Issue 1406 30 Pieces of Silver March 27, 2024
Climbing out of our wayback machine, we find ourselves in Jerusalem, nearly 2000 years ago. It is the Wednesday of Easter Week.
The religious establishment finds itself threatened by Jesus. His popularity is at its apex, and yesterday. The Chief Priests and Pharisees had already decided that Jesus must die.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. John 11:47-53
Yesterday’s public rebuke and humiliation of the Jewish leaders by Jesus in the temple and the upcoming Passover made it imperative that he had to go SOON. The question had become one of how to do it.
Their prayers are answered. They plan for evil, but in retrospect, we know God uses it for the ultimate good.
Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over. Matthew 26:14-16
The motives for Judas’ actions remain the source of much speculation and debate, but they fulfill prophecy.
Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages, but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Zechariah 11:12-13
Judas’ motives and actions bring huge issues into the discussion. It touches on the sovereignty of God, free will, heaven and hell, regret versus repentance and more. They are too far-reaching to fit into a single issue of Gleanings, so I’ll leave you to ponder them on your own.
For our purposes today, it is sufficient to know that the plan to redeem fallen humanity was drawing ever closer to its culmination.
Jesus must be betrayed for the Scriptures to be fulfilled, and Judas does exactly that. He sells Hid Lord for 30 pieces of silver
Praise God that we can trust His Scriptures and that He loves us.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
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Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)