Matthew 27:1-10 The End of Judas

The Jewish Council had met illegally, deciding Jesus' fate at night, so they reconvened in the morning to properly condemn Him to death.  Judas apparently witnessed the illegal trial, according to my commentary, and realized that Jesus had been condemned to die.  That made me wonder just what he'd been expecting of Jesus when he made the deal with the council for the 30 pieces of silver.  My commentary doesn't say.  If he truly expected an earthly kingdom and was convinced of Jesus' divine powers, might he have thought that Jesus was holding back or too timid to begin the hoped-for insurrection against the Romans to establish the earthly kingdom Judas expected and wanted to be a big part of?  Was his treachery his own way of forcing the issue, in the belief that, when pushed, Jesus would have to begin the process of instituting that earthly kingdom?  My commentary said Judas' response to the death sentence was remorse and regret.  The words in Matthew 27:3, it said, "indicate, not a sorrow for sin that leads to a change of mind and action, but a regreat at being caught, a remorse that leads to despair."  Now he realized that his dream was all over.  There was to be no place for him and no kingdom on earth, and he also likely feared the Romans would round up the whole crew for execution.

He tried to give back the money, but the priests, in their unbelievably kosher attitude, said it was tainted and they couldn't keep it.  He threw it at them and left, and he committed suicide.  They used the money to buy land for a cemetery to bury Jewish strangers who died in Jerusalem.  Their hypocrisy sickens me.  Judas' misunderstanding of Jesus' true mission (if indeed he had completely misunderstood) is terrible.

Father, keep my mind on You and what You are doing in this world.  Don't let me ever believe anything that is not of You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford