Matthew 27

Matthew 27 tells us what happened near the end of Jesus’ life up to this point. Jesus had left Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany. He then made His way to have what we know as the Last Supper with His disciples.

From there, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed in the garden until His sweat became great drops of blood. He said, “Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt.”

Matthew 27: 11-16

Pilate was a man that worked his way through the political and military ranks to be a procurator. He held the office for 10 years and was trusted by the Roman government.

However, the Jews despised him. Pilate had used money from the temple treasury to fund construction of the new water supply to Jerusalem. The Jews always remembered that and continually threatened to report him to the emperor. This caused Pilot to be even more bitter toward the Jews.

In this day, the Jewish high court was called the Sanhedrin. They had Jewish leaders and judges, but their power was limited. They didn’t have the power to order an execution. For this, they had to take Jesus to Pilate.

Related verses

Isaiah 53:7
Luke 11:23