Christ's Death in Matthew

 Compared to Mark’s account of Christ’s death, Matthew’s account is much more detailed.  Matthew includes many of the same events that Mark does but then adds on to  those.  One of the things he includes is the change of heart that comes over Judas soon after he betrays Christ and his desire to repent of his betrayal starting in 27:3,

3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.  And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Something we really don’t get from Mark’s account.   Another addition is the specifics about the trials Jesus has to go through before he is officially condemned to death.  Starting in 27:11 it describes what happened when Christ met with Pilate.  There is also a larger emphasis on Barrabus, the man that the people chose to set free rather than Christ.  His is a valuable story because it adds to the irony and ridiculousness of Christ’s death.  Barrabus literally means “Son of God”, he was one of the many false Messiah’s.  It is interesting to realize that part of the reason for the civil wars in about 70 AD were people like Barrabus and Pilate released him.  Christ on the other hand brought peace and got rid of contention.  Barrabus was a rebel fighting the government.  Part of the reason Barrabus was seen as more of Messiah was because he was more of the warrior idea that most people had of the Messiah.  He would come in and vanquish the Romans through violence.  They believed a Messiah like that would bring them the justice they deserved.  

Another thing unique to Matthew is his telling of the resurrection of Christ.  Matthew focuses on Christ’s revealing himself to the disciples more than Mark who emphasizes the women’s sighting of him.