The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 27 Part 1 Jesus' Life Was Valued At Thirty Pieces Of Silver

More evil actions undertaken by the chief priests and elders.

Matthew 27:1-2  When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2  And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 

in our last post, we left with Christ in the hands of the chief priests and elders, condemned to die. 

They could only threaten Jesus with execution because about two years prior, the Romans took away the Jews right to inflict capital punishment.

Since they could put no man to death, they met early in the morning with another council to consider what options they had. 

They concluded that Jesus must be sent to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

Next, Matthew gives a parenthesis telling us about what happened with Judas Iscariot.

The gruesome fate of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus.

Matthew 27:3-5  Then 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, 4  Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5  And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 

Satan previously entered into this wicked man in order to entice Judas to betray Christ.

Once that was accomplished, Satan dropped Judas like a bag of trash, for he had no further need to him.

Judas's conscience must have mightily convicted him and he brought the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, and admitted that Jesus was innocent.

The chief priests and elders did not care and dismissed Judas, for they had no further need of his services either. 

Judas then threw down the money and went out and hung himself.

This fulfilled the preview of Christ in the Old Testament that we looked at before, with King David.

David was betrayed by his own son and had to flee for his life. He left Jerusalem and crossed the same Kidron brook that Jesus would cross when He was betrayed.

Later, when Ahithophel found out that his plot to destroy King David was foiled, he too, went and hung himself, foreshadowing what Judas would do.

Acts 1:18-19  Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. 19  And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 

Luke adds more detail telling us that Judas as he hung, fell headlong, and the impact of his fall caused his bowels to burst out of his ruptured body.

Chief priests tried to cover up their crime by buying a potters field, but it memorialized their crime instead.

Matthew 27:6-10  And 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. 7  And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8  Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9  Then 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; 10  And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

This is all in accord with the scriptures that point us to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.

The phrase "the price of blood" was used to indicate that the money paid to Judas was "blood money" because it was used to betray an innocent person, Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 23:18  Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God. 

The chief priest said that the thirty pieces of silver could not be put into their treasury as an offering because it was used for a corrupt purpose and was contaminated.

His opinion was based upon this text from Deuteronomy 23. Any funds someone got from performing illicit sexual services, was grossly contaminated and are an abomination to God.

Therefore, the priests concluded that it was best to purchase a field to bury strangers or Jews who traveled to Jerusalem and then died while in the city. 

No doubt, they did this to sooth their guilty conscience for their murderous conspiracy against Christ.

Matthew let us know that this was known as "the field of blood" from that day forward.

Therefore, the field of blood became a memorial to the fact that the chief priests committed a heinous crime against Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

We must also notice that the same funds wrongly used to betray and crucify Jesus, became a source of mercy and kindness to strangers who died while visiting Jerusalem.

Exodus 21:32  If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

Jesus' life was valued at the price of a slave.

The law of Moses said when a farmers ox pushed a slave with his horns, that the slave owner must be compensated with thirty pieces of silver.

Philippians 2:7-8  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

Also, the apostle Paul tells us that Jesus was born in the lowliest state equivalent to being a bond slave.

Thus, scripture is fulfilled in that Jesus' life was valued the same as a slave's was under the law.

Zechariah 11:12-14  And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13  And 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. 

The prophet Zechariah foretold this same event in the life of Messiah.

Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, just as Zechariah predicted 520 years before Jesus was born.

He also predicted that a potter's field would be purchased using thirty pieces of silver, and this was literally fulfilled, just as God said.

The words are attributed to Jeremiah the prophet, but are not found in the book bearing his name.

Commentators and scholars offer many explanations for the words being found in Zechariah and not Jeremiah.

However, the apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying "It is more blessed to give than to receive" even though no gospel contains those words (See Acts 20:35).

We do not have any doubt that Jesus did speak these words, for they fit well with the whole of His teachings and sermons.

Therefore, it is right to conclude that Jeremiah did speak these words and that Zechariah was moved by the Holy Spirit to record them for us.

These words fit well with Jeremiah's writings, for he wrote prophecies about the potter and the clay (See Jeremiah 18:1-11; 19:1-11).

Again and again we see that the Old Testament scriptures concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, were literally fulfilled.

This reminds us of the certainty of what God has said in His Word.

His word is eternal like He is.

He will fulfill every promise He made to those who trust Him.

He will bring all things to His desired conclusion and the wicked will be held to account for their sin, and punished by spending eternity in Hell.

We can fully trust God with all aspects of our lives.

We can lean upon His everlasting arms when we become weary in well doing.

We can rely upon Him to revive us when we call upon His name.

We can count on His indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and guide our steps as we read His Word.

We are assured that He will indeed, bring us safely home to heaven with His dear Son, when this life ends.

Bob