He said to him, "You have said it." (Matt 26:25)
Acts 1:18-22 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.' 18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. Let’s start with the phrase “now this man”. Reviewing from our last study Judas is being identified as Christ’s betrayer. Judas was the one who lead the guards of the Sanhedrin to arrest Jesus Christ(Acts 1:15).
Matt 26:14-16 Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6) 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. NKJV Matt 26:47-49 Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane (Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-11) 47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. NKJV
In our last study we briefly went over that fact this was foretold by King David acting as a prophet through his psalm of prayer in the Holy Spirit. This prayer is most likely referring to the self-righteous chief priests and Judas.
Ps 109:3-5 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love. NKJV Ps 109:8 8 Let his days be few, And let another take his office. NKJV Ps 109:11-12 11 Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, NKJV Ps 109:20 20 Let this be the Lord's reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person. NKJV Ps 109:29 29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. NKJV
These are just some of the highlights of the David’s prophetic psalm, but is most likely what was in the mind of Christ’s spirit during His crucifixion. Therefore we can exclude a universal atonement. Christ’s death is not effectual to save those who reject Him; and Judas, and some of those chief priests/Sanhedrin are examples of that conclusion. Judas and the Pharisees hated Christ without a cause(Ps.109:3). God SO loved them that Christ was sent into their corruption to call them out of sin and into God’s kingdom, but they refused to listen and murdered Him(Ps.109:4). Acts 1:19 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) NKJV Continuing on, “this man” (v.18), who we identified as Judas Iscariot; purchased a field with the wages of iniquity. The following verse(v.19) calls it; Akel Dama, which is Aramaic, the language of their day; which means, Field of Blood. Now what appears to be a contradiction when we read the historical account is that the chief priests were the ones who purchased this field with the blood money, but Peter and the prophetic account depict Judas as being the one who receives the credit. This means that the power was in Judas' hands and he receives the greater condemnation(Mk.14:21).
Matt 27:3-10 3 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, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 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." 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 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, 10 and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." NKJV
Judas brings back the money giving the appearance of repentance and throws it at the Pharisees feet. Don't be tempted to think Judas was lead by God to sin through his statement, "as the Lord directed me"; that is equivalent to, "God told me"; because Judas' repentance was a false one(2Cor.7:10). Next the self-righteous religious bunch counsel together not to waist the money, because they loved money, and decided to buy a field that was good for producing pottery, but it is now called the “Field of Blood” to bury strangers in. This was a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophesy combined with Zechariah’s, roughly 500 to 600 years before the death of Christ. Just as Jeremiah stated,
"And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them" (Jer 32:23),
. . . we can see the foreshadow of the calamity that is about to come upon the sons of the state of Israel who will be divided like they were in Zechariah’s prophesy:
"And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter" — that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel" (Zech 11:13-14)
This is how we see that what was once delegated to Israel in the form of a national covenant will be given to these chosen Apostles who will be the foundation and pillars of the “New Covenant”(Matt.21:43), as they sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore Peter recognizes the need to replace Judas who killed himself, by hanging himself on a tree and falling headlong into the valley of this field bursting open with his intestines hanging out.
Deut 21:22-23 22 "If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. NKJV Gal 3:13-14 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. NKJV
Acts 1:20 20 "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it'; and, 'Let another take his office.' NKJV What Peter is quoting here is (Psalm 109:8) through the Holy Spirit to instruct the disciples to replace the office of Judas and to fulfill the offices of the Apostles to be official witnesses for the church of God about the Gospel. Lord willing we will discuss the selection for this office in our next study, but for now, let me leave you with a quote from John MacArthur on the necessity of this selection and separation from the national(old) covenant that God gave Israel to begin the institution of the new covenant of Christ’s purchased church.
The joy of those gathered together was tempered by one sad reflection, the tragic hypocrisy and suicide of Judas. As the acknowledged leader of the apostles, Peter took charge. Some were no doubt wondering how the defection of Judas fit into God’s plan, or how Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:28 were now to be fulfilled. In that passage, He promised the apostles, “You who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, acts to allay those doubts and avoid any possible quibbling over who would occupy the twelfth throne. MacArthur, John: Acts. Chicago : Moody Press, 1994, c1996, S. 29
Also, as we noted previously at the beginning of our study of the Book of Acts, the disciples were asking Jesus when He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel(Acts 1:6). Therefore that question was still fresh in the hearts of the disciples, but Christ told them, "first things first and last things last." It is important to note that the “regeneration” is not going to be fulfilled at this point at the feast of Pentecost, but that the foundation of what will soon be revealed about the “regeneration” will come through these chosen Apostles having Christ’s promises fulfilled in them.
Matt 19:28-30 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. NKJV
