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2024-07-24 The Prophet of the Betrayal

Zechariah

Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. Zechariah 11:12-13

In chapter 11 the Lord spoke through his prophet Zechariah. The history of God’s Old Testament people Israel was not a pretty picture. However, there also is a remarkable nugget of prophecy buried in chapter 11. The Holy Spirit reveals the fulfillment of this prophecy in Jesus’ betrayal by his disciple Judas as recorded in Matthew 27:3:

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "AND THEY TOOK THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER, THE VALUE OF HIM WHO WAS PRICED, whom they of the children of Israel priced, AND GAVE THEM FOR THE POTTER'S FIELD, AS THE LORD DIRECTED ME."

It is remarkable how the Lord revealed Jesus as the promised Messiah through Old Testament prophecies.This small detail of the Passion History is another confirmation that Jesus is the promised Messiah and King of the Old Testament.

We have a sure prophetic Word
By inspiration of the Lord;
And tho' assailed on ev’ry hand,
Jehovah’s Word shall ever stand.
The Lutheran Hymnal 290:1