Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Thirty Silver Coins
27 1-2 In the first light of dawn, all the high priests and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to Pilate, the governor.
3-4 Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.”
They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!”
5 Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself.
-Matthew 27:1-5 The Message
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
27 Verse 1: When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.
Verse 2: And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate, the governor.
Verses 1-2 studies: A few things here to mention. One, they couldn’t charge Jesus with blasphemy, so religious leaders had to be creative to make it political. Two, the religious leaders had to get permission or persuade the Roman government to sentence Jesus to death; they didn’t have the authority to do that. Third, religious leaders didn’t want Jesus’ killing to look like they did it. They wanted to look political. So they decided to make Jesus’ death look like the Romans were responsible. The strategy for the court was to show Jesus was a rebel who claimed to be a king and a threat to Caesar.
Verse 2 study: From A.D. 26-36, Pilate was Roman governor for the regions of Samaria and Judea. Pilate made it a point to show his authority by taking impounded money from the temple treasuries to build an aqueduct. Pilate wasn’t famous, but religious leaders didn’t know any other way to get rid of Jesus. So when Jesus went before a trial as a Jew, Pilate found him innocent. He couldn’t find any fault with Jesus nor tried to develop one.
Judas Hangs Himself
Verse 3: Then, when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,
Verse 4: saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
Verses 3-4 studies: Jesus’ former accuser wanted to drop charges, but religious leaders were not about holding up the trial. When he betrayed Jesus, Judas was trying to force Jesus’ hand to lead a revolt against Rome. It didn’t work, and for his reasons, Judas changed his mind; too late. The plans made couldn’t be altered or back out. The moral of the story is? Think about the consequences before taking action.
Verse 4: The priests’ responsibility is to teach people about God and act as intercessions for them, helping to minister the sacrifices to cover their sins. Judas went to the priests to let them know he sinned. Instead, they didn’t help. Rather than helping him find forgiveness, they said, “What is it to us? You work that out for yourself!” They not only rejected the Messiah, but they rejected their responsibilities as priests.
Verse 5: And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
Verse 5: According to Matthew, Judas hanged himself. Acts 1:18 says that he fell and busted his head. The best way to see it is the limb of the tree became weak, broke, and he fell, splitting his head open.
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