Thirty Pieces of Silver

(Matthew 27:1-10)

Judas for the sum of thirty pieces of silver had betrayed Jesus. In betraying Jesus Judas had been taken over by Satan to do this deadly deed. Although those involved at the time were probably unaware, this all happened in accordance with prophesies that were hundreds of years old. This whole process, including the sum of the thirty pieces of silver was pre-ordained by God and would follow the course he had set.

The prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah had both prophesied about the fact that Jesus would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. Jeremiah also prophesied about what would be done with the money. Judas when he came to himself sought to repent of the action he had taken and took the money back to the chief priests. They would not take it back and release Jesus, so Judas threw the money down in the temple and left. This was to fulfil prophecy too. The chief priests said they could not take the money and put it into the treasury for it was blood money, and to do so was against the Law of Moses. So they used it to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers, and that field became known as the Field of Blood. As for Judas, he went out and committed suicide, for there was no way he could repent of the deed he had done by spurning and betraying the Lord. We see this principle discussed in Hebrews 10:26-29 saying,

26 For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.
28 A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?

Judas certainly fell into this role. He spurned all that Jesus had offered him as a disciple and as part of the twelve. He threw this all away to betray Jesus, and in his final hour, knowing there was no path back, he killed himself.

Most of this section is an historical account of what happened at the time. What we can learn from this and take from it is this. These actions were not happening by chance. They were all pre-ordained and set in concrete in prophecy hundreds of years earlier. Everything that was done was to fulfil prophecy and everything prophesied came about as it had been said. Each of the prophecies was established and came to fullness in Christ.

These things are proof of Jesus as being the Christ and the Son of God. They are clear evidence that he was who he said he was, and thus the New Covenant established in his blood is truth as well. Furthermore, every other prophecy in the bible that has not yet been fulfilled will come to pass in due course. God has ordained these things and set the processes, times and seasons in place so that these things must happen. We can take heart that the word of God is true and not just a bunch of well-planned stories, as some would suggest. All that is written in the Bible is truth and the fulfilling of the prophecies, as we saw in the events surrounding the times of the Christ, is proof of the truth of the words of God.

So these things must encourage us. We must know and have faith that the things spoken of in the Bible are true and will happen. And we must be comforted in the knowledge that as we look to Jesus we will receive his grace, blessings and salvation. We must also know for a truth that he is coming again soon as was prophesied and that time is not too far away. Every day brings his return closer, so we must learn and prepare for his return now.