Bible Study series: Matthew 26:14-16. The wheels are now in motion and speeding up… towards crucifixion.
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In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 26:14-16
14 At that time one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What do you want to give me to hand him over to you?” They set out thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time on, he began looking for an opportune time, so that he would hand him over. (Matt. 26:14-16)
Comments:
Turner has a simple table about Matthew citing Zechariah (p. 495):
Matt. 21:4-9 …… Zech. 9:9
Matt. 21:12-13 … Zech. 14:21
Matt. 26:15-16 … Zech. 11:12
Matt. 26:26-29 … Zech. 9:11
Matt. 26:30-35 … Zech. 13:7
Matt. 27:3-10 …. Zech. 11:12-13
Matt. 27: 51-53 … Zech. 14:4-5
Jesus not only fulfills quoted verses, but also patterns and themes and types and shadows. For example, he fulfills all the animal sacrifices and the priesthood of Aaron (Heb. 8-10). But at the link, there is a table of quoted verses in the OT and NT.
14-16:
This is more setting up of the scene by Matthew. So what could motivate Judas, other than money? His name “Iscariot” probably means that he was from Iscariot, that is, not from Galilee. And he saw, as Peter did when he rebuked Jesus and Jesus had to put the lead apostle in his place (Matt. 16:23-23), that the Lord was a threat to Israel and its long history. This name may indicate that he belonged to the Zealot movement, which means they were zealous for the law and independence from Rome. If so, then he could now perceive that Jesus was not going to be a conquering hero. So Judas betrayed him out of big letdown.
One scholar speculated that Judas may have tried to broker a meeting with the temple establishment in a misguided attempt to reach a settlement between Jesus and the establishment. Maybe Jesus could work some miracles to overthrow Rome. The problem is that the passages about Judas all over the four Gospels cannot support this speculation.
Turner is not sure of Judas’s motive either, speculating, “Perhaps greed drove Judas to betray Jesus when he realized that Jesus was not a military-political Messiah” (p. 622).
Next, Luke says Satan entered his heart (22:3; see John 6:70; 13:2). For a charismatic like Luke, that was motive enough. Evidently Judas was not filled with the Spirit, because demonic possession and the Spirit cannot live in the same person. But an evil spirit can deceive and harass a believer’s mind. Never underestimate how Satan can toy with a follower’s mind. The evil spirit being can work his evil magic on any one of us.
“What do you want to give me to hand him over to you?”: the Greek literally reads: “What do you want to give me, and I will hand him over to you?” Also, “hand over” could be translated as “betray.”
“He would hand him over”” the “would” is how I translate the subjunctive. One could take a shortcut and translate it as: “to betray him.”
The Jerusalem establishment will suffer judgment for carrying out this plot. This is irony. They think they are right and are following God, but they are deceived and have been wandering off the path for many years. They were actually wrong. See the introductory comments under v. 68 for more information about irony.
“thirty pieces of silver”: it was at this time thirty denarii, a month’s wages, if the man worked throughout the month. It was a considerable amount. This calls to mind Zech. 11:12, which Matthew will quote in 27:3-10, so let’s wait until then.
Keener points out that when Judas took the thirty pieces of silver, he aligned himself with the greedy temple guards who took money to claim that the disciples stole the body (28:12). Further, Judas must have reached the conclusion that Jesus was not going to take over with conquest and power, so Judas wanted what he could get, materially. He chose to get what he can. He sold Jesus out for the price of a slave in the law (Matt. 26:15; Exod. 21:32).
GrowApp for Matt. 26:14-16
1. Read Eph. 4:32 and zero in on forgiveness. Have you ever been betrayed? How has God led you to forgive?
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
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