Hands Tied, Mouth Shut

Secular -

"A young man was getting ready to go on his very first mission trip to a remote village, and he was incredibly nervous. He went to his seasoned, older pastor and asked, 'Pastor, what do I do if the people there start challenging my faith? What if they bring up heavy accusations against Christianity, or make fun of me, or try to argue with me? How do I defend myself?'

The old pastor looked at him kindly and said, 'Son, just remember the rules of the spiritual road. It is always better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.'

He paused and added, 'And if that fails, just remember that even a fish wouldn't get caught if it kept its mouth shut!'"

Historical/Cultural Context -

This Gospel is written by Matthew, also known as Levi who was a former tax collector. It was most likely written between AD 50-60. Matthew left everything behind to follow Jesus. Matthew wrote primarily to Jewish believers—people who knew the Old Testament well. Matthew had one goal: to prove that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the King of Kings, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Connecting the Old Testament prophecies to the life of Christ, proving that every word God spoke was coming true in Jesus. The key themes of the Gospel include Jesus as King, The Kingdom of Heaven, Fulfillment of Prophecy and discipleship.

Biblical Text -

Matthew 27:1–14 NKJV

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted 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, 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. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.” Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - Following Jesus requires us to surrender our comfort, reject our shortcuts, and trust Him with our defense.

Life Point- Jesus was bound, so we would stop being bound by personal preferences.

Exegetical -

Matthew 27:1–2 BSB

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death. They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

Homiletical -

Did you know that the trial of Jesus the night before was unlawful. It was preliminary and should not have happened until the morning.

You see they were so against Jesus that they couldn’t wait to beat and betray Him.

Why do I say betray Him? Because that is exactly what happened. The Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, betrayed their own Messiah. The one who was to save them from their sin. Instead they beat Him and mocked Him.

So to do things so they look in order. They bring Him in in the morning and rubber stamp his guilt to Rome.

You see the Romans would not have crucified Jesus if it was just a religious matter. It had to be a Roman matter. So they framed it in such a way that Jesus was supposed to look like He wanted an uprising.

This would have gotten Him the death penalty.

So they do their political maneuvering to get Him murdered.

By pointing out that Jesus was bound it shows that they were passing him off to make it look like he was an insurrectionist to the Roman Empire. That is what you would do with dangerous criminals.

Why would Jesus allow Himself to be bound? Ask yourself that question.

We know He could have called down 72,000 angels and leveled the entire middle east if He wanted to do so. But He didn’t.

He allowed Himself to be bound for you and for me.

He took the undeserved humiliation on our behalf.

Because you see it is us who deserves humiliation, not Him. It is us who deserves the beating, not Him. It is us who is deserving of death, not Him.

If we could just catch a glimpse of what we deserve I think we would be more motivated to spread the Gospel.

If we could just catch an understanding of what He is about to go through and already been through, then we would be more motivated to Spread The Gospel.

No, instead we get upset by situations and circumstances.

We get upset and self focused.

That sanctuary is too hot, or too cold.

I don’t like the color of the carpet or the walls.

I don’t like this or that in my life.

Well how do I say this…. It’s not about you! It’s not about us! It’s about Jesus. What can we do with the things we are given to reach our community with the love of Christ? How can we reach the people in our spheres of influence?

There are people out there that are dying and going to Hell! that is what we should be about! Not our self-centeredness. Not our preferences.

Ask yourself what has eternal value and go and being worried about those things. No one in eternity is going to care about the temperature it was in the sanctuary.

Illustration -

"Imagine a rescue boat pulling up to the site of a sinking ocean liner. The waters are freezing, the dark is overwhelming, and thousands of people are drowning in the sea.

The rescue crew works frantically. The captain is leaning over the edge, straining his muscles, his hands rubbed raw and bleeding from pulling freezing, heavy bodies out of the water. He is sacrificing his own safety and comfort because every second counts.

He looks back at the people he has already pulled onto the deck, expecting them to help throw out life jackets. But instead, they are huddling in a corner, complaining. One person is upset because the deck chairs aren't arranged nicely. Another is angry because the rescue boat is too drafty. A third is complaining that the emergency blankets are the wrong color.

We would look at those survivors and be disgusted by their selfishness. The stakes are life and death! People are drowning feet away from you! Yet we’re worried about the temporal things, not the things that are eternal. Not the things that have eternal value.

Life Point - Sin promises a shortcut, but only Jesus provides the way out.

Exegetical -

Matthew 27:3–10 BSB

When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”

Homiletical -

Judas shows up and sees Jesus is condemned and he is remorseful. So much so that he brings back the money.

You know they saw Judas was distressed. Because there is two greek words that are used in Matthew for remorseful or repentant and the one word talks about a Godly remorse that leads to repentance, which is what Peter had. Judas has the other word which leads to no hope and no repentance.

Now Judas realizes what he has done says he has betrayed an innocent man. Instead of being what they are supposed to be and counsel Judas they are pithy with their remarks. “What is that to us?” That is your responsibility not ours, we don’t care.

What does the Judas do with this? He throws it at their feet and goes and hangs himself.

I am not sure what Judas thought the outcome would be by betraying Jesus. One theory that I believe is that he thought it would force Jesus to act. He thought it would turn Jesus into the political Messiah they were waiting for. But, he was wrong.

What I find interesting is that they pick up the silver and then won’t put it in the treasury because it is blood money.

They knew what they did wasn’t just shady, but was down right wrong.

But you know what, they thought they were serving God and that the ends justified the means.

Folks if we have to do things that are to get the so-called right result, then we shouldn’t do it. You don’t do the wrong thing and expect the end result to not be tainted, if not out and out wrong itself.

So what do they do? They buy the potter’s field to bury foreigners in who couldn’t be buried with them. This happens to be the same field where Judas hung himself. Which is why it is called the Field of blood.

Then Matthew makes a connection to an Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah.

This is all about sin.

The world will lure you into sin and then abandon you to its consequences.

Judas’ sin took him further than he wanted to go, kept him longer than he wanted to stay, and cost him more than he wanted to pay.

Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.

Don’t let sin win in your life. Don’t be Judas, be Peter. Come to repentance, not utter despair. Turn to God before it’s too late.

Illustration -

It’s kind of like a hiker who had gone missing. A search and rescue team was called out to find the hiker that was lost in a dense, rugged mountain forest. When they finally found him, he was shivering, dehydrated, and trapped at the bottom of a steep ravine, completely unable to climb out.

When they asked him how he got so completely off the trail, his answer was simple: 'I thought I found a shortcut.'

He explained that he wanted to get to the summit faster. He saw a small, unmapped opening in the brush that looked like it cut right through the mountain. It looked easier, quicker, and more exciting than staying on the dusty, winding path. But within twenty minutes, the clearing disappeared. The brush got thicker. The ground grew steeper. Before he knew it, he slipped on loose gravel and slid down into a ravine. The 'shortcut' took him further than he ever intended to go, kept him trapped for days, and nearly cost him his life.

But the worst part is what he did right after he fell. He had a cell phone with a weak signal. Instead of calling for emergency services, he called the friend who had originally suggested the trail to him. And do you know what that friend said? 'Man, that sounds rough. But I'm at work right now, there's nothing I can do. That’s your problem.' And he hung up.

This is exactly what happens when we follow sin.

Sin always pitches itself to us as a brilliant shortcut. It says, 'Take this path. It’s faster. You’ll get the money quicker, you'll get the pleasure right now, you'll avoid the awkward confrontation if you just tell this one lie.' Judas thought he could take a shortcut, to jumpstart a political revolution and get some quick cash.

But sin is a liar. It lures you off the path, and the moment you slide into the ravine of guilt, shame, and consequences, you look to the world that tempted you, and the world says exactly what the chief priests said to Judas: 'What is that to us? That’s your responsibility.' The world will tempt you into the trap, and then mock you for getting caught.

I’ll say it again. Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.

Life Point - When you know who you are in Christ, you don't have to defend who you are to the world.

Exegetical -

Matthew 27:11–14 BSB

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, who questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.

Homiletical -

Now he comes to the governor. The governor asks him “are you the king of the Jews?” He says, “you have said so”

To claim to be the king of the Jews would have this an act of sedition, treason against Rome and yet here is His answer. You have said it.

So then the elders and priests start to accuse Him. Yet he mounts no defense. None.

Pilate asks hey are you hearing this? But you give no answer?

This fulfills

Isaiah 53:7 BSB

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

He is doing the same thing here, that He did the night before when He was on trial. He kept silent.

In a Roman court you do not remain silent. You speak up for yourself or you are thought guilty or insane. Jesus is refusing to play the political games. By doing so he completely reverses this whole encounter. You see the governor was amazed. He had nothing from Jesus to go on, just what was being told to him. It is almost like Jesus is judging them, not the other way around.

Why?

Because when you know who you are in Christ, you don’t have to defend who you are to the world.

Jesus didn't need to yell, He didn't need to pull out a legal brief, and He didn't need to play Pilate's political games to prove His kingship. He knew exactly who He was.

There are some times we would do better to keep silent when faced with charges.

Did you know in the ancient world they could tell Christians from Jews because the Jews would fight back, plead their case. But the Christians when they were fed to the lions in the Colosseum and the other ways of martyrdom would not fight back. They would stand and take the charge of being a Christian and die.

Sometimes we need to learn today how to be quiet. Let people say what they are going to say, especially if it isn’t true. Why? Because they are fools. You should not suffer fools gladly. Which goes back to 1 Corinthians 11:19.

In other words, “Don’t get angry with people you consider to be stupid.”

Sometimes we just need to learn how to be quiet. Let people say what they are going to say. Your reputation is safe with God. If Jesus can hold his tongue while facing the cross, surely we can hold ours when faced with insult.

Life Principle– Following Jesus requires us to surrender our comfort, reject our shortcuts, and trust Him with our defense.

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