Matt. 27:1-101When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 3Then 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, 4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. (Matthew 27:1‑10)
When the disciple Judas, who had led the soldiers in the night to the place to take Jesus, heard that Jesus was condemned to die, he was very distressed. He knew that Jesus was not guilty, but just and true. Judas had seen the many miracles Jesus had done, and no doubt thought that Jesus would free himself from the soldiers and priests, yet, he would have the money for betraying Him.
In those days money was weighed, and the thirty pieces of silver seem to have been promptly weighed and paid to Judas, for in the morning he went with them to the temple to the priests who had paid him. He told them that he had sinned in betraying an innocent person, and wanted them to take back the money, as though that would clear him of his wicked deed.
But the priests did not care that One Who was innocent had been wronged, and would not take the money from Judas. Then he threw down the thirty pieces of silver on the floor of the temple and went away.
Judas knew the great evil of his act, for he had been with Jesus a long time, and had heard His true words; he felt the shame of his deed, yet it is not told that he tried to see Jesus and tell Him, or that he confessed to God. Instead, Judas had a sad end; he took his own life. The money he had gained by his wicked bargain was of no use to him; he had sold the Lord Jesus for those few pieces of silver.
A prophet long before, had been shown about that wicked bargain, and just how many pieces would be paid; he had written,
That was called “a goodly price”, and both Judas and the priests seem to have considered it a good price. Yet it was only the price required by their law for a slave. This shows how low a value the Lord Jesus was to them.
After Judas had gone away, the priests who had paid him to betray the Lord, and were as wrong as he, picked up the thirty pieces of silver he had thrown down. They said it would be wrong to use them for the temple, and decided to buy a piece of ground from the potters, where day had been taken for their work, so was of little value. But it could be used as a burial place for the poor or strangers.
The prophet of long before, had written also that the silver pieces would go to the potter; he wrote,
“Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the House of the Lord.” Zech. 11:1313And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:13), Matt. 27:9,109Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me. (Matthew 27:9‑10).
ML 11/14/1943