Monthly Archives: August 2022

Matthew 27- The Blood of Christ

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When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Matthew 27:24-26

Pontius Pilate tried to “wash his hands” from the murder of Jesus Christ, he said “I am innocent of the blood of this just person (Christ)” However Pilate was not innocent, the blood is on his hands. Just as we are not innocent either, blood of Christ is on our hands also. How many of us will try to “wash our hands” from the death of Christ? You would say “I had nothing to do with the death of Jesus” however you did. Every sin that you committed put Christ on the cross! Think about that! We all want to believe we are “good” people , but we are all sinners, we all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) Because of your sin and my sin, Christ went to the cross to pay the penalty because He loves us

The people in the crowd made a foolish statement “His blood be on us and our children” As Jesus said on the cross “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) They willingly put the death of the Messiah, the death of the Son of God on them and their children. What happened in 70 A.D.? The Temple was destroyed forever as Jesus prophesied, and Israel was ultimately destroyed. 

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:27-31

The Roman soldiers then took Jesus and brutally beat and cursed him. They mocked Jesus as King, they even put a crown of thorns upon his head. What drove these men to mock the Kingship of Christ? How shocking it will be one day , when all these soldiers will once again bow to the Risen Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Philippians 2)

Many wicked people plotted together to execute Christ, however remember what Jesus said “Nobody can take it from me, I lay it down on my own accord” (John 10:18) Jesus allowed himself to be the slain Lamb of God to pay for the penalty of our sins, including yours and mine! Are your hands clean? Repent of your sins and obey The Lord Jesus Christ, and the blood of the Lamb will wash you clean as snow (Isaiah 1) Amen!

Matthew 27- We Are Barabbas

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Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Matthew 27:15-21

It was a custom to release a prisoner around a feast, Pilate was using the opportunity to try and wash his hands of the execution of Jesus, by allowing the Jews to make their decision who to release and who to execute. Now interestingly enough, if you look in some of the translations of the scriptures , Barrabas also had the first name of Jesus, which the name Yeshua would have been common in the first century

So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (NIV, Matthew 27:17)

So the question back then is the same question today, which Jesus do you choose? Today many people worship a false Jesus, a Christ not of the Bible. Many false religions and cults, create their own Jesus to fit their own theology and ideology, but we must worship the true Son of God from the scriptures!

Barabbas was  a murderer (Mark 15:7), a criminal doing time, Pilate probably thought the Jews would have easily chosen Christ over the wicked Barrabas, however the religious leaders persuaded the crowd to choose Barrabas and execute Jesus Christ

Now another spiritual application to this story, Barabbas was a convicted sinner, however Jesus Christ , the sinless Lamb of God, took his place and Barabbas was set free. This was a foreshadow of us, we are Barabbas. Christ took our place , paid the penalty for our sin, and we are set free becoming Born Again

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. Matthew 27:22-23

The wickedness of the people’s hearts choose to slay the Lamb of God and justify a murdere. As we know God used the evilness of men, to defeat sin and death forever! The religious leaders, who were claiming to be “children of God” are the ones who crucified the Son of God

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Amen!

Matthew 27- King of Kings

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And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. Matthew 27:11-14

Now the trial of Christ begins, a trial that is corrupted and unjust, a trial that was a setup to charge the Son of God with false accusations. Many evil people played their part in orchestrating the greatest shame of a trial in history. Pontius Pilate, who basically tried to wash his hands clean of this injustice, is the central figure to the entire trial, as he ultimately made the decision to have Christ executed on a cross.

Pilate is intrigued by Jesus, and asks him “Are You The King of the Jews”? Now notice how Jesus answers “You have said so” Now many might wonder , why wouldn’t Jesus just directly tell Pilate, Yes I’m the King of Kings, the Messiah. However remember Jesus never did this with anyone, as he wants people to come to their own conclusion. Even though Pilate was a wicked and evil man, Christ was giving him a chance to accept him as Lord and King, however the hardness of Pilate’s heart would always prevent that from happening.

Jesus remained silent, even during the false accusations by the religious leaders. As it prophesied in Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

Jesus is the Lamb of God that was led to the slaughter, however Christ willingly layed down his life for us, Christ was obedient even to the point of death on the cross, to pay for the penalty of our sins. Pilate couldn’t understand , he knew Jesus was innocent, yet Christ never opened his mouth to defend himself, letting himself be condemned to the cross

Notice Jesus allowed the words of evil men to condemn themselves, Jesus didn’t have to defend himself , because Christ is innocent. However the blasphemies and false accusations spoken by the evil people, will condemn them on judgment day, when they will face Christ, the one they crucified on the cross

Is Jesus the King of the Jews, Yes Christ is King of the Jews and the Gentiles, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How many Kings would lay down their lives for their people? How many Kings would leave their throne, to lower themselves below the angels, to become the suffering servant for our sins? Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, Glory to the King of Kings, Amen!

Matthew 27- 30 Pieces of Silver

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When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:1-5

The Apostles Creed states “suffered under Pontius PIlate ” Even though Pilate tried to “wash his hands” of the death of Christ, it was under his authority that he determined Jesus was to be crucified by the Romans. The religious leaders of Israel, used the Roman government to do their dirty work in killing the Messiah. Ultimately there were alot of evil hands involved in the death of Christ, but God used it to fulfill His will and deliver us from our sins

One of the main evil participants was Judas Iscariot, who we talked about in depth previously. Now that Judas fulfilled his betrayal of Christ, it was time for him to get paid the 30 pieces of silver. If you think God is not in control, this was prophesied in Zechariah 11:10-17 

12And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver. 13And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty [pieces] of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. 

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. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me. Matthew 27:6-10

So why did the Apostle Matthew refer to Jeremiah when the prophecy was actually foretold by Zechariah? Is there actually a contradiction in the Bible? No, during the first century the scriptures were divided into three sections The Law, The Prophets, and The Psalms, this was confirmed by Jesus (Luke 24:44) When Matthew was referring to Jeremiah, he was referring to The Prophets section, which Jeremiah was traditionally the first book on the scroll

Jesus said “What does it profit to gain the whole world and lose your soul” (Matthew 16:26) When Judas received his 30 pieces of silver, did it bring him happiness? No, he hanged himself on a tree. As Jesus foretold “It would have been better he was never born at all” (Matthew 26:24)