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    Matthew 27:1-14  Lesson 58

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:   
     
    The Sanhedrin condemns Jesus and brings Him before Pontius Pilate.
    ​
    Judas commits suicide.
    Christ before Pilate by the Hungarian realist artist Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900).
    Study Tip:
     
    Write down important Bible verses, ponder their meaning, and memorize them.  Build a list of your favorite verses. ​
    Who was...
     
    Pontius Pilate -
    The fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria who served from 26 to 36 AD.  He disliked his Judean assignment so far from home and was no fan of the Jews.  He was  routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved, and Jesus was well aware of Pilate's brutal reputation (Luke 13:1).  The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome.  They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct.  Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he went to Jerusalem with his wife Claudia to keep order when the Holy City filled with pilgrims over the Passover holiday.  While in Jerusalem, the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him.  The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to condemn a prisoner to death (John 18:31) so pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus.  A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice.  He repeatedly declared 
    ​    Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was still willing to execute Him.  Already disciplined by his superiors in Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints.  In AD 36 Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought more charges of cruelty against him.  He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul where he committed suicide in AD 38. 

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 27:1-14
    Jesus stands before Pilate

    ​1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

    2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

    3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

    4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

    5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

    6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

    7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

    8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

    9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

    10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

    11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

    12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

    13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

    ​14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.                           ​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "The chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death." (27:1) - "The chief priests and older leaders of the people discussed how to put Jesus to death."  The leaders "took counsel against Jesus," as prophesied centuries earlier (Psalm 2:2).
     
    "Delivered him to Pontius Pilate." (27:2) - Just as Jesus predicted (Matthew 20:19).
     "Repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver." (27:3) - Means, Judas was remorseful and tried to return the money he was paid to betray Christ.
     
    "I have sinned." (27:4) - Judas tells the priest's that he has sinned.  See the last half of verse 27:4 for the priests' callous response.
     
    "What is that to us? see thou to that." (27:4) - "What's that to us? That's your problem."
     
    "It is the price of blood." (27:6) - "Its blood money."  Because the high priest's considered the thirty pieces of silver soiled, they refused to return the money to the treasury.  They were willing to condemn an innocent man to death, yet they meticulously obeyed a minor law forbidding the use of tainted money, money they themselves had tainted.
     
    "He answered nothing." (27:12) - Just as prophesized in Isaiah 53:7 seven hundred years earlier.  
     
     "He answered him to never a word." (27:14) -  Jesus refused to answer the false charges just as He did when He stood before the Sanhedrin (26:62-63).​
    You can read more about Jesus and Pilate in Mark 15:1-19; Luke 23:1-25; and John 18:28-38. 


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Matthew 27:1-14 
    Judas Hangs Himself

    1 Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
     
    3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man."
     
      "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem."
     
    5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
     
    6 The leading priests picked up the coins. "It wouldn't be right to put this money in the Temple treasury," they said, "since it was payment for murder." 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
     
      "They took the thirty pieces of silver-
          the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,
     10 and purchased the potter's field,
          as the Lord directed."
     
    Jesus' Trial before Pilate
     
    11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. "Are you the king of the Jews?" the governor asked him.
     
      Jesus replied, "You have said it."
     
    12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 "Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?" Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise.

    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's Question:
     
    1. Why did Pontius Pilate ask Jesus if He was "the King of the Jews?" (27:11)      ​​

    "Your outer life is your reputation with people, your inner life is your reputation with God."   Author unknown 

    Answer:  (Do you agree?) 
    ​​
    1. Because "The Roman government was particularly sensitive to subversive elements in society that would undermine their base of power.  Any who claimed to be a leader or a king could be a potential threat."  ("Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids Michigan; page 1430).  

    The high priests' knew Pilate wouldn't consider a man charged with blasphemy a threat to Rome.  So they told Pilate Jesus aspired to be king and was encouraging people not to pay their taxes (Luke 23:1-2).
    Application thought for the day:
     
    If Jesus could forgive the men who crucified Him (Luke 23:34) He could forgive Judas.  But rather than ask for forgiveness, Judas committed suicide (27:5).  Whatever our past sins, faith in God, and sincere repentance brings forgiveness. 
    Picture
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible".  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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