Matthew 27:1-10

Matthew 27:1-2     The Jewish Council Formally Sentences Jesus

(Mk 15:1; Lk 23:1)
 
1 Early in the morning
all the chief priests and the elders of the people
formulated their plans against Jesus as to how to kill him.  
2 They bound him and handed him over
to Pilate the governor.

While entrusted with the general administration of the province, the council had no jurisdiction in matters reserved to Roman administration, and particularly in the imposition of the death penalty.

Judas’s Remorse

Matthew 27:3-10     The Suicide of Judas

(Acts 1:18-19)

The timing of this scene was uncertain.  According to the narrative, the chief priests and the elders were either at, or on the way to, Pilate’s residence.  Here, they would be somewhere in the temple.  Matthew’s concern was literary.  The scene served to reinforce Matthew’s view of the chief priests and elders, which would become more obvious still in the Roman trial that would follow.

3 When Judas who had betrayed him
saw that he had been condemned,
he regretted it .  
He gave back the thirty silver pieces
to the chief priests and elders,
4 and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

Had Judas hoped that Jesus would resist arrest and escape?  Or was it simply that the actual arrest of Jesus triggered his realisation of what he had done?

They said, “What concern is that to us?
Look after it yourself.”  
5 He threw the silver coins in the direction of the temple
and left there;
and then went out and hanged himself. 

Judas’ response conveyed a sense of regret.  It was a different word from the word used by Jesus calling people to repentance [4:17].  Obviously, Judas had not heard Jesus’ repeated message that God was the God who forgave: he despaired.  His regret, while beginning well, lacked openness to the empowering forgiveness of God.  Only the received love of God can lead the sinner beyond regret and remorse to genuine sorrow.  Judas went off alone, and lacked the humility to return to the community of disciples (where trusting faith in the love of God can be restored and nourished).

The chief priests took the silver pieces,
but said, “It is not appropriate
to put them in the temple treasury,
given that it is payment for blood.”  
7 They reached agreement
and with them they bought the potter’s land
as a burial place for foreigners.  
8 That is the reason why even today
it is still called The Field of Blood.

Once more, Matthew chose to highlight the duplicity of the chief priests.  They showed no qualms in condemning an innocent man; yet they had scruples about putting the money they had paid to Judas in the treasury.

9 In this way the word of Jeremiah was fulfilled,
 
 
‘They took the thirty silver pieces,
the price for the one they valued,
the one from among the children of Israel
whom they valued,
10 and gave them for the potter’s land,
in line with the Lord’s directive to me’.

In fact, the quotation was not drawn from Jeremiah.  If anything, it may have been suggested by an image used by the prophet Zechariah.  The connection was not obvious, and the text was confused:

 “If it seems right to you, give me my wages;
but if not, keep them.” 
So they weighed out as my wages
thirty shekels of silver. 
Then the LORD said to me,
“Throw it into the treasury”
—this lordly price at which I was valued by them. 
So I took the thirty shekels of silver
and threw them into the treasury
in the house of the LORD   [Zechariah 11:12-13].

Next >> Matthew 27:11-31