entrance of the tomb and departed. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulcher.
62 The Guard at the Tomb. The next day, on the morning after the preparation day,[am] the chief priests and the Pharisees came to Pilate in a group 63 and said to him, “Your Excellency, we recall that while he was still alive, this impostor said, ‘After three days I will be raised up.’ 64 Therefore, issue orders that the tomb be kept under surveillance until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may go there and steal his body, and then tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ This final deception would be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go and make the grave as secure as you can.” 66 And so they went forth and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.
Chapter 28
Jesus Is Raised from the Dead.[an] 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the sepulcher. 2 And behold, there was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord, descended from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat upon it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his garments were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so paralyzed with fear of him that they became like dead men.
5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised, as he promised he would be. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has been raised from the dead and now he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”
8 They were filled with fear and great joy, and they ran from the tomb to inform his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus came to meet them, saying, “Greetings.” They approached him, embraced his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be fearful. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee. There they will see me.”[ao]
11 The Report of the Guard.[ap] While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the chief priests had conferred with the elders, they presented a large sum of money to the soldiers 13 and gave them this order: “Say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole the body while we were asleep.’ 14 And should the governor hear anything in this regard, we will explain the situation to him and you will be safe.” 15 The soldiers took the money and did as they had been instructed. And this story is still circulated among the Jews to this very day.
16 Jesus Gives the Great Commission.[aq] Then the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to meet him. 17 When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him, although some doubted. 18 Then Jesus approached them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,[ar] 20 and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the world.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 26:1 One person dominates this account: Jesus. He submits to the death that hangs over sinful humanity, but he comes forth from the tomb as conqueror of death and evil. Matthew constantly cites Scripture in order to convince the intended readers of his work, Christians converted from Judaism, that the seeming failure of Jesus was in reality the fulfillment of God’s plan.
- Matthew 26:1 Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ awareness to carry out his Father’s saving plan. Probably the plot was hatched on Wednesday.
- Matthew 26:3 Joseph, surnamed Caiaphas, son-in-law of Annas, was high priest, that is, supreme head of the Jewish priesthood and president of the Sanhedrin, from A.D. 18 to 36.
- Matthew 26:6 The anointing at Bethany anticipates the burial rites for the Savior after his death. Providing for burial was in the eyes of the Jews a more important good work than almsgiving itself. In Jn 12:1-8, the woman is called Mary, and Judas is the apostle who becomes indignant. Luke (7:36-50) reports another anointing.
- Matthew 26:11 The poor you will always have with you: with these words Jesus does not intend to sanction poverty as if to condemn efforts to eradicate misery. He makes a simple observation: his disciples will have many occasions to aid the poor who, as Deut 15:11 states, will never be wanting in Israel.
- Matthew 26:14 For the early Christians, if there is a dark deed it is the ever incomprehensible deed of Judas, who comes to the fore here. Matthew is thinking of the prophecy of the righteous man sold for thirty pieces of silver (see Zec 11:12). That amount is also the compensation paid to one whose slave has been gored by an ox (see Ex 21:32).
- Matthew 26:17 In the history of Israel one event dominates all others, the Passover (Ex 12–13), and in the worship of Israel one feast summarizes the whole faith, the Passover. It celebrates the passage of God in the midst of his people and is the hour of liberation, salvation, and the covenant. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection constitute the true Passover, definitive for all humankind. The Last Supper of Jesus will be its inauguration.
- Matthew 26:17 The first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread: this date corresponds with Thursday, the 14th of Nisan. The feast really began on the 15th of Nisan and lasted until the 21st. However, since the leavened bread was eliminated from all the houses before midday on the 14th, the morning of this date was improperly regarded as the first day of the feast, which in reality began only with the setting of the sun, when according to Jewish custom the 15th began. Passover here refers to the paschal lamb, which was immolated around three o’clock on the 14th of Nisan.
- Matthew 26:20 The Passover supper began around six o’clock on Thursday. This passage focuses on the divine foreknowledge of Jesus, who is not overcome by the course of events and regards them as ordinary. He sees them as the putting in motion of the will of his Father.
- Matthew 26:26 This is the beginning of the new Covenant promised in Jer 31:31-33, the new sacrifice. For Jesus this meal is more than a final farewell; his entire work is summed up in this sign. He shares his life and love with sinners; he acts as the Servant of God whose sacrifice of himself ransoms his fellow human beings from sin and reconciles them with the Father (see Isa 42:6; 49:6; 53:11-12). Jesus anticipates his sacrifice; he anticipates his gift of himself. By offering his body and blood on the cross he saves humankind. A Covenant is established in which all the saved will share in the same love (see Jer 31:31-34). The Eucharist replaces Sinai (see Ex 24:6-8).
- Matthew 26:31 During the Passover meal, some psalms were sung, i.e., the so-called Hallel (113–118). Two followed the account of the origin of Passover. The others were recited after the meal. On the way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicts to the disciples their crisis of faith. They have indeed acknowledged him as Messiah and have a deep love for him, as shown by Peter’s words. However, they have not yet understood the scandal of the cross, and so their fidelity will be shaken, at least momentarily.
- Matthew 26:34 The cock would begin crowing at 3:00 A.M. (see Mk 13:35).
- Matthew 26:36 The first Christian community never succumbed to the temptation to make Jesus into a hero. Never did he appear more human and more pitiable than in this passage. His inner turmoil in the face of his approaching suffering and death could not be more profound than in this hour of the agony. Three times the prayer of the Our Father rises on the lips of Christ; it is a prayer of complete abandonment into God’s hand. And Jesus bears this “temptation,” this trial, alone as perhaps no other human could have done. He utters no word of resentment or pride at the moment when he accepts and confronts the ultimate and sorrowful stage of his mission.
- Matthew 26:47 Jesus practices what he had taught (Mt 5:39). He regards himself as the suffering Servant (see Isa 53) who accepts his sacrifice in silence so as to accomplish his mission. It is love that reestablishes order, for in the face of hypocritical force violence remains powerless.
- Matthew 26:47 Judas was well aware of the customs of his Master, and that he was wont to retire to the garden of Gethsemane. A kiss was the customary greeting of a disciple for his teacher.
- Matthew 26:53 Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to my Father for help . . . ?: by these words Jesus emphasizes the voluntary character of his Passion. Jesus freely accepts the will of God, expressed in Scripture. The same reason is repeated in v. 56. Twelve legions: a Roman legion consisted of 6000 men.
- Matthew 26:57 According to Matthew and Mark, immediately after his arrest Jesus was led before the Sanhedrin for a session that very night. Another session was held in the morning; then Jesus was consigned to Pilate. The religious trial has two phases: the first centers upon the false testimony of the witnesses, the second upon the question put to Jesus by the high priest. The Law (Deut 17:6) required that two witnesses agree in their testimony against an accused person. Jesus supposedly had said that he had power over the temple, which was the house of God. But had he not said that his body was the true dwelling of the Father (Jn 2:21)? Now that every political and nationalist interpretation of his words seems excluded, since he is alone, rejected, helpless, he dares to say that he is the Messiah and not only the son but the lord of David (Ps 110:1; Dan 7:13).
- Matthew 26:69 At the very moment when the Master openly proclaims himself to be the Messiah, no one acknowledges it. In the opinion of all, he is lost. Even Peter, the leader of Jesus’ followers, denies any link with him.
- Matthew 27:1 According to Matthew and Mark, the members of the Sanhedrin came together officially for a second time in the morning to pronounce the sentence of condemnation. In the light of a different scenario found in Luke and John, scholars believe it is more probable that during the night Jesus appeared before Annas for a private interrogation and then was brought to Caiaphas. In the morning he appeared before the Sanhedrin, where he was declared deserving of death. The Jewish tribunal did not have the power over life and death. Therefore, Jesus was led before Pontius Pilate, who from A.D. 26 to 36 was the governor (procurator) in Judea, which passed into the direct dominion of Rome in A.D. 6.
- Matthew 27:3 This story is typical of Matthew’s style; the sad incident suggests to him various references to the Scriptures (Zec 11:12-13; Jer 18:2-3; 32:6-15). The memory of Judas was a burden to the early Christians (see Acts 1:16-20).
- Matthew 27:9 Spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: the statement actually comes from Zec 11:12, 13. However, the Hebrew canon of Scripture was divided into three sections: The Law, The Writings, and The Prophets (see Lk 24:44). Since Jeremiah came first in the order of the Prophetic Books, the Prophets were at times collectively referred to by his name.
- Matthew 27:11 For a second time (the wise men were the first to use the title, Mt 2:1-12), Jesus is called “King of the Jews,” and once again it is a pagan who gives him the title. The governor says he is convinced of the innocence of Jesus (see Deut 21:6), but he yields to the insistence of the Jewish authorities.
- Matthew 27:11 The members of the Sanhedrin had condemned Jesus because of his claim to be a transcendent and superhuman Messiah. Now before Pilate, they cleverly laicize the accusation, portraying Jesus as a dangerous political instigator opposed to the Roman domination. The whole trial is begun on the alleged kingship of Jesus.
- Matthew 27:14 The silence of Jesus recalls the attitude of the Servant of the Lord, who like a lamb does not open his mouth in the face of those who shear him (Isa 53:7).
- Matthew 27:19 A Gentile woman declares Jesus’ innocence. By a dream: for Matthew, dreams are the means of communication from God (1:20; 2:12, 13, 19, 22).
- Matthew 27:24 Washed his hands: this gesture of Pilate was in use among the Jews (see Deut 21:6) and among other peoples. However, this symbolic action does not exempt the Roman procurator of his responsibility. He has acknowledged the innocence of the accused yet has condemned him.
- Matthew 27:25 The nation accepts the responsibility for Jesus’ death. The Second Vatican Council has declared that the guilt for Jesus’ death is not attributable to all the Jews of his day or to any Jews of later times. We are responsible for Jesus’ death. He died for our sins.
- Matthew 27:27 Jesus is delivered up to suffering, misunderstanding, ridicule. “He was despised and shunned by others, a man of sorrows, who was no stranger to suffering”; “I did not shield my face from insults and spitting” (Isa 53:3; 50:6). The praetorium was the residence of the Roman governor.
- Matthew 27:32 Cyrene: a Greek colony on the Libyan coast; a large Jewish community lived there. See note on Mk 15:21.
- Matthew 27:33 Skull (Latin: calvaria): a rounded, rocky elevation, about fifteen feet high. It was a former quarry that functioned as a garbage dump.
- Matthew 27:34 The wine mixed with gall was meant to alleviate suffering.
- Matthew 27:35 Crucified him: crucifixion was an excruciating means of execution that the Romans had borrowed from Persians, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians. The victims were nailed to a cross by means of heavy wrought-iron nails driven through their wrists and heels. Most hung on the cross for days before dying of suffocation (when the legs were no longer able to support the body, the diaphragm was constricted and breathing became impossible). Although the pain would be unbearable as the hours dragged on, some did linger and had to have their legs broken to hasten death (see Jn 19:33). The recent discovery of the bones of a crucified man, near Jerusalem, dating between A.D. 7 and 66, sheds light on the position of those nailed to the cross. A few late manuscripts add here: “lots,” so that the word spoken by the Prophet might be fulfilled: ‘They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots’ ” (Ps 22:19).
- Matthew 27:38 The crucifixion between two thieves recalls the prophecy of Isa 53:12: “He was counted among the transgressors.”
- Matthew 27:45 Everything proclaims that the Son of God, dying on the cross, is triumphant over the forces of the world and of death; the old covenant is finished, and the time is coming when the kingdom will be open to all human beings (see Heb 9:12; 10:20; Ezek 37; Dan 12:2; Rev 21).
- Matthew 27:46 Midday . . . three o’clock: literally, “the sixth hour” . . . “the ninth hour.” Psalm 22, whose first verse is here invoked by Jesus, recapitulates all the sufferings of the just people in the Old Testament. It clearly expresses their extreme anguish but also their certainty of final vindication.
- Matthew 27:53 The phenomena that accompany the death of Jesus evoke the apocalyptic literary genre of the Day of the Lord. In fact, according to the evangelists, that day corresponds with the day of the death of Jesus, which signals the beginning of the new era. Because of the obscurity of this language it is difficult to determine the historicity of the resurrection of some dead people mentioned here. Some Fathers of the Church and exegetes believe this passage refers to the liberation from limbo of the just of the Old Testament, who then enter with Jesus into the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem.
- Matthew 27:56 Magdalene: “Of Magdala,” a place on the west side of Lake Tiberias, near Capernaum.
- Matthew 27:57 The story of the burial provided by a rich man certainly recalls Isaiah’s prophecy of the Servant (53:9 LXX). See also note on Mk 15:42-47.
- Matthew 27:62 Preparation day: this was Friday, the day on which the meal was prepared for the Sabbath, which was a day of complete rest.
- Matthew 28:1 The Resurrection of Christ is a mystery of faith; it was not accessible to the senses, as other events are. Our faith in it is based on the word of those who witnessed the risen Christ.
- Matthew 28:10 It is difficult to harmonize the accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus set forth by the four evangelists and St. Paul (1 Cor 15:3-7). There are no authentic divergences, only independent narratives. Every sacred author gives one episode or other and stresses one phrase or other of the Lord in accord with some unknown criteria or particular theology.
Scripture describes at least ten appearances of Jesus to his apostles and disciples between his Resurrection and his Ascension forty days later. He appeared to: (1) Mary Magdalene at the tomb (Mk 16:9; Jn 20:11-18); (2) the women on the road (Mt 28:9, 10); (3) the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35); (4) Peter (Lk 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5); (5) ten of the eleven apostles, with Thomas absent (Lk 24:36-43; Mk 16:14; Jn 20:19-25); (6) all eleven apostles, with Thomas present (eight days later) (Jn 20:26-31); (7) seven disciples by the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1-25); (8) more than 500 disciples, most likely on a mountain in Galilee (1 Cor 15:6); (9) James (1 Cor 15:7); and (10) the apostles at his Ascension (Acts 1:3-11). After his Ascension he also appeared to Paul (1 Cor 15:8). - Matthew 28:11 Matthew is here combating the fables that were circulated in Jewish circles to ridicule the testimony of the early Church.
- Matthew 28:16 The last passage of the Gospel is not a conclusion but a new beginning, a new departure. From a mountain whose vantage point embraces the ends of the earth and the limits of history, we see the destiny of humankind. Now Jesus is established in his lordship in dazzling glory, and his hands hold the fate of the world. Now his faithful spread his message and his mystery; now there is one Baptism for all humanity and one communion with God for all persons. It is the time of the universal mission: God is with us; such is the very name of Jesus: “Emmanuel” (Mt 1:23; see Isa 7:14). On the face of Christ we read the mystery of the Church.
- Matthew 28:19 The evangelist places on the Lord’s lips the trinitarian formula that was in use in the baptismal Liturgy of the time (A.D. 70–80).
