The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah, Part 21: Matthew 26:31-27:36, by Kevin M. Williams
It is interesting to note that the “chief priests and elders” are not concerned with Judas’ sin. In fact, Judas knew the stipulations of the Torah. He was required to take his guilt offering to the temple and to—of all people—Caiaphas. So while we may read this as a callused response from the temple officials, they were correct in saying, “See to that yourself!”
And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood” (Matthew 27:6).
What a remarkable turn of events! The money was provided out of the treasury for the purposes of committing a sinful act. When it comes back to them, it is suddenly “not lawful” for them to accept it. Did the coins change? Doubtful. Was the guilt of these men made manifest? It would seem so.
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say” (Matthew 27:11).
This was not a Jewish court, and Yeshua was now subject to Roman law. The sentence of which the Messiah had been found guilty, “blasphemy,” was not punishable by Roman law. Rome exercised no obvious control over the religious practices of its subjugated peoples. I say, “obvious” because Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate are known to have had a close working relationship.
The Governor could not put Yeshua on trail for blasphemy, but he could try him for treason if the Messiah claimed to be a king, which He now boldly does. This is the first time Yeshua directly and clearly identifies himself, not as the Messiah, but as King.
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He made no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” (Matthew 27:12-13).
Insurrection was enough of a transgression for Pilate to have had Yeshua executed, but he wanted to hear more, for reasons unknown. We do know he recognized envy when he saw it (27:18). We are not given an account of what the “many things” were they testified against the Messiah, but when looking at the other gospel accounts, it is clear that Pilate saw through the rouse and had no interest in executing this rabbi from the Galilee.
Much of the rest of this part of the narrative through verse 26, has to do with Pilate giving the people the option of choosing Yeshua over Barabbas. Many of the movies made of this scene show scores upon scores of people all gathered to cast their vote. In truth, this courtyard could hold no more than about 400 people. Further, it was Passover, a Sabbath. The average Jewish man was at home keeping the Sabbath and celebrating the feast. Anyone there to cast their vote was not interested in righteousness (not even the chief priests and elders in Pilate’s company). Verse 20 reads, “But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death.”
This is further evidence of how the Jews are not “Christ-killers.” Some of the Jewish leaders were behind all of this, and a courtyard of 400 rabble-rousers ignoring the command of God’s ordained feast, hardly represents the whole nation’s thought or conviction. If there were a million people in Jerusalem for the Passover (a very conservative figure), the voice of these “votes” accounted for less that 1% of the total body.
Category: Biblical Studies, Pneuma Review, Summer 2006
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