Matthew 27:1-10 … There are two things we can observe from this brief reading: first, the continuing conspiracy of religious leaders to attempt to have Jesus executed. They have reached their conclusion and now must (by Roman law) seek the Roman governor’s approval for an execution by crucifixion, which was an especially cruel, painful, and prolonged means of torturing a person to death. In fact, it was so cruel that crucifixion was prohibited for any Roman citizen. And so the Jewish rulers’ plot against Jesus continues.
The second thing to observe in this passage is the remorse of Judas. We should note that remorse is not the same as repentance. Nearly anyone would feel remorse if they thought there might be consequences from their sin. Some of the time, when people cry over a crime they have committed, the tears are remorse about the consequences, not remorse about the crime. We do see Judas confess, as well as the admission that Jesus was innocent of any crime (v.4). But confession of sin alone does not constitute conversion. Repentance is required. Confession (acknowledgment of sin) is surely part of the process. But anyone can confess sin without seeking Christ, which is the full cycle that repentance requires. Repentance means fully turning about and going in the opposite direction, which implies embracing Christ as Savior. Unfortunately, based Matthew’s Gospel narrative, we are uncertain about Judas’ repentance.
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