For Thirty Pieces of Silver

For Thirty Pieces of Silver

Text: Matt. 26:14-25

Introduction:

Throughout history, certain events stand out as reminders of profound truths.

One such event is the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot for thirty pieces of silver.

There are millions of transactions taking place every day our world.

Some have no effect on our lives

Some do, eg. merger of big companies can be good or bad for consumers hence the FTC has to monitor these.

This seemingly insignificant transaction carries profound lessons for us today.

Let us delve into three key points concerning this momentous event.

The Temptation of Material Gain

Judas' betrayal magnetic power of material wealth and its potential to corrupt even those know very its destructive power. - Ecc.5:10

Despite walking alongside Jesus, witnessing miracles, and hearing profound teachings, Judas succumbed to the lure of thirty pieces of silver.

Material things, esp. money

Proverbs 3:13–15 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”

This reminds us of the constant battle between spiritual values and worldly temptations, and that we should prioritize our allegiance to God over material wealth.

1 Timothy 6:6 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

The Cost of Betrayal

Thirty pieces of silver, a trivial sum, bought Judas' loyalty to evil intentions, leading to dire consequences.

In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave if and when his slave was gored by an ox - Exodus 21:32 “If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.”

“Betray” – “to give over” - However, it implies far more than that.

Judas took advantage of his relationship with Jesus.

He did it by night.

He kissed Jesus to show a false sense of brotherly affection and friendship.

He did it for money

To betray a friend who trusted you was considered a great act of evil.

Psalm 41:9 “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”

Today things are different, and betrayal by trusted friends or family members, or by someone who was given private information, is commonplace.

Today Judas would not be given 30 pieces of silver, he would be given a book contract and hundreds-of-thousands of dollars for interviews and pictures (paparazzi-es, the gossip column, the national inquirer etc.)

Betrayal comes with a heavy cost, not only in terms of temporal repercussions but also in the spiritual realm.

Consequently, Judas not only lost his physical life but also his spiritual life.

Matthew 27:3–5 “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Judas' actions highlight the devastating effects of betrayal on relationships, trust, and ultimately, one's own soul.

The Ultimate Redemption

Despite Judas' betrayal, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross offers redemption even for the gravest of sins.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Hebrews 9:15 “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

The story of Judas serves as an important reminder of God's boundless mercy and the possibility of repentance and forgiveness. Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Peter who denied Christ

Paul who persecuted the church

Jesus’ death offers mankind forgiveness; however, it is man’s choice to accept it or neglect it.

Judas hanged himself and therefore never truly benefitted from the great blessing.

Similarly, there are many today who will die in the sins because they will never accept God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Paul benefitted from this blessing.

1 Timothy 1:15“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

What is Jesus worth to you? Our jobs, career, family, money, material things can become our “thirty pieces of silver”