“The Betrayer, the Governor, and the Criminal”
(Matthew 27:1-26)
Series: God’s Fulfilled Promise [on screen]
Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD
First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida
November 22, 2020
The Passage
Matthew 27:1-26
1 When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. 2 After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus answered, “You say so.” 12 While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.
13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?” 14 But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.
15 At the festival the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”
20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they answered.
22 Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.
Introductory Comments:
We are continuing our series in the book of Matthew. Today, we’re in Matthew 27:1-26.
Let’s remember that Jesus has already gone through a sham of a trial with the Jewish leaders in the courtyard of the high priest. They ended up declaring that He was a blasphemer and they declared that He deserves death.
The problem for the Jewish leaders is that they cannot legally execute someone; that authority lies with the Romans. So, the Jewish leaders are now trying to convince the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to sentence Jesus to death. That is where we are today.
Before we get into today’s passage, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us.
(prayer)
Sometimes when you know that you’ve done something wrong you try and think of a way to make things right. Perhaps you or someone you know is a person who doesn’t know how to apologize, so you or they try to do something nice or pay a compliment in order to make up for the wrong that was done. For most of us, when we’re in the wrong we feel a need to do something to make it right.
Well, in today’s passage we’re going to hear about three different men and how they were affected by Jesus. Spoiler alert: none of them really understood that all they needed to be made right was Jesus. Instead, they all had different outcomes resulting from their relationship to Jesus.
Let’s look now at these three men and what happened with them.
First, . . .
I. Judas is remorseful (vv. 1-10) [on screen]
This passage now takes us to the end of the story for Judas. Let’s see what Scripture says. Look with me at verses 1-10:
1 When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. 2 After tying him up, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.
“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.
6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.
Verses 1 and 2 set the stage for what’s going on here: Jesus has been detained but the Jewish leaders are still trying to find a way to have Jesus put to death so they take Him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
We clearly see in the verses that follow that Judas is full of remorse. Judas says in verse 4, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
Judas knew that he was guilty and that Jesus was innocent. He was trying to do something to make things right but the chief priests and the elders wanted nothing to do with it.
Judas was searching for relief from his guilt and pain. He didn’t know that the very One whom he betrayed was also the One who could give him relief from his guilt and pain.
Judas didn’t know what else to do so he threw the money into the temple and tried to end his pain and guilt by hanging himself.
His act of killing himself would ultimately fail in ending his pain and guilt. Remember, Jesus said of Judas in Matthew 26:24, “ . . . woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.”
Judas wanted to do something about his sin and all he needed to do was look to Jesus. Instead, he suffered a tragic ending on this earth, and later he would experience the judgment of God.
Notice that the Jewish leaders didn’t want to leave that money lying in the temple. Further, they didn’t want to use it for religious purposes, so they purchased a field in which they could bury foreigners.
It’s noteworthy that the very participants in this crime seemed to know that it was wrong. The money that they paid to Judas was money that they labeled as “blood money.”
Even though they are breaking their own religious rules and laws they are determined to move forward to execute Jesus.
In fact, we see in verse 9 that this act was prophesied in the Scriptures, in part in Zechariah and Jeremiah. As we’ve seen over and over, this was again part of God’s plan that was put into place before the foundation of the world.
After the Jewish leaders brush aside Judas, their next step is to take Jesus to Pilate.
That takes us to our next section:
II. Pilate is rattled (vv. 11-14) [on screen]
Now, don’t forget why the Jewish leaders took Jesus to Pilate in the first place. They sought for Pilate to condemn Jesus to death. However, Pilate has to make his own decision on the matter.
Let’s check out what the Bible says. Look at verses 11-14:
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus answered, “You say so.” 12 While he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn’t answer.
13 Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?” 14 But he didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was quite amazed.
Remember, Pilate doesn’t care if Jesus is a blasphemer in the eyes of the Jewish leaders. They need to find a different charge against Jesus to present to Pilate. So, they are presenting Jesus to Pilate as one who claims to be a king, which would be a problem for the Roman emperor.
Pilate knows something is up with this Jesus guy. He’s not unaware of what’s going on. However, Pilate is going to do things the Roman way, not the Jewish way.
The Jewish leaders are hoping that Pilate will recognize Jesus as a threat to Rome and execute Him.
The problem is, Pilate is not convinced that Jesus is a threat, so he questions Jesus.
As when Jesus was questioned before, He largely remains silent.
Remember, Isaiah 53:7 prophesied this. Jesus was ready to go to death without creating a big defense.
In verse 11, Jesus uses similar language to what He used when Judas asked if he was the brayer. When Pilate asked if Jesus was the king of the Jews, Jesus replied, “You say so.” Again this is basically a soft affirmation. Jesus is not disagreeing with what Pilate has said.
Obviously, Pilate is confused by what is going on. He says to Jesus in verse 13, “Don’t you hear how much they are testifying against you?” Yet, Jesus still remained silent.
It didn’t help Pilate that his wife had a dream and told him not to execute Jesus. We’ll read about that in just a moment.
Pilate tried to take care of the situation and get Jesus released because he saw no reason to execute Him. Let’s skip ahead to verse 24: “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!’”
Pilate was getting nowhere. He didn’t know what to do. He was rattled. The Roman governor of the land was at a loss.
Pilate thought he could fix the problem of Jesus but he could not.
That takes us to our final section:
III. Barabbas is released (vv. 15-26) [on screen]
Pilate is rattled and he doesn’t know what to do, so he devises a plan involving a man named Barabbas. Let’s read about it. Look at verses 15-26.
15 At the festival the governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew it was because of envy that they had handed him over.
19 While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.”
20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21 The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”
“Barabbas!” they answered.
22 Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 Then he said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting all the more, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them and, after having Jesus flogged, handed him over to be crucified.
Pilate normally participated in the Passover festivities by releasing a prisoner that the crowd wanted. Pilate saw this as his opportunity to get out of this messy situation. However, he didn’t realize how committed the Jewish leaders were to killing the Messiah, the Son of God.
Pilate presented the people with what he probably thought was an easy decision; Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, could be released to them; or Jesus, a peaceful miracle worker and rabbi could be released to them.
While Pilate is working through this series of decisions on his part and on the part of the people, his wife approaches him and says, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of him.” Pilate already believed that Jesus was mostly innocent and then his wife comes and says this.
Imagine the shock and how much more he was rattled when Pilate realized that it was Barabbas whom they wanted released and Jesus whom they wanted killed.
You see, the chief priests and elders were hellbent on seeing this through. They convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to kill Jesus.
Pilate questioned the people as to what Jesus had done. They couldn’t give any satisfactory answer. Then, Pilate asked what they wanted him to do with Jesus if he was to release Barabbas. I have to think that Pilate already knew the answer to this. The people shouted, repeatedly, “Crucify Him!”
Verse 24 is how Pilate responds: “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!’”
Behold, Jesus is condemned and Barabbas is released.
Concluding Thoughts:
Judas tried to deal with his remorse by taking his own life. He was remorseful but not repentant. His remorse wouldn’t help him, but Jesus could have.
Pilate was rattled and didn’t know what to do. He knew Jesus wasn’t guilty and he even ceremonially washed his hands to signify that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood. Pilate was conflicted yet he lacked the conviction to do the right thing. That ceremonial washing couldn’t help him, but Jesus could have.
Barabbas was released, but he wasn’t released to true freedom. He was still in chains to his sin. Barabbas was gone but still guilty. Pilate couldn’t really help Barabbas, but Jesus could have.
The people were being led astray by their leaders. They thought putting Jesus to death would help them. They were so convinced that the leaders were right in having Jesus killed that they said in verse 25, “His blood be on us and on our children!” The irony is, the blood of Jesus was what they really needed for the cleansing of their sins. Instead, many of the Jewish people of that time would suffer judgment for putting God’s Son and their Messiah to death. The Jewish leaders couldn’t help the people, but Jesus could have.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: The only true innocent One provides the only true escape for the guilty one. [on screen]
(repeat)
Jesus was the only One who deserved to walk away from the situation with innocence. Yet, He would be brutally beaten and sentenced to death. Because of His sacrifice, He provides the only true escape for those under the guilt of sin.
Challenge yourself this week to be moved by this passage in the following ways:
Weekly Challenge: [on screen]
1. Take your guilt to Jesus. [on screen]
Jesus took Barabbas’ place and Barabbas was set free from prison. Better than a release from prison, Jesus can take your place and you can be set free from the guilt and chains of sin. You can become a friend of God instead of an enemy of God.
Let Jesus take your guilt away. Take it to Him.
2. Take the guilty to Jesus. [on screen]
There are so many in this world who still need Jesus. They are still living with the cloud of the guilt of sin over their lives and nothing awaits them except judgment and destruction. Take them to Jesus!
Jesus can heal anyone and make anyone new!
Take the guilty to Jesus!
Closing:
Have you been made innocent by the Innocent One? If so, live in freedom! If not, come to Him today!
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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