When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voiceThis phrase indicates the intensity and significance of Jesus' final moments on the cross. The loud cry signifies both physical agony and a profound spiritual declaration. In the context of the crucifixion, this cry is a fulfillment of
Psalm 22:1, which begins with "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This psalm is a prophetic depiction of the suffering Messiah. The loud voice also demonstrates Jesus' control over His own life and death, as He chooses the moment to release His spirit. Historically, crucifixion was designed to be a slow, torturous death, often resulting in victims dying from asphyxiation. Jesus' ability to cry out loudly at this point indicates His strength and the voluntary nature of His sacrifice.
He yielded up His spirit
This phrase emphasizes the voluntary nature of Jesus' death. Unlike other victims of crucifixion, Jesus actively surrenders His life, fulfilling His own words inJohn 10:18, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." The term "yielded" suggests a willing submission to the Father's will, completing His earthly mission. This act is the culmination of His obedience, as prophesied inIsaiah 53:12, where the suffering servant "poured out his life unto death." Theologically, this moment signifies the completion of the atonement, as Jesus' death pays the penalty for sin, reconciling humanity with God. The yielding of His spirit also marks the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, as symbolized by the tearing of the temple veil immediately following His death (Matthew 27:51), granting believers direct access to God.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure of this passage, Jesus is the Son of God who is crucified for the sins of humanity. His death is the pivotal event in Christian theology, marking the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the establishment of the New Covenant.
2.
GolgothaThe place where Jesus was crucified, also known as "The Place of the Skull." It is a significant location in the account of Jesus' crucifixion and death.
3.
The CrucifixionThe event of Jesus being nailed to the cross, which is a central moment in the Passion account. It represents the ultimate sacrifice for sin and the demonstration of God's love for humanity.
Teaching Points
The Significance of Jesus' DeathJesus' death is not just a historical event but a divine act of redemption. It signifies the completion of His mission to save humanity from sin.
The Voluntary Nature of Jesus' SacrificeThe phrase "He yielded up His spirit" indicates that Jesus willingly gave up His life. This act of voluntary sacrifice is a model of obedience and love for believers.
The Fulfillment of ProphecyJesus' death fulfills numerous Old Testament prophecies, demonstrating the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.
Trust in God's SovereigntyJesus' final act of yielding His spirit to God is a profound example of trust in God's plan. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty, even in difficult circumstances.
The New CovenantJesus' death marks the establishment of the New Covenant, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe. This is a call to embrace the grace and salvation offered through Christ.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Matthew 27:50?
2.How does Jesus' death in Matthew 27:50 fulfill Old Testament prophecies?
3.What does "yielded up His spirit" reveal about Jesus' authority over His life?
4.How can we emulate Jesus' obedience to God's will in our daily lives?
5.What significance does Jesus' death hold for our understanding of salvation?
6.How does Matthew 27:50 connect to the broader narrative of the Gospels?
7.What is the significance of Jesus' death in Matthew 27:50 for Christian salvation?
8.How does Matthew 27:50 fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah?
9.Why does Jesus' loud cry in Matthew 27:50 matter to Christian theology?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 27?
11.What caused the temple veil to tear at Jesus' death?
12.What is the Swoon Theory?
13.Why does Matthew mention an earthquake and resurrected saints, yet no other source does?
14.What teachings does The Gospel of Barnabas convey?What Does Matthew 27:50 Mean
When Jesus had cried out again• Matthew places this moment at the climax of the crucifixion—after darkness, after the mockery, and after the earlier cry “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Matthew 27:46).
• The word “again” lets us know this is at least the second audible cry, revealing deliberate, conscious action, not a fading whimper. Jesus remains fully aware and purposeful, fulfillingPsalm 22:1 and 22:24.
• Luke parallels the scene with “Father, forgive them” and “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:34, 46). John records “It is finished” (John 19:30). These combined cries form a tapestry of atonement, forgiveness, and completed redemption.
in a loud voice• The volume matters. After hours of brutal suffering, a strong shout testifies that His life is not drained away by Roman power but offered willingly (John 10:17-18).
•Hebrews 5:7 reminds us He “offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears,” pointing to a Messiah who prays passionately and is heard because of His reverence.
• The loudness would draw every nearby ear, making the moment unmistakable for the centurion who soon confesses, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54).
He yielded up• “Yielded” is voluntary language. Jesus is not a victim swept away by circumstance; He is the sovereign Savior laying down His life at the exact Passover hour the Father appointed (Acts 2:23).
•John 19:30 adds, “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit,” echoingIsaiah 53:12—“He poured out His life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors.”
• The curtain of the temple will tear the very next verse (Matthew 27:51), confirming His sacrifice is accepted and access to God is now open.
His spirit• Scripture differentiates between body and spirit. Jesus’ body remains on the cross, but His spirit departs to the Father, guaranteeing conscious existence beyond death (Luke 23:46).
• Stephen later mirrors this confidence: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59).
•Ecclesiastes 12:7 affirms, “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it,” underscoring that life truly belongs to the Creator, and Jesus demonstrates that reality perfectly.
summaryMatthew 27:50 shows Jesus acting deliberately and powerfully in His final moments. He cries out once more—loud enough for all to hear—then voluntarily releases His spirit to the Father, proving His authority over life and death. The verse assures us that the cross was not a tragic accident but the triumphant fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, opening the way for sinners to be reconciled to God through the finished work of Christ.
(50)
When he had cried again with a loud voice.--It is well that we should remember what the words were which immediately preceded the last death cry; the "It is finished" of
John 19:30, the "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" of
Luke 23:46, expressing as they did, the fulness of peace and trust, the sense of a completed work.
It was seldom that crucifixion, as a punishment, ended so rapidly as it did here, and those who have discussed, what is hardly perhaps a fit subject for discussion, the physical causes of our Lord's death, have ascribed it accordingly, especially in connection with the fact recorded inJohn 19:34, and with the "loud cry," indicating the pangs of an intolerable anguish, to a rupture of the vessels of the heart. Simple exhaustion as the consequence of the long vigil, the agony in the garden, the mocking and the scourging, would be, perhaps, almost as natural an explanation.
Yielded up the ghost.--Better,yielded up His spirit. All four Evangelists agree in using this or some like expression, instead of the simpler form, "He died." It is as though they dwelt on the act as, in some sense, voluntary, and connected it with the words in which He had commended His spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46).
Verse 50. -
When he had cried again. He had cried aloud once before (ver. 46). But he does not repeat the former words; the horror of great darkness was past. Probably the cry here resolved itself into the words recorded by St. Luke, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
With a loud voice. This loud cry at the moment of death proved that he laid down his life voluntarily; no man could take it from him (
John 10:17, 18); he himself willed to die; and this preternatural voice proceeded from one who died not altogether from physical exhaustion, but from determined purpose.
Yielded up the ghost (
a)fh = ke to\ pneu = ma); literally,
dismissed his spirit;
emisit spiritum). The phrase has been interpreted to signify that Christ exerted his power to anticipate the actual moment of dissolution; but there is no necessity of importing this idea into the expression. It is used ordinarily to denote the act of dying, as we say, "He expired." Perhaps the exertion of uttering this great cry ruptured some organ of the body. We know from the effect of the piercing of his side that his sacred heart was previously broken; and thus he verily and really died upon the cross. He, being in the form of God, and equal with God, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, suffered death forevery man. It is to be noted that the death of Christ occurred at 3 p.m., the very time when the Paschal lambs began to be slain in the temple courts. Thus the long prepared type was at last fulfilled, when "Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Whenδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.JesusἸησοῦς(Iēsous)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424:Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.had cried outκράξας(kraxas)Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2896:To cry aloud, shriek. A primary verb; properly, to 'croak' or scream, i.e. to call aloud.againπάλιν(palin)Adverb
Strong's 3825:Probably from the same as pale; anew, i.e. back, once more, or furthermore or on the other hand.in a loud voice,φωνῇ(phōnē)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5456:Probably akin to phaino through the idea of disclosure; a tone; by implication, an address, saying or language.He yielded upἀφῆκεν(aphēken)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 863:From apo and hiemi; to send forth, in various applications.[His]τὸ(to)Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.spirit.πνεῦμα(pneuma)Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151:Wind, breath, spirit.
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NT Gospels: Matthew 27:50 Jesus cried again with a loud voice (Matt. Mat Mt)