Judas, who had led the guards to Jesus, now knew that Jesus would be true to his word not to use his spiritual power as the Messiah to gain a military victory over the Romans and possess a political kingdom over the people of the world. Judas had watched, as Jesus was led from the presence of the Sanhedrin condemned as “deserving death”, and being turned over to the Romans.
This was not going as he had hoped. Judas was ready to die with Jesus in a revolt against the Romans. But Judas had misunderstood Jesus. Now, because of his actions, Jesus was in serious trouble. He must do something to help Jesus. In desperation Judas went into the palace and demanded a meeting with Caiaphas. His only thought was to return the money and to “call off” the deal that had delivered Jesus into their hands. But when he made the offer to return the money for Jesus’ freedom, Caiaphas laughed. This was working out very well. Very soon the Romans would find Jesus guilty, and the religious leaders would be rid of a serious thorn in their side. And, as a bonus, Pilate would be in their debt.
Judas, frustrated with impotent rage at the injustice, wanted to strangle these unjust priests. Instead, because of the guards, he threw the coins at their feet.
While Judas was being evicted from the palace, he bitterly complained that now he was an accessory to the shedding of innocent blood.
After his departure Caiaphas had the money picked up. The priests decided to consider the money as a donation to the temple and to use it to purchase a potters field, as Zechariah prophesied, southeast of the city, in an area called Topheth, near where child sacrifices to Chemosh and Molech had occurred in the time of Solomon, and where now they would bury foreigners who died near Jerusalem “in faith and in poverty”.
DAB
