Worship XI Day 6 Khet, Tet, & Yod
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Matthew 27:3-10
3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Blood Field” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Blood Field” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.
The Original Intent
1) What is the significance of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
Thirty pieces of silver, the equivalent of what a slave was worth according to Exodus 21:32, is what Judas agreed to betray Jesus for. In the Old Testament, both Jeremiah 32:6-9 and Zechariah 11:12-13 foretold of this very event happening.
Jeremiah’s prophecy involves the buying of the Potter’s field and Zechariah’s prophecy involves the price Judas would be paid. This betrayal came as no surprise to Jesus. Jesus foretold of Judas’ betrayal during His ministry. John 6:70-71, Matthew 26:20-25, and John 13:18-27 are all times Jesus told His disciples someone would betray Him.
There is great significance in the 30 pieces of silver as prophecies were fulfilled. God knew long before Judas walked with Jesus how Judas would betray Him for crucifixion, a death planned before time began for the redemption of mankind.
The Everyday Application
1) What is the significance of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
Judas’ betrayal fulfilled prophecy. It showed how God is always at work. For believers today, it reminds us while our circumstances may not always make sense, we can be confident God knows what He is doing, He can be trusted, and He will always work all things to His glory!
Sisters, I don’t know what you are walking through, but God does and His ways are greater than ours just as He knew Judas would betray Jesus and used that betrayal for His glory. Trusting God can seem the most difficult choice to make when circumstances don’t make sense, but the amazing news is we have a God who has proven Himself faithful over and over again throughout history.
We can choose to trust God and confidently know He will be glorified through our circumstances. He was glorified through Judas’ betrayal and He will be glorified through our lives if we simply let Him!
The Original Intent
2) Why did Judas betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
Scripture does not specifically tell why Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Some scholars think Judas was greedy, while others think Judas may have been trying to force Jesus into a rebellion. However, upon reading John 13:27 we are told that Satan entered Judas.
Yes, Judas betrayed Jesus and prophecies were fulfilled concerning the coming Messiah, but it was also so much more. The truth is, Judas’ motives aren’t really important. The work of redemption brought about despite His betrayal is.
The Chief Priests no longer had the right to sentence anyone to death since the Roman government was in control. Therefore, they needed Jesus to be arrested, tried, sentenced, and condemned by the Romans. Judas was the tool they used in order to arrest Jesus.
Judas betrayed Jesus providing the open door for Jesus to be arrested tried, sentenced, and condemned to death on the Cross for all of Creation.
The Everyday Application
2) Why did Judas betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?
Judas walked with Jesus daily during His three years of public ministry. He had a front row seat to the teachings and miracles of Jesus. He talked with Him and asked questions, yet somehow, Judas missed what was right in front of him.
The God of the Universe chose to put on human flesh and walk among us with the ultimate plan of beating death and defying the grave in order to provide redemption for His Creation that He loves above all else. God foretold of Judas’ betrayal long before Judas was ever born.
In betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver we see our God is a God who keeps His promises. We may not always see how God is at work, but we can rest assured He is. We may not always understand circumstances that are transpiring in our lives, however, we can know that God is constantly working to fulfill His plan of redeeming Creation to Himself.
Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden came as no surprise to God and, even before they disobeyed, God had a plan to bring redemption. His plan was always Jesus. It meant allowing Judas’ heart to be hardened and allowing Satan to enter him for a time, but the heart of God was always redemption.
The Original Intent
3) Why did Judas hang himself?
Judas, a disciple of Jesus, who walked with Him and learned from Him didn’t fully understand Who he was spending his days with.
For a few verses in Matthew 27:3-4 we clearly see a picture of a man who acknowledges his guilt. After Jesus dies, Judas feels remorse. However, we quickly see it is not true remorse or remorse felt with the understanding of Who Jesus is.
Reading it, we can almost begin to think after Judas watched Jesus be condemned that the light bulb finally went off and all he had seen, heard, and been a part of for 3 years finally came together for Judas. It’s a picture that only lasts for two verses though.
The narrative quickly turns and we find Judas running away to a field and taking his own life. Judas missed the reality of the Person of Jesus. Instead of running to the God of the Universe and asking for forgiveness Judas decides to end it all and run away from redemption.
The Everyday Application
3) Why did Judas hang himself?
Even after spending so much time in the presence of Jesus, Judas still missed who He was. Judas didn’t see Jesus for the Son of God sent to redeem Creation through His death. Somehow, even with all the time experiencing Jesus, he missed it.
How often is that true for us as followers of Jesus? How many times do we miss the activity of God in our lives or in the lives of those around us? How often do we not think of ourselves as worthy of the forgiveness Jesus offers through the cross?
We can choose to accept the forgiveness being offered and run into the arms of Jesus, or we can choose to run the opposite direction like Judas.
For us, it may not be taking our own lives but our choice is seen in other actions of our lives as we choose to run away from the hope of the gospel.
The challenge for us is to not blind ourselves to Who Jesus is and what He offers, but instead run into the loving arms of our Savior who already paid the price for anything and everything we could ever do or think of doing.
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