Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 27:41

"In like manner also the chief priests mocking [him], with the scribes and elders, said," — Matthew 27:41 (ASV)

All the principal groups of the Sanhedrin do not address Jesus directly but speak of him in the third person, in a stage whisper meant for his ears. “He saved others” is probably an oblique reference to Jesus’ supernatural healing ministry. “But he can’t save himself” is cutting because it questions that same supernatural power. But there is level on level of meaning. For the Christian reader “save” (GK 5392) has full eschatological overtones. And although Jesus could have saved himself (26:53), he could not have saved himself if he was to save others.

The second of the three taunts, “He’s the king of Israel!” substitutes the covenant term Israel for “the Jews” in Pilate’s words (v.11) and is in fact the normal Palestinian form of Jesus’ claim. The words “Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe in him” have several levels of meaning. They constitute a malicious barb directed at Jesus’ helplessness, while having the effrontery to suggest that the leaders’ failure to believe was his fault. The taunt piously promises faith if Jesus will but step down from the cross; but the reader knows that, in the mystery of providence, if Jesus were to step down, there would be no “blood of the covenant for the forgiveness of sins” (26:26–29), no ransom (20:28), no salvation from sin (1:21), no Gospel of the kingdom to be proclaimed to nations everywhere (28:18–20), and no fulfillment of Scripture.

In an unconscious allusion to Ps 22:8, the religious leaders launch their third taunt: “He trusts in God.” They recognize that Jesus’ claim to be the “Son of God” was at least a claim to messiahship. So assuming that God must crown every effort of Messiah with success, they conclude that Jesus’ hopeless condition is proof enough of the vanity of his pretensions. Again their malice masks the ironic redemptive purposes of God. On the one hand, as Christian readers know, God will indeed vindicate his Son at the Resurrection. On the other hand, the leaders are right: Jesus is now facing his most severe test, the loss of his Father’s presence, leading to the heart-rending cry of the following verses.

The other two crucified with him join in the abuse .