Matthew 27:4 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 27:4

Comments

Judas had known all along that Christ was innocent, but he had chosen not to think about it. It didn’t matter to him; all that mattered was his own dishonest gain. But now it does matter, and it matters so much that he is going to take his own life.He rushes back to the chief priests and elders, as if he could find in them some real sympathy for the pain he was experiencing from his conscience. His conscience was working now, but theirs was not. They had been partners with him in this act of wickedness. Could they be relied upon to suddenly take the side of truth? What did he expect from them? Whatever it was, it was completely unrealistic and it required a transformation in them that was never going to happen. Could they suddenly show him sympathy, when sympathy can only come out of a heart that is tender and which fears God and loves our fellow man? Their opposition to Christ and willingness to destroy the righteous one, sealed them in cruelty and hardness of heart. Judas had come to a dry well for relief. This however is remorse, regret; it is not true repentance. The word used for ‘repented’ in the previous verse is not the frequently used word meaning ‘to change the mind’, but a word which means ‘to care to one afterwards’, ‘to repent one’s self’ and is used in a reflexive sense. It does not lead Judas to go to God and ask for forgiveness and cleansing from his sin. It is concerned more about the consequences of sin, the punishment due to sin; it regrets that and not the evil of having committed sin. It does not hate sin for itself, but for what it brings on the sinner. If sin could have been committed unknow to God, it would have been carried out quite happily. There was remorse and regret and a terrible feeling of having done something despicable, but it did not go as far as true repentance. There was no realisation of who Christ was.

Application

He confesses his sin to the chief priests as if he were confessing his sin to God, and yet they have no power to forgive him. How hopeless it is for us to go to any other for help which only God can give! What sympathy do we receive from the devil, for the consequences of our sin? What use is it coming to him after a lifetime of service to him? Is he going to reward us well for our faithfulness to his person? Yes, he will reward us: ‘The wages of sin is death.’ That is the only reward we can expect. What sympathy do we receive from any who were partners with us in our sin? There is something appallingly hopeless about going to those who are our fellow-accomplices in sin, and expecting them to deliver us. Such a foolish quest for relief only emphasises the deadness of the world and draws attention to its inability to help us. Let those who truly desire help not waste their time seeking it in the wrong place. Let them go to God alone. If he does not help us then no one can. If he is not willing to show mercy, then all the mercy in the world is not worth a penny. Let us focus our unceasing efforts on trying to awaken God’s pity for our case. True help can come from no other.

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Matthew 27:4 Commentary and Bible Study