Matthew 27:41-43
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and 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 trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "So also" is key here, indicating these leaders aren't just observing but actively joining the mockery, their religious authority twisted to fuel the very taunts the crowds are hurling. Their presence and words reveal a chilling willingness to debase their sacred role for a moment of petty triumph over someone they couldn't control.
Jesus is on the cross, suffering and dying, and those who had condemned him are now gathered to mock him. While bystanders and even the thieves crucified alongside him hurled insults, the religious leaders, the chief priests, scribes, and elders, joined in, their mockery laced with a bitter critique of his claims to be the King of Israel and the Son of God.
Even the highest religious authorities joined in the mockery of Jesus on the cross. What does this reveal about their hearts and motives?
It's striking that not only the crowds but also the religious leaders—the chief priests, scribes, and elders—participated in mocking Jesus. These were the very people who should have recognized Him, who held positions of spiritual authority, and who had debated and condemned Him.
A Calculated Cruelty
They didn't just passively observe; they actively joined in the jeering. Their presence at the crucifixion, as noted by commentators, suggests a deliberate effort to witness and confirm their victory over Jesus. They came to 'exult over him' and 'insult him,' as one scholar puts it. This wasn't just a spontaneous outburst of the mob; it was a calculated, scornful display from those in power.
Jesus was hailed as King by some, but the religious leaders demanded a different kind of king. What were they truly looking for?
The taunts directed at Jesus on the cross reveal a deep misunderstanding of His kingship. The chief priests, scribes, and elders challenged Him: 'He saved others; himself he cannot save! If he is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.'
A Kingdom Without Suffering
This wasn't a genuine plea for belief; it was a weapon of scorn. They wanted a king who would fit their earthly expectations—one who would wield power visibly and immediately, freeing them from Roman oppression and establishing a political kingdom. They couldn't reconcile the image of a suffering, crucified Messiah with their idea of a victorious King.
The Cross as the True Sign
But the cross was the sign of His kingship. As one commentator notes, the prophets actually foretold a Messiah who would be 'afflicted, condemned, and accursed.' Their demand for Him to 'come down' was a demand for Him to abandon His mission, to reject the path the Father had set for Him, and thus, to cease being the true King of Israel who would bring salvation through sacrifice.
Understand the original words
archiereus · Greek Noun
The leading officials of the Jewish temple and Sanhedrin. They were responsible for the religious conduct of the people and held significant political and social power.
grammateus · Greek Noun
Experts in the Mosaic Law who interpreted and taught it to the people. They were highly respected figures and central to the religious establishment.
empaizō · Greek Verb
To deride, ridicule, or treat with contempt. In the context of the Passion, it highlights the cruelty and rejection Jesus faced from religious authorities.
sōzō · Greek Verb
To rescue, deliver, or preserve from danger, sin, or death. In the New Testament, it is most profoundly used for deliverance from the penalty and power of sin through Christ.
The verse captures a moment of intense spiritual and political conflict, where the very religious leaders who held authority over Israel are seen actively participating in the mockery of the one they condemned, highlighting a profound spiritual blindness and animosity.
c. AD 30— this verse
Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is arrested, tried by Jewish leaders and Pontius Pilate, and crucified outside Jerusalem. This event is the culmination of His earthly ministry.
c. AD 30
Jewish Sanhedrin's Condemnation
The high priests, scribes, and elders, as the ruling council of Judea, played a key role in orchestrating Jesus' arrest and trial, ultimately leading to His condemnation.
c. AD 30
Mockery at the Cross
While Jesus is on the cross, various groups, including the chief priests, mock and taunt Him, challenging His claims to be the King of Israel and the Son of God.
c. AD 30
Centurion's Confession
A Roman centurion overseeing the crucifixion, upon witnessing Jesus' death and the surrounding events, confesses, 'Truly this was the Son of God.'
This passage from the Psalms describes a similar public scorn and mockery directed at the suffering individual, reflecting the collective ridicule Jesus faced at the cross.
Isaiah 53:3This prophetic text foreshadows the Messiah being despised and rejected by men, a theme directly mirrored by the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocking Jesus.
Matthew 27:39-40This passage immediately preceding the verse describes the mocking by passersby, highlighting the widespread contempt and scorn Jesus endured from various groups.
Luke 23:35This parallel account shows the rulers also mocking Jesus along with the people, emphasizing that the spiritual and political leaders of Israel joined in the derision.
Philippians 2:8This New Testament passage speaks of Jesus humbling himself and becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross, which is the very situation the religious leaders were mocking.
henryMatthew 27:35-44: "And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."
27:35-44 It was usual to put shame upon malefactors, by a writing to notify the crime for which they suffered. So they set up one over Christ's head. This they designed for his reproach, but God so overruled it, that even his accusation was to his honour. There were crucified wit…
clarkeMatthew 27:41: "Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,"
Chief priests - scribes and elders - To these, several ancient MSS. and versions add, και Φαρισαιων, and Pharisees. But though the authority for this reading is respectable, yet it does not appear that the Pharisees joined in with the others in the condemnation of our Lord. Probably his discourses and parables, related in some of the preceding chapters, which were spoken directly to them, had so far…
The phrase "So also" is key here, indicating these leaders aren't just observing but actively joining the mockery, their religious authority twisted to fuel the very taunts the crowds are hurling. Their presence and words reveal a chilling willingness to debase their sacred role for a moment of petty triumph over someone they couldn't control.
Jesus is on the cross, suffering and dying, and those who had condemned him are now gathered to mock him. While bystanders and even the thieves crucified alongside him hurled insults, the religious leaders, the chief priests, scribes, and elders, joined in, their mockery laced with a bitter critique of his claims to be the King of Israel and the Son of God.
Jesus is on the cross, suffering and dying, and those who had condemned him are now gathered to mock him. While bystanders and even the thieves crucified alongside him hurled insults, the religious leaders, the chief priests, scribes, and elders, joined in, their mockery laced with a bitter critique of his claims to be the King of Israel and the Son of God.
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basileus · Greek Noun
The anointed ruler promised in the Old Testament to reign over God’s people. The title here is used ironically by his detractors, missing the nature of his redemptive kingdom.
stauros · Greek Noun
A Roman instrument of execution; symbolically, it represents the place of suffering and death, and by extension, the means of the atonement of Christ.
pepoitha · Greek Verb
To rely upon, have confidence in, or commit oneself to. Biblically, it signifies not just intellectual assent but a personal commitment and reliance on God's character and promises.
rhyomai · Greek Verb
To rescue or set free from a state of danger, trial, or destruction. It implies God's intervention on behalf of His people.
hyios Theou · Greek Noun phrase
One who has a special, unique relationship with the Father, possessing the same nature and authority. Jesus is the Son of God in a divine, ontological sense, uniquely representing the Father to humanity.
c. AD 30
Burial of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, requests Jesus' body from Pilate and buries it in his own tomb. This act shows that not all religious leaders opposed Jesus.
c. AD 30
Resurrection of Jesus
On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus is resurrected from the dead, validating His claims and fulfilling prophecy.
"So also the chief priests, with the scribes and 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 trusts in God; let God del…" — The phrase "So also" is key here, indicating these leaders aren't just observing but actively joining the mockery, their religious authority twisted to fuel the very taunts the crowds are hurling. Th…
