Matthew 27:40 Komentář

When the morning was come,.... Or, as soon as it was day, as Luke says, Luk 22:66. The sanhedrim had been up all night, which, after eating the passover, they had spent in apprehending, trying, and examining Jesus, and the witnesses against him; and had come to an unanimous vote, that he was guilty of death; upon which they either put Jesus out of the room for a while, or went into another themselves, to consult what further steps should be taken: or if they went home to their own houses, they very quickly got together again, and met in the temple, where they seem to be, Mat 27:5, unless the story of Judas is, by anticipation, inserted here; and in their council chamber, where they led Jesus, and examined him again concerning his being the Son of God; see Luk 22:66, all which shows how intent they were upon this business, and with what eagerness and diligence they pursued it; their feet ran to evil, and they made haste to shed blood. This was the time of their morning prayers, of their saying their phylacteries, and reciting the "shema", "hear, O Israel! the Lord our God is one Lord", according to their canon, which is this (e): "from what time do they read the "shema" in the morning? from such time that a man can distinguish between blue and white: says R. Eliezer, between blue and green; and he finishes it before the sun shines out. R. Joshua says, before three hours had elapsed:'' but religion, rites, ceremonies, and canons, must all give way to the accomplishment of what their hearts were so much set upon: all the chief priests and elders of the people. The Syriac and Persic versions leave out the word "all", but it is retained in the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and that very rightly. The Scribes and elders met at Caiaphas's house before, Mat 26:57, but it being in the night, they might not be all together; Annas particularly seems to have been absent, Joh 18:24, but now they all assemble together, as in a case of necessity they were obliged to do: their rule was this (f); "the sanhedrim, consisting of seventy and one (as this was), are obliged to sit all of them as one, (or all, and everyone of them,) in their place in the temple; but at what time there is a necessity of their being gathered together, , "they are all of them assembled"; but, at other times, he who has any business may go, and do his pleasure, and return: yet so it is, that there may not be less than twenty three sitting continually all the time of their sitting; (their usual time of sitting was from the morning daily sacrifice, to the evening daily sacrifice (g);) one that is under a necessity of going out; this looks upon his companions that remain, and if twenty three remain, he may go out; but if not, he may not, until the other returns.'' This being now a case of necessity, and great importance, they are all summoned and gathered together, unless we except Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus; who yet might be there, though they did not consent to their counsel and deed, as is certain of the former, Luk 23:51, these took counsel against Jesus; God's holy child Jesus, his anointed, the Messiah; and which was taking counsel against the Lord himself; and so the prophecy in Psa 2:2, had its accomplishment: what they consulted about was to put him to death; it was not what punishment to inflict upon him, whether scourging or death; that was before determined; they had already condemned him to death: but now they enter into close consultation what death to put him to, and in what manner; whether privately, he being now in their hands; or whether by the means of zealots, or by the Roman magistrate; or whether it should be by stoning, which must have been the case, if they put him to death according to their law; and by their authority; or whether by crucifixion, which they chose as the most ignominious and painful; and therefore determined to deliver him up to the Roman governor, and use their interest with him to put him to death, according to the Roman law. (e) Misn. Beracot, c. 1. sect. 2. (f) Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 3. sect. 2. (g) lb. c. 3. sect. 1. Bernidbar Rabba, sect. 1. fol. 177. 3.

Likewise also the chief priests,.... Who as they attended at his apprehension, and in their own council condemned him to death unanimously, and were very busy at his arraignment, examination, and trial before Pilate, and persuaded the people to be urgent for his crucifixion; they follow him to the cross to exult over him, and insult him, and to see that the execution was strictly performed: and forgetting their character, office, and education; and laying aside all humanity, decent, and good manners; instead of rebuking and restraining the populace from using him in an ill and unkind manner, they themselves stood mocking him, with the Scribes and elders; who composed the whole sanhedrim of the nation. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, and several copies, read, "and the Pharisees": of which, no doubt, there were great numbers present, who had been indefatigable and implacable enemies of Christ every where, and to whom it must be a pleasing sight to see him hanging on the cross: these scoffed at him, gibed, and reproached him; anaid, as follows;

There are various forms of blasphemy. One of them is uttered by those who do not understand or hear what is being said or acknowledge what is true. Now Jesus had said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." But those who were passing along, like "false witnesses" against Jesus, related what he had not said, attacking him: "Aha, you who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself." The truth is, he will not destroy the temple, but what others destroy he will build, whether it be the "temple of his body," which the Jews delivered up to death, or the temple of his witnesses and all those who had God's word in them and who, because of the snares of the wicked, died out of love for God (for "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live"). And they lied not only when they said, "You who would destroy the temple," but also when they said, "And I will build it in three days." For he did not say that he would build the temple but raise it up. The verb build does not designate a sudden action, but "raise up" does.

What forgiveness then for them, when by the resurrection of His body they shall see the temple of God rebuilt within three days?

And as beginning to extenuate His former miracles, they add, Save thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Hom. de Cruc. et Latr. ii.) But He, on the contrary, does not come down from the cross, because He is the Son of God; for He therefore came that He might be crucified for us.

And yet who would not have been moved by the multitude that was following Him, and lamenting Him? Nay, not these wild beasts. Wherefore also He to the multitude vouchsafes an answer, but to these men not so. For after having done what they would, they endeavor also to injure His honor, fearing His resurrection. Therefore they say these things publicly, and crucified thieves with Him, and wishing to prove Him a deceiver, they say, "Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days come down from the cross." For since on telling Pilate to remove the accusation (this was the writing, "The king of the Jews"), they prevailed not, but he persevered in saying, "What I have written, I have written," they then endeavor by their derision of Him to show that He is not a king.

(Verse 39 seqq.) And those passing by were blaspheming him, shaking their heads, and saying, 'Vah! You who destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days, save yourself; if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.' Similarly, the chief priests, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, '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."' But he, mocking, says that the foolish people had produced false witnesses.

The foolish rabble cast the same taunt against Him that the false witnesses had invented, Aha! thou that destroyest the temple of God and rebuildest it in three days.

(Serm. 55. 2.) From what source of error, O Jews, have ye sucked in the poison of such blasphemies? What teacher delivered it to you? What learning moved you to think that the true King of Israel, that the veritable Son of God, would be He who would not suffer Himself to be crucified, and would set free His body from the fastenings of the nails? Not the hidden meaning of the Law, not the mouths of the Prophets. Had ye indeed ever read, I hid not my face from the shame of spitting; (Is. 50:6.) or that again, They pierced my hands and my feet, they told all my bones. (Ps. 22:16.) Where have ye ever read that the Lord came down from the cross? But ye have read, The Lord hath reigned from the tree.e

But attend to this speech of these children of the Devil, how they imitate their father's speech. The Devil said, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; (Matt. 4:6.) and they say now, If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

Aha! is an interjection of taunt and mockery.

Had He then been prevailed on by their taunts to leave the cross, He would not have proved to us the power of endurance; but He waited enduring their mockery; and He who would not come down from the cross, rose again from the tomb.

And they that passed by reviled Him, shaking their heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save Thyself. If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; Himself he cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him: for He said, I am the Son of God. The devil prompted them to say, "If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross," in order to provoke Him to come down and thus overturn the salvation of all being accomplished on the cross. But Christ, Who is indeed the Son of God, was not persuaded by the enemy, so that you, O reader, might learn that we ought not to be persuaded by the ploys of the devil, but do what is good even if men think ill of us.

In three things they deride him. First, in his words; second, concerning the works he did; third, concerning the dignity he claimed for himself. Concerning the first, he says "vah, thou that destroyest the temple of God etc." "Vah" is an interjection of derision. For it had already been spread abroad, and they did not wish to believe; hence of these Jeremiah 8:5 says: "they have laid hold on lying, and have refused to return." As if they would say: if you wish to rebuild the temple, rebuild yourself; but he could not rebuild unless it was first destroyed; therefore he first willed that it be destroyed, because he had said this of the temple of his body. Then, from his works: "save thyself"; as if they would say: you saved others, save yourself. But they did not truly save others, nor will you be able to save yourself. Likewise, from his dignity, because "if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross." This conditional is not valid; rather, on the contrary, if he is the Son of God, he ought to be obedient to the Father. For he was made obedient unto death, Philippians 2:8. Likewise, they ought rather to say: if thou be the Son of God, ascend, and not descend; John 3:13: "no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." They use the same word that the Devil used when tempting him above (4:6): "if thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down." For it is not for the Son of God to descend: hence they were speaking at the persuasion of the Devil, wishing to impede his Passion.