“Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19
After Jesus Christ was arrested, the Romans scourged, mocked, and beat Him. Pilate found Jesus innocent, but the crowd cried out for Jesus’s crucifixion. Pilate succumbed to the pressure and sentenced the Savior to be crucified. Jesus Christ was crucified on Golgotha between two thieves. As He hung on the cross, He prayed for Heavenly Father to forgive the soldiers and asked the Apostle John to take care of His mother. Finally, Jesus commended His spirit into His Father’s hands and died. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus placed the Savior’s body in a tomb.
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Background and Context
What do we know about Pilate, the Roman governor?
See “John 18:29. Who was Pilate?” and “John 18:29–36. Why did the Jewish leaders bring Jesus before Pilate?”
Matthew 27:14, 26, 30, 34–35, 38, 41
What prophecies were fulfilled during the trial and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ?
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Prophecy |
Fulfillment of Prophecy |
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Isaiah 53:7. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.” |
Matthew 27:14. “He answered him to never a word.” |
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Isaiah 53:5. “The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” 1 Nephi 19:9. “Wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it.” |
Matthew 27:26. Roman soldiers “scourged Jesus.” |
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Isaiah 50:6. “I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” 1 Nephi 19:9. “They spit upon him, and he suffereth it.” |
Matthew 27:30. “They spit upon him.” |
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Psalm 69:21. “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” |
Matthew 27:34. “They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall.” |
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Psalm 22:16. “They pierced my hands and my feet.” 1 Nephi 19:10. He “yieldeth himself … to be lifted up … and to be crucified.” |
Matthew 27:35. “They crucified him.” |
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Psalm 22:18. “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” |
Matthew 27:35. The Roman soldiers “parted his garments, casting lots.” |
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Isaiah 53:9, 12. “He made his grave with the wicked, … and he was numbered with the transgressors.” |
Matthew 27:38. “Then were there two thieves crucified with him.” |
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Psalm 22:7–8. “All they that see me laugh me to scorn … , saying, he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him.” |
Matthew 27:41, 43. “The chief priests mocking him, … said, … he trusted in God; let him deliver him now.” |
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Psalm 22:1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” |
Matthew 27:46. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” |
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Psalm 34:20. “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” (See also Exodus 12:46.) |
John 19:33. “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.” |
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Zechariah 12:10. “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced.” |
John 19:34. “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side.” |
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Isaiah 53:9. “He made his grave with the … rich in his death.” |
Matthew 27:57, 59–60. “A rich man of Arimathea … wrapped [the body of Jesus] in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb.” |
How did Barabbas’s release fulfill the law of Moses?
(Compare to Mark 15:7–11; Luke 23:18–25; John 18:39–40.)
According to an ancient Greek version of Matthew 27:16–17, Barabbas’s first name was Jesus. The name Barabbas literally means “son of the father.” The angry mob chose Jesus Barabbas over Jesus Christ—the literal Son of the Father. The release of Barabbas fulfilled the scapegoat ritual performed on the Day of Atonement. According to the law of Moses, on the Day of Atonement the high priest selected two goats. One goat became the scapegoat and was released alive into the wilderness, and the other goat was killed as a sin offering to the Lord. Barabbas fulfilled the role of the scapegoat. The Redeemer fulfilled the role of the second goat as He gave His life to atone for the sins of all people.
What do we know about crucifixion?
(Compare to Mark 15:22–37; Luke 23:26–46; John 19:17–30.)
Execution by crucifixion was punishment for a variety of crimes, including political rebellion. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus called crucifixion a “most miserable death.” “The person being crucified was usually made to carry his own cross to the place of execution.” The person was often stripped of his clothes. The executioner then attached the victim to the cross with ropes or nails or both. While the wounds inflicted by the nails caused excruciating pain, this is not what killed the person. Usually death resulted from a “combination of hunger, shock, thirst, infection, exhaustion, and exposure.” The person could suffer for two to three days before dying.
Why did Pilate wash his hands?
Pilate recognized that Jesus Christ was innocent of the charges made against Him. Even Pilate’s wife had warned Pilate of Jesus Christ’s innocence. To clear himself of responsibility for condemning an innocent man, Pilate washed his hands. The law of Moses included a similar practice. Thus, when Pilate washed his hands, he may have been claiming innocence in a way easily understood by Jewish leaders. Washing his hands, however, did not allow Pilate to evade responsibility. President Jeffrey R. Holland noted, “Pilate’s freshly washed hands could not have been more stained or more unclean.”
Who was responsible for the Savior’s death?
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was brought about by a small group of Jewish leaders in cooperation with Roman authorities. It’s important to remember that during the Savior’s mortal ministry, many Jews believed in Jesus Christ.
What was scourging?
(Compare to Mark 15:15; John 19:1.)
Scourging, or flogging, was a Roman punishment meant to weaken a person before crucifixion. The whip was made of leather cords with small pieces of metal or bone fastened to them. The condemned person was tied to a pillar and repeatedly whipped. The first lashes caused the skin to tear. Repeated lashes caused skeletal muscles to tear. This caused terrible pain and blood loss. “The idea was to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. It was common for taunting and ridicule to accompany the procedure.”
How did the Roman soldiers mock Jesus Christ?
(Compare to Mark 15:17–18; John 19:2–3.)
The Roman soldiers used symbols of royalty to mock Jesus Christ as the king of the Jews. According to the accounts found in Mark, John, and the Joseph Smith Translation, they gave Him a purple robe to wear. The color purple symbolizes royalty. They wove together a crown made of thorns and put it on His head. They also put a reed, or a staff, in His right hand, which represented a scepter.
What was significant about the title Pilate wrote on the cross?
(Compare to John 19:19.)
It was custom to place a sign above the head of the accused on the cross. On the sign was written their offense. The sign placed above Jesus on the cross read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. All who passed by could read this official declaration and know that Jesus, “King of the Jews,” had been crucified. The chief priests said to Pilate, “Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.” This change would indicate their belief that Jesus was not king of the Jews though He claimed to be. Pilate ignored their request to change the wording on the sign.
What time of day did darkness cover the land?
“It was the third hour” of the day, or about 9:00 a.m., when Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross. Matthew recorded that “there was darkness over all the land” from the sixth hour (about 12:00 noon) until the ninth hour (about 3:00 p.m.), which was when the Savior died.
Why did Jesus feel forsaken?
President Jeffrey R. Holland taught:
“That the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. … For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.
“But Jesus held on. He pressed on. The goodness in Him allowed faith to triumph even in a state of complete anguish. … Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.”
What is significant about the veil of the temple being torn?
(Compare to Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45.)
The Holy of Holies was the most sacred room in the ancient temple and was separated by a veil. This room symbolized the presence of God. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest passed through the veil of the temple and entered the Holy of Holies. He sprinkled the blood of a sin offering on the altar to atone for the sins of all the congregation of Israel.
When the veil of the temple was “rent in twain,” or torn in two, at the death of Jesus Christ, it was a dramatic symbol of what the Savior’s Atonement accomplished. The Apostle Paul taught that just as the torn veil of the temple allowed symbolic entrance into the Holy of Holies, the torn flesh of Jesus Christ opens the way for us to enter the presence of Heavenly Father.
Was anyone resurrected before Jesus Christ?
It is not known why the verses about the Resurrection in Matthew 27 are placed where they are in the text. Verse 53 makes it clear that the appearances of these resurrected beings in Jerusalem occurred “after [Christ’s] resurrection.” Other scripture passages confirm that Jesus Christ was the first to be resurrected. The Book of Mormon prophet Abinadi taught that those who were resurrected at the time of the Savior’s Resurrection were prophets and those who had kept God’s commandments.
What was significant about Jesus being presented as a king to Pilate?
(Compare to Luke 23:1–3.)
See “Matthew 26:59–68. What was significant about the charge of blasphemy?”
Who was Herod Antipas?
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great, who had ordered the slaying of children in Bethlehem. Herod Antipas entered into an adulterous marriage with his brother Philip’s wife. When John the Baptist heard of this marriage, he called it unlawful. Herod had John the Baptist put to death. Jesus earlier referred to Herod as “that fox,” indicating Herod’s deceptive character. Elder James E. Talmage observed, “As far as we know, Herod is … the only being who saw Christ face to face and spoke to Him, yet never heard His voice.”
What is the meaning of the green tree and the dry tree?
The green tree represents the time of Jesus Christ’s mortal ministry. The dry tree represents the time after the Savior’s death. The Joseph Smith Translation added the following insight: “What shall be done in the dry tree? This he spake, signifying the scattering of Israel, and the desolation of the heathen, or in other words, the Gentiles.” This passage implies that if the oppressors of the Jewish people could do such evil acts when Jesus was among them, they would do much worse things after He was gone.
Whom did Jesus ask the Father to forgive?
The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies that the Savior asked the Father to forgive the Roman soldiers who crucified Him.
Did the thief go with Jesus to paradise?
The Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that the Lord meant the thief would be with Him in the world of spirits rather than in spirit paradise. From modern revelation we learn that all who die enter the postmortal spirit world. Those who are righteous and have been baptized dwell in a state of paradise, while the wicked and those who have not received the Savior’s gospel dwell in spirit prison. Those in spirit prison have opportunities to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, repent of their sins, and receive vicarious ordinances through the work we do in temples. If they accept the gospel, they may leave spirit prison and dwell in paradise.
What is significant about the Savior’s declaration, “It is finished”?
(Compare to Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46.)
Elder Robert D. Hales taught: “From before the foundation of the world to the final moments on the cross, the Savior had been about His Father’s business. He completed the work He had been sent to do. Therefore, we do not wonder to whom He was talking when, upon the cross, ‘he said, It is finished,’ [John 19:30] and ‘cried with a loud voice, … Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost’ [Luke 23:46]. We know He was praying to His Heavenly Father.” The Joseph Smith Translation adds, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, saying, Father, it is finished, thy will is done, yielded up the ghost.” This declaration indicates that Jesus Christ gave up His life voluntarily.
Learn More
The Cross
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lifted Up upon the Cross,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 77–80
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were with Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 86–88
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Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Symbol of Our Faith,” Ensign, Apr. 2005, 3–6
The Savior’s Sacrifice
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Dallin H. Oaks, “What Has Our Savior Done for Us?,” Liahona, May 2021, 75–77
Media
Videos
“Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified” (4:59)
“Jesus Is Laid in a Tomb” (3:44)
Images
The Crucifixion, by Harry Anderson
Crucifixion, by Louise Parker