March 24
“Judas, His betrayer, seeing that (Jesus) had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ And they said, ‘What is that to us? You see to it!’ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.’ And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in,” Matthew 27:3-7.
It has been said that sin often has a smooth beginning but a horrible ending. The thirty pieces of silver appealed to Judas as an easy way to make money, but the silver coins lost their appeal and led to despair and a horrible death!
What did Judas really have in mind? Did he think that Jesus would use His almighty power, throw away the ropes or chains from His hands, and walk away a free man? When he learned that the religious leaders had condemned Jesus and had led Him away to the Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate, the feelings of guilt and despair overwhelmed him! He returned to the temple with the thirty pieces of silver and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!”
When one comes to religious leaders and confesses a sin, one would expect that they would be sympathetic and speak of forgiveness. But those religious leaders were also traitors, and they had hardened their hearts toward Jesus. In that hardness, they said to Judas, “What is that to us? You see to it!”
Total despair set in, and Judas threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and went and hanged himself! Suicide is often the result of total despair; the person gives up all hope for help from both God and people! The Bible mentions five cases of suicide, and they were all instances of despair. When people are despairing, it requires more than a medical pill to save them!
The Bible also mentions one instance of almost-suicide – the jailer at Philippi (Acts 16:23-33). What kept him from committing suicide? The Word of God, spoken by the apostles. The Word of God has the power to remove the feelings of doubt and despair!
After Judas left the temple, the religious leaders had a feeling of guilt, and decided that the money could not be put into the temple treasury. To salve their guilty consciences, they thought up some other use for it – purchasing a potter’s field, a burial place for strangers! Little did they know that they were fulfilling what the prophets Jeremiah and Zechariah had foretold!
What is the message for all of us? No sin is too great or too grievous that it cannot be forgiven. When you are inclined to give up hope for help from people, remember that there still are people with sympathetic, Christian hearts who are willing and eager to listen and to help. Above all, remember that God has mercy and forgiveness for all sins, which was gained for all by the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, God’s Son and your Savior! Remember also that there was a criminal on the cross at Jesus’ right hand who pleaded, “‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,’ and Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,’” Luke 23:43.
“There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there have I, as vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.” Amen.