What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
From Judas to Barabbas: Unwrapping Matthew 27's Profound Symbolism
Ever wondered what separates someone who falls and gets back up from someone who falls and never recovers? This profound exploration of Matthew 27 reveals the stark contrast between Peter and Judas—two disciples who both failed Jesus but whose stories ended dramatically differently. It wasn't the nature of their sins that determined their fates, but how they sought forgiveness afterward.
Standing in the actual prison pit where Jesus was likely held in Israel—suspended by shackles with his feet unable to touch the ground—brings a visceral reality to what our Savior endured. The physical torture Jesus willingly subjected himself to before his crucifixion takes on new meaning when you've seen these places with your own eyes. His suffering wasn't abstract or metaphorical; it was agonizingly real.
The most powerful moment comes in the story of Barabbas, whose very name means "son of the father." When Pilate offers the crowd a choice between Jesus—the true, innocent Son of God—and Barabbas—a notorious criminal—we see the gospel illustrated in perfect clarity. The innocent takes the place of the guilty; the righteous is condemned so the unrighteous can go free. This wasn't coincidence but divine choreography, showing us exactly what Jesus came to do: to stand in our place, taking upon himself the punishment we deserved. It's a powerful reminder that in God's economy, there are no accidents—only purpose, meaning, and unfathomable grace.
May God bless you and lead you always.
to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know. Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be in Matthew 27. Let's start at verse 1. Now, when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put him to death and they bound him and they led him away and he handed them over to Pilate, the governor. Now, when Jesus, who had betrayed him, saw that he had been condemned, he felt remorse and he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they said what is that to us? You see to it yourself. And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and he left and he went away and he hanged himself. The chief priest took the pieces of silver. They said and for this reason that field has been called the field of blood to this day Then that which was spoken to to Jeremiah, the prophet, was fulfilled, and they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's field, just as the Lord had directed me. Alright, let's stop here at verse 10.
Speaker 1:When I went to Israel, one of the tourist spots that we went to was the Ephesus Palace In Israel. Most places that Jesus was known to be have become kind of a tourist hotspots. I mean, when you go to Israel as a Christian you want to see where Jesus was and where things happened at. So while we were there, they took us to the prison cell where they'd kept Jesus, and I guess I didn't really understand, or in my mind I kind of just pictured a cage, but what we found was a pit and they would lower the prisoner down into the pit by the shackles that were on their wrist and instead of letting them, you know, hit the bottom and lying down or sitting or whatever they want to do, they would leave them hanging where their feet couldn't touch the floor. Now I'm not sure what the purpose of this was. Maybe it was to add to their torture or whatever. But I couldn't imagine being hung by metal shackles by my arms for any length of time. That would be horridly torturous. But I remember it quite vividly because I remember standing at the bottom and they asked my wife that she would read scripture while we were down there and I was looking at the place and it's hard to kind of grasp what Jesus was seeing, because, with modern day lights and they had actually built stairs down into the pit so you could go down there and see it, and so you had all these people standing around the pit and on the stairs and here we are in the bottom of it and I thought, man, all that they put Jesus through, Can you even imagine that he'd done all this for us, that he endured all of this for us? It just blows my mind.
Speaker 1:You know, as I was reading this just a moment ago, it struck me that I never really thought about the fact that Judas was there at Jesus' trial, For it says that when he saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt guilty. I thought this was odd. I mean, what did he expect to happen when he betrayed Jesus? I mean, Jesus had warned them all that he was going to be turned over to the chief priests and the elders and he was going to be crucified. He knew that to be something that Jesus said as one of the disciples. The chief priests and the elders were looking for a way to put him to death, which provided the opportunity for him to sell Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver. It kind of baffled me that he was surprised at the outcome. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, because we know that sin takes us places. We didn't intend to go and it keeps us there way, way longer than we ever intended to stay.
Speaker 1:I was asked recently what's the difference between Judas and Peter? Both sinned against Jesus. One denied him three times and the other betrayed him. So what was the difference between the two? And as I thought about this, I thought to myself well, God doesn't look at sin differently. He sees all sin as separation from himself.
Speaker 1:Both Peter and Judas had sinned against God, and the difference between these two men was how they sought forgiveness. Peter said that he went away and he wept bitterly. Judas wept. He saw that he had done wrong and he tried to give the money back. He tried to right the wrong that he had done. And when he saw that it didn't work, he went out and took justice into his own hands. He hung himself. The two things that separate Judas from Peter is how they sought forgiveness. It's faith versus works played out right before our eyes. Peter sought forgiveness from God. Judas he tried to pay for his sin. He tried to right his own wrong, Took matters in his own hands Instead of throwing yourself at the feet of God, the feet of Jesus, and asking for mercy. That's what separates these two men, in my opinion.
Speaker 1:All right, let's talk about the chief priests and the elders. It says that they didn't want to take the money and put it back in the treasury because it had paid for blood. So they took it and they bought the potter's field. It's funny, because the very words that they say they hold so dear that they are experts in the word, Experts in the law, Are the same scriptures that testify against them. In the book of Zechariah, In the 11th chapter, it says so they weighed out 30 shekels of silver as my wages. Then the Lord said to me throw it to the potter. That magnificent price at which I was valued by them. God said that they valued his life at 30 pieces of silver, and that's what they paid Judas for Jesus's life. But God said the money would go to the potter and it actually purchased his field. By their own actions, they proved their hearts were never on God, and God used his own word to prove their guilt, to hold them accountable. All right, let's continue at verse 11. Now Jesus stood before the governor and the governor questioned him, saying so you are the king of the Jews? All right, let's continue at verse 11. How many things they are testifying against you, and still he did not answer him in regard to even a single charge. So the governor was greatly amazed.
Speaker 1:Now, at the Passover feast, the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted, and at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when the people had gathered together, Pilate said to them whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ? For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed him over. And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message saying See that you have nothing to do with this righteous man. For last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. And the governor said to them which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said Barabbas. Pilate said to them then what shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ. They all said to crucify him. But he said why? What evil has he done? But he said why, what evil has he done? Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying Crucify him.
Speaker 1:Now, when Pilate saw that he was accomplished nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and he washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying I am innocent of this man's blood. You yourselves shall see. And all the people replied His blood shall be on us and our children. Then he released Barabbas. For them. All right, let's stop here at verse 26. Now I know there's a lot going on and I'd really like to talk about something that's not quite as plain to see.
Speaker 1:All right, so Pilate says that he is accustomed to giving a prisoner of anyone they chose on that day. And he brings this up because he doesn't find Jesus to be guilty of any crime. And he wants to release them to the people because he knows that the chief priests and the elders are just jealous of him. Right, but he has to do something. So he figures, I'll give them a choice. I will bring out the most notorious criminal and ask them who would you rather me let go and make free Barabbas, who is a known criminal who's been sentenced to death, or Jesus, who is an innocent, or Jesus, who is an innocent. And they wanted to put Jesus to death because he said he was the son of God, which is amazing in a sense, because Barabbas means the son of God.
Speaker 1:You can't make this stuff up and you can't say it's a coincidence. We have a man named the Son of God and we have a man who's called the Son of God. One is innocent, who's perfect in his ways, who's done miracles, who's done nothing but help the people. We have a notorious criminal who's sentenced to death. Call the Son of God, His name, the Son of God, and we're exchanging the true Son of God, the innocent, for the guilty. Barabbas represents us. We're guilty, we're guilty and Jesus is taking upon himself our guilt and our punishment and allowing us to go free. Only God can paint a picture like this. I'm going to end this one here. We'll pick back up at verse 27 in our next Bible study. Until then, God bless you guys, love you, goodbye.