Innocent Blood
Or
Blood Money
Sunday May 28, 2023
Scripture To Consider:
“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that Jesus 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 this 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 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.’” Matthew 27.3-10
Something To Consider:
It is thought by some that Judas was surprised by the Sanhedrin’s decision to condemn Jesus to death. Some believe Judas was attempting to force Jesus into taking matters into His own hands in order to establish His kingdom by leading a revolt against Roman rule and the unwanted occupation of the Jewish land.
There is no way for us to know if that was true or not. What we do know is that Judas Iscariot declared, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Of all people Judas was in a perfect position of catching Jesus committing sin. If Jesus had ever been sinfully angry without a cause, hateful or hurtful to anyone, or at all deceitful in His affairs, Judas would have known about it.
If Judas had witnessed Jesus displaying even the slightest sinful characteristic or evidence of a sinful lifestyle, Judas could not have said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Jesus was indeed innocent and sinless in every respect! He was a as a Lamb led to the slaughter for our individual sin and the sin of the entire world.
Christ’s death was indeed an evil act of the shedding of innocent blood. And all of humankind was and remains guilty of sin and rebellion, unless forgiven through repentance and the sacrificial atonement that is available through the willingly shed blood of Jesus Christ. Have we taken full advantage of that divine offering of the blood of Jesus. And if not, why not?
Something Else To Consider:
Judas admitted his betraying innocent blood by his betraying Jesus. Therefore, he returned the thirty pieces of silver blood money to its original owners. The religious hypocritical leaders replied after receiving the money back, “It is not lawful to put them [the thirty pieces of silver] into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.”
While they were considerate of the unlawful use of the returned blood money, these blood thirsty religious hypocritical leaders were not hesitant in the trumping up of whatever false charges against Jesus they needed and then plotting His execution. These kinds of inconsistences should never be placed in the heart and mind of any spiritual leader or leader in training.
Was it a guilty conscience that caused Judas to take back the money? We do not know! Did Judas seek forgiveness? We do not know! What we do know is that he went out and hung himself. And therefore, he did not endure unto the end. Rather, he sought what he must have assumed was an easier way of his escaping the human guilt of betrayal.
The writer of Hebrews chapter 9, speaks of true believers holding fast their confession, by declaring in verse 23; “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering [without taking an easy way of escaping our guilt], for He [God] who promised [hope in eternal life] is faithful.” Let us, therefore, seek to endure unto the end while desiring to live godly lives in Christ Jesus!
Something More To Consider:
And so according to our Scripture to consider, a potter’s field was purchased for the burying of strangers with the blood money Judas returned. Peter, after his denying Jesus went out and wept bitterly. Judas, in sinning against innocent blood went out and hung himself. It is extremely important what we do after being remorseful over our sin.
Paul reminds us to forget those things that are behind and to press toward the goal and prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us learn from our past, and not be ruined by it. Because of the innocent blood that was shed by Christ on the cross at Calvary, we have forgiveness through our remorseful and true repentance.
The prophet Nehemiah wrote concerning the children of Israel during their wandering through the wilderness, in Nehemiah 9.17; “They [rebellious sinners] refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your [God’s] works that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in the rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage [of slavery in Egypt].”
Nehemiah continued, “But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them.” Though God was forced to deal with their rebelliousness, He did not leave or forsake those willing to seek His forgiveness. But the true rebellious heart and mind sees no need for attempting to appease a God they cannot see. How sad and how terrible it will be for them at the day of judgment!
A Few Final Words:
The ninth chapter of the book of Nehemiah is a written and preserved record of the continuous sin and rebellion against the commandments of God by the children of Israel as they wandered in and around the Promise Land. And according to the Word of God, sin and rebellion against God must be dealt with and will be dealt with by God.
America is in that very same place of sin and rebellion against God and God’s Word in this 21st century generation. Therefore, America is at an important crossroads! America must repent and receive the remission of its sin and rebellion or be deceivingly judged. Which will it be? And looking expectingly unto the 2024 presidential elections is a true deception of what America needs, spiritually!
Have we betrayed innocent blood by our receiving the tremendous blessings of an Almighty God and now are found guilty of turning our backs from the God of those blessings and His written and preserved Word of God? Yes, as a nation, we have turned away from the commandments of our God. Yes, as a nation, we have foolishly exchanged the unrighteous pleasures of a season for the forever and eternal promises of God. Yes, America must confess its sin and rebellion, or face the future consequences of God’s wrath and righteous judgment.
Being remorseful over our sin is important, but what we do after confession of that sin is an accurate indicator of true or false repentance. According to Matthew, “Then Judas, Jesus’ betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned [to death], was remorseful and brought the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, forgive us of our personal past sin and our rebellious part in betraying innocent blood. Teach us to be moving forward in our true spiritual journey to and with Jesus. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 