Morning Moments with God: Day 116 (Chapter 27)

                        
Day 116: Do Not Be Discouraged

Please read the Bible verses for today:

Matthew 27:1-10

Judas Hangs Himself

27 "Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor." (Matthew 27:1-2)

"Early in the morning..." By the Jewish law the Sanhedrin were not allowed to hold court until the morning. So, they had to wait until morning to declare Jesus' sentence of death. (Jesus said they were hypocrites-they themselves had broken the law by convening through the night). The One Volume Bible Commentary stated that Jesus' trial was not to find Jesus guilty, but rather to find a reason to hand Him over to Pilate to be condemned to death. And I would agree with that because we have read throughout the Book of Matthew that the teachers of the law, chief priests, Sanhedrin, were always looking for a way to trap Jesus. Their efforts failed continually, which enraged them more and more. 

3 "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5) 

Here we see that Judas realizes what he has done- he has betrayed Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah unto death for money. He admits that he has sinned and wants to reverse what he has set in motion. So far that is all good. When we realize we have sinned, we should confess it and try and make things right, but where Judas went wrong was that he hanged himself. He despaired. This is the way of the devil: Before we sin, he suffers us not to see the evil of it, lest we should repent. But after the sin is done, he suffers us to see it, to cause us remorse, and to drive us to despair. Yet his sorrow was not of a godly nature for it led to despair, and a further sin."  (The One Volume Bible Commentary). Jesus reveals our sin to lead us to repentance. The devil doesn't want repentance, he wants despair, and suicide and that is what he got with Judas.

6 ""The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” (Matthew 27:6-10) 

Pray with me:

Lord, convict me of my sin that I might repent and live for you. Keep my heart from despair. Keep me from discouragement. I pray for hope to continually fill my heart. You are my hope and my portion. You are my joy.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.