Matthew 27:3, commentary and pictures

When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned and submitting meekly to abuse, he realized he had sold his innocent Master to shame and death and was seized with anguish, terror and remorse. He had loved Jesus but loved money more, never expecting Jesus to allow Himself to be taken instead of delivering Himself by a miracle, and he now despised the covetousness that had led him to sell his Lord for a few pieces of silver. He brought back the thirty pieces to the chief priests and elders in the temple, throwing it before them and confessing he had sinned in betraying innocent blood and begging them to release Jesus, whom he declared the Son of God who had done nothing worthy of death. They refused to take responsibility or release Him, so his attempt failed and he left in despair, and his return of the money only exposed that they had bribed him to deliver Jesus to death. His repentance was only remorse over the outcome from fear of condemnation and judgment, not true contrition hating the sin itself, and unchanged in heart he threw down the silver and hanged himself, condemning himself and standing as a warning that remorse and restitution cannot replace sincere repentance and turning from sin.

Judas Sees and Returns

When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, meekly submitting to trial instead of delivering Himself, he recognized the full guilt of his betrayal and was seized with fearful remorse, anguish, terror, and shame. He saw Jesus abused in the judgment hall by the infuriated multitude thirsting for His blood, and realized he had sold his divine Master to shame and death. His regret arose from that realization, but it did not undo his crime or stop the condemnation.

He had loved Jesus but had loved money more, and he had not thought Jesus would let the mob he led take Him. He had expected Jesus to work a miracle and deliver Himself rather than submit to seizure. Remembering Jesus' kindness, he despised the covetousness that Jesus had reproved, which had led him to sell his Master for a few pieces of silver.

He brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, offering back the money he now despised. He rushed through the multitude while many were vehemently accusing Jesus, confessing that he had sinned in betraying innocent blood. He declared Jesus entirely innocent, the Son of God who had done nothing worthy of death, and begged the chief priests and elders and the high priest Caiaphas to release Jesus. He threw the silver before them in the temple.

The leaders refused responsibility and would not release Jesus, so his attempt to spare Jesus failed and he left in despair. His remorse did not undo his treachery. His return of the bribe exposed that the priests had paid him to deliver Jesus to those seeking His death.

He threw the silver into the temple and went away and hanged himself beneath a tree, bringing about his own death, with anguish and suicide following his treachery. The cord broke and he fell headlong, leaving his body horribly mangled and bursting asunder. It lay so until it was ordered buried.

Remorse Without True Repentance

What is called repentance in Matthew 27:3 was remorse and regret over the outcome rather than true repentance. He lamented the result of his sin rather than its guilt, and felt no real abhorrence or hatred of evil. His acknowledgment that he had betrayed innocent blood was driven by condemnation and fear of punishment and judgment from a selfish heart, not by deep grief for delivering the Son of God to suffering and death. His confession therefore lacked genuine repentance, contrition, and abhorrence of evil.

His heart was unchanged and hardened by long resistance to light, to longsuffering and kindly reproof, and to appeals and warnings of coming danger. Christ had worked constantly to soften his heart and arouse his conscience to see his selfishness, ambition, and love of money as great sin, that He might pardon him and transform his character. But he cherished his sin, stubbornly justified his course, hid his wrong, and judged the defects of others, and through pride and stubbornness made no confession and no surrender and would not fall upon the Rock to be broken. By refusing to yield to light he became blind to all consequences, seeing where his footsteps were tending yet having no power to save himself from the snare, for satanic resistance increases in proportion to light given and resisted.

Had the judgments been removed he would have returned to defying Heaven and God. If at that last moment he had truly repented and confessed with a broken heart, he would have received pardon, but a man cannot be forgiven unless he repents. By holding to his hatred and purpose to the last even in the face of light and evidence he condemned himself, gave himself over to the enemy, passed sentence upon himself, and brought about his own death after Jesus had borne patiently with him. His example warns that a person may place himself beyond the reach of repentance, and that remorse and returning what was taken do not replace sincere repentance before God, confession, and turning from sin.

Warning and Witness to Others

Matthew 27:3 belongs to the history of professedly pious Jews whose conduct, set against God's law, shows that all people, including lawyers, must be judged by the same rule. The betrayal and the condemnation of Jesus formed a severe trial that tested the faith of the disciples and prepared them for their final trial.

Christ's patient bearing with Judas to the end made his confession of guilt in returning the thirty pieces of silver and its terrible result a deep impression on the minds of Christ's enemies. They could not help but notice the fate of the betrayer of innocent blood, and fear of that fate made men afraid to lay hands on the disciples after the ascension. Without that restraint the persecutors would not have been stayed but would have destroyed all the apostles instead of putting to death only Stephen. Judas by his betrayal condemned himself, gave himself over to the enemy, passed sentence upon himself, and brought about his own death.

Together with the scenes of the crucifixion and the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the horrible death of Judas in casting down the silver in the temple and hanging himself and falling headlong and bursting asunder, this return of the money gave the disciples courage and placed them on vantage ground. Under Christ's promise to be with His followers alway even unto the end of the world, that restraint opened the way for five thousand to be converted in one day. His death beneath the tree, with the cord broken and his body horribly mangled by the fall, was seen by the crowd as a fearful sign of immediate retribution upon those guilty of Jesus' blood.

His case stands as a warning to churches not to take the first step on that road, for satanic resistance increases in proportion to light given and resisted. By holding to hatred and purpose to the last in the face of light and evidence, with a heart unchanged and hardened by long resistance to longsuffering and kindly reproof and appeals and warnings of danger, he became blind to consequences and had no power to save himself from the snare. Having yielded to satanic impulses, a man is driven on to the bitter end where entreaties and appeals and warnings and reproofs to hedge up the way to ruin are in vain. His example warns that a person may place himself beyond the reach of repentance, and that remorse and returning what was taken do not replace sincere repentance before God, confession, and turning from sin.