April 19, 2010
If only these guys had read their history books
Matthew 27:1-10
Blake Sawyer
Central Truth
God uses everything to work out His glory and to point back to Himself. Even when we turn our back on Him, He is still working.
Key Verse | Matthew 27:5–7
And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood." And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter's Field as a burial place for strangers. (Matthew 27:5-7)
Matthew 27:1-10
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Judas Hangs Himself
3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus 1 27:3 Greek he was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 27:1-10
Growing up, I loved history. You may not have had a history class like mine, but I had a coach who was also a history teacher. He'd use a combination of multiple choice tests and classic American films. From watching Gone with the Wind to learn about the Civil War to using The Last of the Mohicans to learn about the Revolutionary period, we "learned" everything.
And then I signed up for an AP History class. My teacher that year had a different approach to history than others. He wasn't a coach who cared more for football than history. He was a guy who was passionate about history and wanted to show us how important understanding the past was to knowing where we fit in the larger picture.
Like the coach, the Chief Priests were responsible for the history of the people of Israel. They had a charge to know it and pass it along to the people, but failed. Part of that was an incomplete understanding of the Scriptures themselves. Had they known their history books (and more importantly, the God the books revealed) as well as they had known the laws, they would've seen that Jesus was who He claimed to be.
They would have also seen how their story played out exactly like two others in the past. Matthew mentions one in Jeremiah, but one that was better known to the Hebrews was actually Zechariah 11:12-13 (NIV), which ends with, "So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter." Once he realized what he had done, Judas showed his remorse by throwing his wage to the temple floor. The priests took that money and gave it to a potter for his field. It is great to see how even when things are dark in history, God still redeems them and uses those dark spots to point to His Son and, in so doing, adds power and credibility to His redemption story. If only the religious leaders had understood their history, maybe they would have seen it, too.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some ways in which you are blind to what God is showing or has shown you?
2. Like Judas, there have been times when I have done something I later regretted. Looking back, how has God used similar times in your life to help point to who He is?
3. Judas didn’t want to keep the “blood money” because it was a reminder of what he did. Are there any reminders in your life from the events you described above?
4. When all seemed lost, Judas took the only way out he could think of. What or who can you turn to in times of trouble for advice and encouragement?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How did Judas feel about what he had done to Jesus (verse 4)?
2. Have you ever done something wrong and felt guilty afterward?
3. What should you do? (Repent, ask for God’s forgiveness, ask for forgiveness from the person you hurt.)