OceanSide church of Christ

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THE SAYINGS OF THE CRUCIFIXION (12)

The Purchase of the Potter’s Field

Matthew 27:3-10

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    During His trial before Caiaphas, Jesus admitted that He was the Son of God.

1.      He was charged with blasphemy.

2.      The Jews sentenced Him to death.

3.      They, however, did not have the power to execute a man because they were under Roman rule.

4.      Jesus, therefore, had to be brought before the Romans authorities.

 

B.      All four gospel writers tell about the Jews binding Jesus and leading him to the judgment hall of Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:1-2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1; John 18;28).

 

And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.

 

C.     Matthew stops at this point to tell us about a real estate transaction that occurred during the crucifixion (Matt. 27:3-10)

1.      The purchase was made by the chief priests and elders.

2.      The purchase cost thirty pieces of silver.

3.      The purchase was the potter’s field, better known as “the field of blood.”

 

D.    In this lesson, we will be looking at this transaction.  The title of the lesson is:  “The Purchase of the Potter’s Field.”

 

I.                   AN APOSTLE’S CONFESSION (Matt. 27:3-5).

 

A.    The realization (Matt. 27:3a)

 

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned…

 

1.      Judas had betrayed the Lord earlier.

a.      He consulted with the chief priests and leaders of the Jews.

b.      He covenanted together with them for thirty pieces of silver.

c.       He led the Jewish mob into the Garden of Gethsemane.

d.      He betrayed the Lord with a kiss.

2.      The greed within the heart of Judas led him to commit this heinous acts.

3.      After the trial before Caiaphas, a reality sinks deeply into the heart of the apostle.

a.      It seems that Judas was originally of the opinion that Jesus would never be condemned.

1)      He would be arrested.

2)      He might suffer a beating.

3)      He would then be released since Jesus was an innocent man.

b.      It did not happen as Judas had planned.

1)      Jesus had been condemned by the Jews.

2)      The sentence of death was read against him.

3)      He was being led to the Roman authorities to have Jesus executed.

4.      LESSON:  Evil schemes should always be aborted. 

a.      The best laid plans can come back to haunt those who develop them.

b.      Proverbs 6:16-17

 

These six things doth the Lord hate:  yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  a proud look, a lying tongue, and hand that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations…

 

B.      The repentance (Matt. 27:3b)

 

…repented himself…

 

1.      The word repentance simply means “to change one’s mind.”

2.      The word does not indicate the true nature of the repentance.  The context will determine the heart of the individual.

3.      Judas now wishes he had never taken the money from the Jewish leaders. 

4.      There appears to be a deep regret on his part about his actions.

a.      The key words are:  “appears to be.”

b.      It is not so much his actions that he regrets.  He really just regrets the fact that Jesus is going to be put to death.

 

C.     The return (Matt. 27:3c)

 

…and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.

 

1.      Judas had agreed to take thirty pieces of silver in exchange for the Christ.

2.      He returns the exact amount.

a.      It still looks as though his repentance could be real.

b.      LESSON:  When we repent of sins, if restitution is possible, it is a very important part of making amends before God.  (See Zaccheus, Luke 19:8).

 

D.    The revelation (Matt. 27:4)

1.      The confession (Mat. 27:4a)

 

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood.

 

a.      The admission:  “I have sinned.”

1)      Judas mustered the courage to admit that he has transgressed the will of God.

2)      This still looks as though Judas’ heart has truly changed. 

3)      Confession is a vital of part of truly turning back to God (Prov. 28:13).

 

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:  but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

 

b.      The action:  “I have betrayed innocent blood.”

1)      His sin was a horrible one.  It is horrible for anyone. 

2)      He caused a miscarriage of justice to be brought against a man who had done nothing wrong.

3)      We view his sin as an even greater sin because he had betrayed the Christ, the Son of God.

2.      The contempt (Matt. 27:4b)

 

And they said, What is that to us?  see thou to that.

 

a.      The Jews were not impressed or concerned about Judas’ improper action or his sense of guilt.

b.      They had gotten exactly what they desired out of the matter. 

c.       They were not going to allow themselves to be burden with the crisis of Judas.

d.      Thus, they tell him:  “See thou to that.”

e.       LESSON:  Once we have committed some sins, there is no “fixing” them.  In other words, we have to live with the outcome of our actions.

 

E.      The remedy (Matt. 27:5)

 

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

 

1.      When the Jews would not readily accept the silver pieces, Judas cast them on the ground.  They no longer held the joy that they held in the past.

2.      He then went out and hung himself.

a.      It is here that Judas’ heart is truly revealed.

b.      He had done many things right:  regret, returning the silver, confessing his sins.

c.       Instead of returning to the disciples, he hung himself.

d.      It appears that he was regretful of his plans being foiled rather than truly being sorry for his actions.

3.      His action was both selfish and final. 

4.      From this point on, he would be known by all as the apostle “which betrayed” Jesus (See Matt. 10:4, Mark 3:19; John 18:2).

 

II.                A FIELD CONTRACTED (Matt. 27:6-8)

 

A.    The discussion (Matt. 27:6)

 

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.

 

1.      This money had secured the death of Jesus Christ.

2.      It was wrong to put any money into the treasury that was an abomination in the sight of God (Deut. 23:18).

3.      Lessons:

a.      Man can easily play the hypocrite. 

1)      Concern for money that was defiled going into the treasury.

2)      Unconcerned at all that the money from the treasury was used to secure the death of an innocent man.

b.      Man can be scrupulous over the little things and very unconcerned about the weightier matters of the law.

 

B.      The decision (Matt. 27:7)

 

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

 

1.      This field was probably owned by a potter who used the clay therein to make his pottery.

2.      He may have exhausted its resources.  Thus, it was basically worthless.

3.      He sold it to them for thirty pieces of silver.

4.      The Jews allowed the field to be use to bury “strangers” in. 

a.      Most believe that these were Jews who had come to Jerusalem from out of the country and who died while in the city.

b.      They do not believe this would include Gentiles whom the Jews hated.  If anything, their bodies would have been burned in the valley of Hinnom at the garbage dump.

5.      Question:  Did this help to ease the conscience of these religious hypocrites?

 

C.     The description (Matt. 27:8)

 

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

 

1.      The field was named by the Jews as “The field of blood.”  It was the field of innocent blood.

2.      In Acts 1:19, we read of the proper name, “Aceldama.”

3.      Clarke notes that the Jews raised them up an “eternal monument.”

a.      It was a memorial to the betrayal by Judas.

b.      It was a memorial to the treachery of the Jewish leaders.

c.       It as a memorial to the innocence of Jesus Christ.

4.      It was called “The field of blood” 30 years after the event.  We are still referring to this field today.  It will be known throughout all eternity.

 

III.             A PROPHECY CONFIRMED (Matt. 27:9-10)

 

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet…

 

A.    Jesus had told the Jews:  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt. 5:17-28).

 

B.      In the purchase of this field, Matthew tells us that the words of the prophet Jeremiah were fulfilled.

1.      There are no words similar to this in the book of Jeremiah or Lamentations.

2.      Similar words are found in Zechariah 11:12-13.  There have been several explanations given.

a.      A mistake by the transcribers.  The difference would be one, simple letter.

b.      In ancient times, Jeremiah was the first book of the prophets.  Thus, the inspired writer was referenced the quote by referring to the first book itself.

c.       Some have thought that Jeremiah could have spoken such words although they were never recorded.

 

C.     Notice two phrases in the prophecy:

1.      “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued.”

a.      The Jews and Judas put a value on the Christ.

b.      His value to them was the price of a slave in that day.

c.       LESSON:  Sadly, men still undervalue the Son of the Living God.

2.      “And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed.”

a.      We see the sovereignty of God involved in the events of the crucifixion.

b.      God did not force man to do the things he did.

c.       God foreknew what would transpire and used them to accomplish the scheme of redemption.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    When we think of the crucifixion, we usually only think about one death, the death of Jesus.

 

B.      Another death also transpired, the suicide of a man named Judas.

1.      An apostle.

2.      An apostle who was greedy.

3.      An apostle who made some very poor choices.

4.      An apostle who regretted that he had been found out.

5.      An apostle who just could not repent and seek the forgiveness of God.

6.      An apostle who committed suicide.

7.      An apostle who will always be remembers as the one who betrayed Jesus.

 

C.     When Judas killed himself, he had fallen from the grace of God, and he had fallen from his apostleship.

1.      Now there were only eleven apostles living.

2.      In the not too distance future, another would be selected to take his place, a man by the name of Mathias (Acts 1:15-26).