Matthew 27:50-51
And 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. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "yielded up his spirit" isn't just about death; it highlights Jesus' active role in giving his life. It emphasizes that his death wasn't something forced upon him, but a voluntary surrender, perfectly aligning with his own words that he had the power to lay down his life and take it up again.
Following the supernatural darkness and Jesus' cry from Psalm 22, this moment marks the very end of Jesus' suffering on the cross. Though exhausted, his final loud cry emphasizes that his death was not a passive yielding to pain, but a voluntary act, "it is finished," as he actively dismissed his own spirit. This deliberate surrender, highlighted by his strength in crying out, underscores his control over his life even in death, as he "yielded up his spirit."
Did Jesus simply die, or did He choose to end His life? This verse hints at a powerful, deliberate act.
The phrasing in Matthew 27:50, and similarly in John 19:30, uses words that mean 'dismissed' or 'delivered up' His spirit. This isn't the passive fading away of life that happens to most people. The original languages suggest a voluntary surrender, a controlled release of His own life.
The Lord of Life
Jesus Himself said, 'No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again' (John 10:18). His death wasn't a defeat forced upon Him by pain or circumstance. It was the ultimate act of obedience and love, initiated by His own will.
What was the significance of Jesus' final loud cries? They weren't just sounds of pain, but powerful declarations.
The 'loud voice' Jesus cried out with isn't just a detail about His physical state; it's a signal of His immense strength and purpose in His final moments. The Gospel writers connect this cry to specific, profound statements:
Proclaiming Victory
Speaking with a loud voice demonstrated that His life was not being extinguished by weakness. It was a powerful proclamation, even to His enemies, that He was in control of His end, and that His work was divinely accomplished. It was the cry of a victor, not a victim.
Understand the original words
pneuma · Greek Noun
The immaterial part of a human being that is the seat of life and personality. In the context of death, yielding it signifies the voluntary release of one's life force to God.
katapetasma · Greek Noun
A woven veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, symbolizing the barrier between a holy God and sinful humanity that restricted access to His presence.
The phrase 'yielded up his spirit' emphasizes that Jesus' death was a voluntary act of self-sacrifice, not something forced upon him. He intentionally released his own life, highlighting his divine authority and the profound nature of his atoning work for humanity's sin.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus is crucified by Roman authorities under Pontius Pilate. This event follows Jesus' ministry, trial, and condemnation.
c. 30 AD
Darkness over the land
A supernatural darkness covers the land from the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to 3 PM) during Jesus' crucifixion, an event noted by the Gospel writers as a sign.
c. 30 AD
Temple Veil Ripped
The curtain in the Jerusalem Temple is torn in two from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus' death, signifying a new covenant and direct access to God.
c. 30 AD
Centurion's Confession
The Roman centurion in charge of the crucifixion exclaims, 'Truly this man was the Son of God!' upon witnessing Jesus' death and the preceding events.
This passage directly explains Jesus' voluntary action in death, stating, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." This illuminates Matthew 27:50 by showing that Jesus' cry and yielding of His spirit was not an act of helplessness, but a deliberate release of His life.
John 19:30John's account, "When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit," directly complements Matthew 27:50. The declaration 'It is finished' spoken with a loud voice prior to yielding His spirit signifies the completion of His redemptive mission, giving profound meaning to His final moments.
Luke 23:46Luke records Jesus crying out, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" just before he died. This prayer, uttered with a loud voice as mentioned in Matthew, highlights Jesus' reliance on the Father even in death and His active entrustment of His spirit, rather than simply expiring.
Psalm 22:1Matthew 27:46 quotes Jesus crying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This cry, echoing Psalm 22, shows Jesus embracing the full weight of sin and God's apparent withdrawal, making His subsequent loud cry and yielding of His spirit a completion of this profound suffering described in the Psalms.
vincentMatthew 27:50: "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost."
Yielded up the ghost (ἀφῆκε τὸ πνεῦμα)Lit., dismissed his spirit. Rev., yielded up his spirit. The fact that the evangelists, in describing our Lord's death, do not use the neuter verb, ἔθανεν, he died, but he breathed out his life (ἐξέπνευσε, Mark 15:37), he gave us his spirit (παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα, John 19:30), seems to imply a voluntary yielding up of his life. Compare John 10:18. Augustine says…
henryMatthew 27:45-50: "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
27:45-50 During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, m…
The phrase "yielded up his spirit" isn't just about death; it highlights Jesus' active role in giving his life. It emphasizes that his death wasn't something forced upon him, but a voluntary surrender, perfectly aligning with his own words that he had the power to lay down his life and take it up again.
Following the supernatural darkness and Jesus' cry from Psalm 22, this moment marks the very end of Jesus' suffering on the cross. Though exhausted, his final loud cry emphasizes that his death was not a passive yielding to pain, but a voluntary act, "it is finished," as he actively dismissed his own spirit. This deliberate surrender, highlighted by his strength in crying out, underscores his control over his life even in death, as he "yielded up his spirit."
Following the supernatural darkness and Jesus' cry from Psalm 22, this moment marks the very end of Jesus' suffering on the cross. Though exhausted, his final loud cry emphasizes that his death was not a passive yielding to pain, but a voluntary act, "it is finished," as he actively dismissed his own spirit. This deliberate surrender, highlighted by his strength in crying out, underscores his control over his life even in death, as he "yielded up his spirit."
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c. 30 AD
Burial of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea, a rich disciple, requests Jesus' body and places it in his own tomb, an act that follows the death on the cross.
c. 30 AD
Resurrection of Jesus
Three days after his crucifixion, Jesus is resurrected from the dead, validating his claims and fulfilling prophecies.
"And 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. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split." — The phrase "yielded up his spirit" isn't just about death; it highlights Jesus' active role in giving his life. It emphasizes that his death wasn't something forced upon him, but a voluntary surrende…
