Judas Takes His Life
Theme of Matthew: “Behold your King is coming to you” (Zech.9:9; Mt.21:4-5) CHARTING
THE STUDY Ø Destroy
the temple of God Ø Was
Judas Jesus’ Friend? Ø Judas
takes his life (Matthew 27:1-10) THIS
MAN STATED, “I AM ABLE TO DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD AND TO REBUILD IT IN
THREE DAYS
(Matthew 26:61//Mark 14:58 with
Matthew 27:40//Mark 15:29; cf. John 2:19; Acts 6:14)
Were the two men “false witnesses” in 26:61 who said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days”? In other words, aren’t these men telling the truth?
A. There is an important connection between the accusation about destroying and rebuilding the temple (v.61), the high priest’s question and adjuration (vv.62-63) and Jesus’ answer (v.64). The connection is brought together in Zechariah 6:9-15. B. A man named “Branch” (tsemach) would build the temple of Yahweh (Zechariah 6:12). 1. Branch refers to the Son of David (Isaiah 4:2 [tsemach]; 11:1 [nezer]; Jer.23:5-6 [nezer]; 33:15 [tsemach]; Zech.3:8 [tsemach]). “The name-title, "the Branch" (semah) brings out more distinctly the royal dimension of the Servant title to which it is joined in Zechariah 3:8. For this title encapsulates the teaching of previous prophets concerning Messiah as scion of the stock of king David, son of Jesse. Isaiah used such plant imagery: "A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse and a branch (neser) from his roots will bear fruit" (Isa. 11:1). Again, "the branch (semah) of Yahweh will become beauty [a term applied to a royal crown in Isa. 28:5] and glory for the remnant" (Isa. 4:2). Two similar passages in Jeremiah, each beginning "Behold the days come" and prophesying of the advent of the messianic king of David's dynasty, call him the Branch (Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:14-17). In Jeremiah 33:15 the metaphor is verbal: "I [Yahweh] will cause a shoot of righteousness [i.e., a legitimate royal heir] to shoot forth (samah) unto David" (cf. Zech. 6:12). [Jeremiah 33:17 links royal and priestly roles in an affirmation of the perpetuity of the Davidic Covenant.] Similarly, Psalm 132:17 (as customarily rendered) presents God's promise that in fulfillment of his covenant oath to David he will make a horn sprout forth (samah) to him” (Meredith Kline, The Servant and the Serpent). 2. Solomon built the Temple in the Old Testament and One greater than Solomon would build the temple of Yahweh. 3. “Nazarene” sounds like the Hebrew word nezer (netser), which also means Branch (Isa.11:1-2; Jer.23:5-6). “He shall be called a Nazarene” is a reference to Christ’s being the son of David (Matthew 1:1; 9:27-28; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15; 22:42-44). C. The Branch (tsemach) would be king and priest (Zech.6:13). Saul lost his kingship because he offered sacrifice and Uzziah was struck with leprosy for burning incense before Yahweh (2 Chron.26:16-21). Jesus is both a priest and a king (in the order of Melchizedek).
D. “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of Yahweh” (Zech.6:15). This is a reference to the Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13-22; cf. Isaiah 60:4-7). Why was Jesus found guilty of blasphemy based on the testimony of the
two witnesses and the adjuration of the high priest? WAS
JUDAS JESUS’ FRIEND? (Matthew 26:50)
1. After Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” (Matthew 26:50). 2. Does the Greek word for “friend” imply some kind of affection or love like it does in the English? The answer is no. a. “Friend” (hetairos) occurs two other times in the NT, both of which are in Matthew: i. It is used by the landowner when addressing the disgruntled workers, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?” (Matthew 20:13). ii. It is used by the king who subsequently throws his “friend” (hetairos) into outer darkness, “Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?” (Matthew 22:12-13) b. The word has the sense of associate, companion, colleague, but personal affection is not necessarily implied by it. JUDAS
TAKES HIS LIFE (Matthew 27:1-10)
A. Harmonizing Matthew 27:3-10 with Acts 1:18-19 1. How did Judas die? a. Did Judas hang himself (Matthew 27:5)? b. Did Judas fall from a cliff (Acts 1:18-19)?
The Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, with the traditional site of Akeldama in the fenced area (Matt. 27:3–10). (Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary) 2. Who purchased the Field of Blood? a. Matthew 27:7 says the priests purchased the field. b. Luke says in Acts 1:18 that Judas acquired the field. Do these accounts contradict? B. Is Matthew quoting Jeremiah accurately? (Matthew 27:9 with Zechariah 11:13; cf. Exodus 21:32) “in not one of the four other places where the New Testament quotes from Zechariah does it mention his name (Mt 21:4–5; 26:31; Jn 12:14; 19:37).” (Walter Kaiser, Hard Sayings of the Bible). 1. Jeremiah doesn’t say anything about thirty pieces of silver. 2. Zechariah 11:13 says, “Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.” 3. As we learned in Matthew 23:35, it wasn’t uncommon in Jewish interpretation to conflate and merge names and biblical texts for application. This method of interpretation was called gezera shewa. It is the linking together or two passages connected by a common word or theme. a. Conflation is common in Matthew (Matthew 1:7 with 2 Chron.16; Matthew 1:10 with 2 Kings 21; Matthew 19:4-5 with Genesis 1:27 & 2:24; Matthew 23:35; Matthew 26:64 with Daniel 7:13 & Psalm 110:1; Matthew 27:9 with Zechariah 11:12-13 and Jeremiah 18:2-12 and/or 19:1-13 and/or 32:6-9). b. Conflation is also found in Mark 1:2-3 with Malachi 3:1 & Isaiah 40:3; Revelation 1:7 with Daniel 7:13 & Zechariah 12:10). c. Conflation indicates that the Jews not only looked at the Bible as separate books written by different authors but also as a unity. d. Matthew 27:9 seems to be a combination of Zechariah 11:12-13 and Jeremiah 18:1-12 and/or 19:1-15 and/or 32:6-9. i. Throwing blood money into the
Temple is a sign of judgment (Zech.11:13-17). ii. In Jeremiah 18 God fashions
calamity and blessing for nations as a potter fashions clay. God promises calamity for Israel because
she had forgotten her covenant God (Jeremiah 18:11-17). iii. In Jeremiah 19 Jeremiah
purchases a jar at the potter’s store.
He then pronounces calamity upon Israel and breaks the jar. iv. There may be an irony. In Jeremiah’s day there was still clay in
the field for the Potter. In Jesus’
day, it was desolate and purchased with blood money to become a graveyard. v. Matthew’s reference to
Jeremiah is therefore a sign of judgment against the Temple. The Temple was destroyed in Jeremiah’s day
and it would be destroyed in Matthew’s generation (Matthew 24:1-2). The reason was the rejection of the Word of
God. In what sense was
the purchase of the Potter’s Field a fulfillment
of Jeremiah and Zechariah? How did the religious leaders come to the fixed price of thirty pieces of silver? (Exodus 21:32) What is the irony of verse 6?
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