Judas Takes His Life & Jesus Is Sentenced To Death

Judas Takes His Life

Matthew 27:3-10 (NLT)

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.”

^{Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.}

A Step Further: When You Think Your Sin Is Too Great To Be Forgiven

Have you ever had a moment where you’ve thought your sin was too great to be forgiven? You’ve made such a mess of things and hurt someone so deeply there is no way possible they’ll forgive you, God will forgive you, and you can live with yourself. Instead of confronting the sin head on, you hide it, bury it, run from it. Judas, instead of asking for forgiveness, chose to end his life. Perhaps he did it out of fear. Perhaps he felt like there was no coming back from what he did. We don’t know. Here’s what we do know and can hold on to today:

While our sin separates us from God (it’s why we want to run and hide), we don’t have to stay separated. How is this possible?

Only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

At the cross, God’s perfect love was seen as Jesus took on our sins. He stood in our place, receiving the punishment meant for us. For everyone who trusts in the death and resurrection of Christ, God will clearly say, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin is atoned for. You are forgiven.” This is unquantifiable, immeasurable, eternal love.

Micah 7:19 says, “Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” Did you catch that? Not near the shore where they could easily be brought up again, but to be forgotten in the very depths of the sea.

When you believe in Jesus for your salvation, your sins no longer condemn you. This forgiveness and grace is the greatest news you’ll ever hear.

C.S. Lewis said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

You are forgiven. You do not need to run. You do not have to hide. Do what Judas didn’t – confess your sin, receive forgiveness, and move forward in God’s grace.

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Jesus Is Sentenced To Death

Mark 15:6-32 (NLT)

6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. 7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising.8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.

9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked.10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16 The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. 17 They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head.18 Then they saluted him and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 19 And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

21 A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) 22 And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 23 They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.

24 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. 25 It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 A sign announced the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

29 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Ha! Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30 Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!”

31 The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!” Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.

This event is also mentioned here:

Matthew 27:15-44

Luke 23:13-43

John 18:38-19:27