Peter, who had been so bold in declaring he was ready to go to prison and death with the Lord, now shows what feeble man is even when love is sincere. Before the world the flesh has no power, and poor Peter denies His blessed Master with oaths and curses. Still his heart was true and the Lord had prayed for him that his faith might not fail. The Lord’s look, so full of grace, broke him down, and he went out and wept bitterly. But unlike Judas, his was not the sorrow of despair but of repentance. The blessed effect in his heart was that when he was restored, he was able to strengthen his brethren, having learned what human strength is in the things of God.
At the early morning council the Lord was formally condemned to death, after which he was bound and sent to Pilate the Roman governor.
Then we have the sad end of Judas. No doubt he thought Jesus would escape as He had often done so before, but this only made his iniquity the worse. When he saw that the Lord was condemned, he “repented himself,” and in despair brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. What comfort is there in money to one in despair? Still less is there any to be found in Satan who had led him into his awful sin. Nor did he find any sympathy in those religious chiefs, his companions in wickedness, who ought to have led him in the right way.
If the sin of Judas was frightful on the one hand, the cruel heartlessness of the chief priests was as appalling on the other. When the poor wretched Judas confesses to them, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood,” they answer, “What is that to us? see thou to that.” They had gained their end and did not care how it affected him. Judas, on receiving their answer, threw down the money in the temple, and in the blackness of despair he went out and hanged himself. Then, in the following act of these unscrupulous chiefs, we see how that the most outward religiousness and the worst wickedness are found together. They did not scruple to buy the blood of the Son of God for thirty pieces of silver, yet to put that money into the treasury was defiling. So they purchased with it the field in which to bury strangers — Gentiles. They counted themselves, and any Jew, too holy to be profaned by being buried there, yet it was good enough for Gentiles.
Next the Lord stands before Pilate and witnesses a good confession. The governor asks Him, “Art Thou the King of the Jews?” The Lord answers, “Thou sayest.” When He is accused by the chief priests and elders He answers nothing — He is still the willing victim; “as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth” (Isa. 53:77He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)). Pilate, struck by the moral dignity of the prisoner, marvels at His silence. He could see that it was for envy they had delivered Him up to him, and he seeks to release Him. He takes advantage of a custom whereby he would release one of their prisoners at the passover feast. They had at that time a notable prisoner, Barabbas, who had led an insurrection and was a murderer. Pilate asks, which of the two he should release unto them — Barabbas or Jesus? Furthermore Pilate had received a warning from his wife to have nothing to do with that just man, for she had suffered many things in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. It shows how entirely under the power of Satan they were to choose such a notoriously wicked man instead of the Lord of life and glory.
Further Meditation
1. Why was Judas’ pay used to buy a burial plot for strangers?
2. What do Ahithophel, Saul and Judas have in common?
3. Judas’ suicide was Satan’s use of his servant. God’s care can be found in Do Thyself No Harm by J. A. Kaiser.