< Matthew 27 >

Judas Iscariot very quickly realised he had “betrayed the innocent blood” and tried to rectify his treachery by approaching the Jewish rulers. When he failed, he hanged himself. The Jewish leaders were not interested in Jesus’ innocence but were determined to have him destroyed.

This quote is actually found in Zechariah - not Jeremiah. One explanation is that we don’t have all of Jeremiah’s recordings in our current Bible. This happens in other places where scripture is quoted that we do not have (Matthew 2:23,Waiting for response for Matthew 2:23 2 Timothy 3:8,Waiting for response for 2 Timothy 3:8 Matthew 23:35).Waiting for response for Matthew 23:35 That explains why the quote isn’t found in Jeremiah. As for why the quote is found in Zechariah, prophet’s words are sometimes found in other books (Isaiah 2:2-4Waiting for response for Isaiah 2:2-4 & Micah 4:1-3,Waiting for response for Micah 4:1-3 Proverbs 3:11Waiting for response for Proverbs 3:11 & Job 5:17)Waiting for response for Job 5:17

The Jews had no authority under the Romans to execute a prisoner and so they took Jesus before the Governor, Pontius Pilate, charging him with making himself a king and, in effect, challenging Caesar. Pilate asked Jesus directly: “Art thou the King of the Jews?”, to which Jesus affirmed: “Thou sayest”. Pilate recognised Jesus was innocent of the charges against him by the Jews and he attempted to release him. When, however, he failed to persuade the mob to accept Jesus’ release and, lacking the courage to act independently, he washed his hands of the matter.

Pilate committed Jesus to be crucified, before which he was brutally assaulted being scourged, mocked, spitted upon, and smitten about the head. His tormentors’ derision was provoked by Jesus’ claim to be the King of the Jews, and this indictment was published above his cross: “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” The details of Jesus’ crucifixion were, remarkably, recorded a thousand years earlier in Psalm 22, including his last words, Psalm 22:1Waiting for response for Psalm 22:1 and the Roman soldiers sharing his clothes and gambling to divide his robe among them Psalm 22:18.Waiting for response for Psalm 22:18 Only God could so accurately declare this hundreds of years in advance, so that these and many other prophecies reassure us that the scriptures are truly the word of the living God.

As Jesus died he expired, i.e. he breathed out his last breath. At that moment the veil of the temple, separating the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place, was rent in two, and this is highly significant because the design of the temple specifically represented God’s purpose in Christ. The Most Holy represented the immortal state and the veil represented the barrier of flesh which had to be overcome that entry into immortality could be possible. Jesus, by his death, opened up this way to incorruptibility and, by his resurrection, brought life and immortality to light.