Matt. 27:3-10 – Judas was a disciple that was plagued with evil thoughts. The Bible tells us that he kept the money box for the disciples, but “he was a thief” and “loved to pilfer the money” for himself (John 12:5-6). After Jesus gave him the morsel during the Last Supper, “Satan entered into him.” (John 13:27) Although Judas felt “remorse” for his despicable deed, I’m not sure he actually wanted Jesus condemned to death in the first place (Vs 3). I sometimes wonder if Judas was betraying Jesus for the love of money, and, since he had seen Jesus elude those before who wanted Him dead, He would somehow do the same now. Trying to give back the money was a pathetic act, but it was an act that stated that keeping that money and spending it on his fleshly desires was not something Judas could do. I truly believe, though, that Judas could have found forgiveness from Jesus for his act of betrayal, even though it did bring the horrible death of the Messiah. Peter found forgiveness for his betrayal; we have all found forgiveness for our ‘betrayal’ in selling our souls to the devil for a mere ‘thirty-pieces-of-silver-pleasure’ that is so not worth the value of our souls. But remorse is one thing; repentance is quite another. Paul says in 2 Cor. 7:10 that “godly sorrow brings repentance without regret. . .” This is so different from mere remorse that has no determination to repent and turn my life over to God. Discipleship is about recognizing that we must turn when we sin. It is knowing that my sin put Jesus on the cross. Yes, we have forgiveness, but let us never underestimate, never undervalue the horror of sin and what it did to our King!
Matt. 27:11-26 – Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The chief priests and the mob-like people all betrayed Jesus for a robber and murderer named Barabbas. The money was later worthless to Judas. I can only imagine what kind of ‘citizen’ Barabbas was after his release, and how worthless he was to Jewish society . . . unless, of course, he repented like the thief on the cross who recognized that Jesus had done no wrong and was truly the King. It has always amazed me what mobs will do that individuals would not do. It has always troubled me what I have traded in life for moments of appeal and pleasure. They are never worth it! A disciple must be sober-minded, always watchful, always aware of Satan’s deceitful bargains.
Matt. 27:33-56 – When I was younger, I wondered at what I considered the common wording in the gospels with regard to the crucifixion. Where were all the million dollar adjectives to describe how awful the crucifixion was for Jesus?! Matthew merely states, “And when they had crucified Him . . .” Wow! It seems so matter of fact! But, as I grew older I realized there were and are no words to adequately describe the horror that Jesus experienced. Many people have been tortured to death in the history of the world. Jesus actually experienced a much shorter crucifixion than most criminals did with Roman execution. Some lasted on crosses for days. But, length of time on the cross, or a crown of thorns pushed into one’s skull, or the flesh-ripping scourging Jesus endured before the cross are not the things that made this death sentence historically different. However, when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”, the quintessential difference between Jesus’ suffering and everyone else who had suffered torturous deaths in history was revealed. No man, no woman, ever suffered, ever experienced all the sin that has been committed or ever will be committed in the history of the world placed upon their sinless bodies! Jesus is the only One who ever suffered this! And then, the separation from God when the Father could not look at His only begotten Son whom He loved who had become sin in His very person! Oh, the purity of God! The justice of God! The unadulterated Light of God! The righteousness of God! Our Father could not look upon His Son at that time of Darkness. And the Roman centurion said it best in the end, “Truly this was the Son of God!”