Big Idea: In his narration of the crucifixion Matthew intertwines his affirmation of Jesus as the true king of the Jews with his use of Psalm 22 to indicate Jesus as the one who trusts God when suffering unjustly, thereby demonstrating Jesus’ death as the completion of his faithful mission, a redefinition of kingship, and a cosmic life-giving event.

Understanding the Text

The crucifixion narrative (27:27–50) brings together various christological threads of Matthew’s Gospel. The kingly (messianic) identity of Jesus is emphasized (27:29, 37, 40, 42, 43) and interpreted through the lens of Psalm 22 (27:31, 35, 39, 41, 46). The resulting portrait is a Messiah who willingly suffers for the sake of doing the will of God. Jesus’ death also proves to be of cosmic significance, bringing life to …