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“Christ On Trial” Matthew 27:1-‐14
Message by Michael J. Barnard October 18, 2015 Teaching Aim: To explore the circumstances surrounding the trials of Jesus and the suicide of Judas Iscariot. To realize Judas did not truly repent, he felt remorse and deep depression because things didn’t go his way. To see the hypocrisy of the religious leaders as they lied about Jesus, even Pontius Pilate could see through their false charges and later called them on it. To realize we don’t always have to defend ourselves when people lie about us, God Himself will take care of it!
DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD (BIBLE STUDY) Part I: Judas feels remorse but does not truly repent (Matt. 27:1-‐10) 1. What had happened at the homes of Annus and Caiaphas just a few hours earlier (See Matt. 26:57-‐
68; John 18:12-‐23) Why was it so important for the Sanhedrin to have an official meeting after the break of dawn (vs. 1)? According to Mark 15:1a, who was involved in this meeting? Why do you think Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were not mentioned?
2. What was the ultimate purpose of this specially called meeting (vs. 1)? Why do you think the
religious leaders were so intent on killing Jesus? Jesus voluntarily went with the religious leaders when they came to arrest Him. Why do you think they felt it necessary to bind Jesus now (vs. 2)?
3. Who was Jesus sent to according to verse 2? What regions did this individual govern? (See
Commentaries) 4. According to verse 3, did Judas truly repent of his sin? Why or why not? How does the KJV interpret
verse 3? How do more modern translations interpret verse 3? Why do you think David and Simon Peter were forgiven and Judas wasn’t? (See Psa. 51:3-‐4; John 17:12) Is there any area of your life that you need to get right with God?
5. What truth does Judas acknowledge in verse 4? How did the priests respond to the request from
Judas to turn the money back in? From your knowledge of scripture, what is the role of a priest? How should they have responded when Judas went to them? What can we learn about the spiritual state of the priests from their actions?
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6. How does Judas respond to the refusal of the priest to help him (vs. 5)? Why do you think Judas left
the scene, went out and committed suicide? What should Judas have done here? Have you ever felt like committing suicide? Why should no human being commit suicide? (See Gen. 1:26-‐27) (Note: if you are wrestling with suicide, be sure to talk to your pastor or a close friend.)
7. How is Matthew’s account of Judas’ suicide in verse 5 different from Luke’s account in Acts 1:18-‐19?
Is this a contradiction in scripture, or do the two verses actually complement one another and paint a fuller picture? If so, how?
8. Suddenly the chief priests (the same chief priests who were plotting the death of Jesus) decide they
are required to be spiritual, what do they refuse to do (vs. 6)? Why? (See Deut. 23:18) Whose blood money were they too “holy” to touch? Who were they trying to kill? How did Jesus view this kind of hypocrisy according to scripture? (See Matt. 23:13)
9. What is a potter’s field (vs. 7)? Why was this considered a good place to bury foreigners and
Gentiles? Church tradition places this field in “the Valley of Hinnom”, where is the Valley of Hinnom located? (Hint: Google it!) According to verse 8, what was this field called? Why?
10. Verse 9 can be difficult. Who is given credit as the author of the verse mentioned from the Old
Testament? In actuality verse 9 is a quote from Zech. 11:12-‐13 and perhaps has reference to Jer. 19:1-‐11. In light of the way the Hebrews grouped their scrolls together, why is Matthew right in attributing this passage to Jeremiah? (Note: For a similar use of scripture see Mark 1:2 as Mark combines Isa. 40:3 and Mal. 3:1. According to some translations (NU) Mark attributes both passages to Isaiah.)
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11. According to verse 10, who ultimately directed the 30 pieces of silver be used for the purchase of a potter’s field just outside of Jerusalem? (See Zech. 11:12-‐13) Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, what was the price of a common slave in the Old Testament? (See Exod. 21:32) What can we learn about the value the religious leaders placed on their Messiah from this? How much value do you place on Christ in your life? Is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?
Part II: The first trial before Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:11-‐14) 1. What was Pontius Pilate’s position in Judea (vs. 11)? What other territories did he oversee? (See
Commentaries) Why was Pilate in a particularly tough spot when the Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus before him during the Passover Festival?
2. What can we learn about the motive of the Jewish religious leaders from John 18:29-‐32? According
to Luke 23:1-‐2, what charges did they bring to Pilate against Jesus? Were they true? How did Jesus respond to the third charge (vs. 11)? According to John 18:34-‐38a, what kind of kingdom was Jesus talking about? How did Pilate respond to the comments from Jesus? (See John 18:38)
3. How did Jesus react to the continual bombardment of lying accusations from the Jewish chief priests
and elders (vs. 12)? How do you respond when people lie about you or someone you love? Why do you think Jesus said nothing? (See Isa. 53:7) What was Pilate’s reaction to the silence from Jesus (vv. 13 & 14)?
Part III: The trial of Jesus before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:8-‐12) 1. According to Luke 23:5-‐7, as the religious leaders became more vocal they mentioned one word in
particular that caught Pilate’s ear, what was it? Why did he see this as a possible out so that he wouldn’t have to judge Jesus?
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2. How did Herod Antipas respond to the opportunity to meet Jesus (vs. 8)? How long had he wanted to meet Him? What was he hoping to see?
3. According to verse 9, what did Herod do when He finally met Jesus? How did Jesus respond to this
questioning? How do you think Jesus must have felt towards Herod Antipas in light of their history? (See Mark 6:14-‐29; Luke 13:31-‐32)
4. Did the chief priests and scribes back off on their accusations when the trial moved to Herod Antipas
(vs. 10)? How did Herod and his troops respond to the vicious accusations from the Jews and the silence of Jesus (vs. 11)? What can we learn about the character of Herod Antipas from these passages?
5. According to verse 12b, Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas had been at odds for some time, perhaps
because of what Luke described in Luke 13:1. Who was governing the people of Galilee during the time the events mentioned in Luke 13:1 took place? According to verse 12a, how did Herod respond to Pilate giving him the opportunity to meet and question Jesus?
6. It is obvious that the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus Christ as Messiah; they will be accountable for that
choice. How do you view Jesus today? Have you received Him to be your Savior and Lord? If not, why not confess your sins and receive Him in prayer right now?
MINER’S CORNER ~ Manna to live by! • The overnight religious trials conducted by Annus, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin were done illegally, not
even following the Sanhedrin’s own code of conduct. • The Sanhedrin scheduled a rubber stamp meeting at daybreak to give the appearance of conducting a
legal trial. • A charge of blasphemy meant nothing to Pilate; instead the Jews had to falsely accuse Jesus of crimes
against the Roman Empire that would warrant death. • Only execution by the Romans (in the form of crucifixion) would fulfill many of the Biblical prophecies
about the Messiah. • Judas never really repented, instead he was remorseful things didn’t go his way. • Jesus truthfully answered Pilate, yes He was and is “the King of the Jews”. • Contrary to the way we so often respond today, Jesus refused to defend himself against the lies of the
people, instead He left it in the hands of God the Father.