Season 5 Podcast 63 The Stories of the New Testament, Matthew 27 A, “The Trial.”

In last week’s episode we concluded Matthew 26. Matthew 27 covers the trial, crucifixion, and burial of the Savior.

“When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” (Matthew 27: 1-20

As is common, historians seldom agree on ancient events. What is agreed on is that Pilot was the governor of the Roman province of Judaea under the Roman emperor Tiberius, that he presided over the trial of Jesus, and that he ordered his crucifixion.  Pilot symbolizes one of the great mysteries of life so cleverly expressed by King Solomon.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)

Solomon concluded,

“Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.” (Ecclesiastes 9:18)

Pilot was the fifth governor of Judaea. What if he had been the fourth or the sixth, then he would not have been in a position of condemning the Son of God to death. Some Christians have made Pilot a saint, some a villain equal to Judas. The story of Judas, too, is a case in point. What if Judas had been born into a different age. Would he have become what was referred to as a son of perdition?  Is King Solomon right? Does time and chance happen of us all? Does everyone have a moment that could hurl them into greatness or thrust them into damnation. If so, what should we do to prepare for those moments.

In Tom Stoppard’s tragicomedy, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former childhood friends of Hamlet, betray Hamlet at the request of King Claudio. However, through Hamlet’s craftiness, it is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who go to their death. While standing on the gallows, Guildenstern turned to his friend Rosencrantz and said, “There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said—no. But somehow we missed it.” Those are very haunting words.

Often such a moment is irreversible as was the case of Pilot and of Judas. Matthew does not record Pilot’s end, but he does record Judas’s end.

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me.” (Matthew 27:3-10)