The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 11:13,
"And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord."
Here is the familiar prophecy of the money Judas made when he betrayed Jesus. Five centuries before the birth of Christ the Lord foretold this aspect of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us all when he paid for our sins. In Matthew 27:9-10 we read, "Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.'"
Matthew's reference to Jeremiah about the prophecy relates to what we read in Jeremiah 19:1-13 and 32:6-9. But, here in Zechariah the clear prophecy concerning the betrayal of Judas for thirty pieces of silver is provided.
The prophecy relates to the prophetic activities the Lord directed Zechariah in, as he was commissioned to shepherd "the flock marked for slaughter", Zechariah 11:7, his payment of silver and the direction the Lord gave him to throw the silver at the potter. The fulfillment of this prophetic direction, of course, is further documented in Matthew 27 where we read that Judas, having betrayed Jesus for the thirty pieces of silver, felt remorse and threw the silver into the temple where the chief priests picked it up and "they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field..." Matthew 27:7.
"And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord."
Here is the familiar prophecy of the money Judas made when he betrayed Jesus. Five centuries before the birth of Christ the Lord foretold this aspect of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us all when he paid for our sins. In Matthew 27:9-10 we read, "Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.'"
Matthew's reference to Jeremiah about the prophecy relates to what we read in Jeremiah 19:1-13 and 32:6-9. But, here in Zechariah the clear prophecy concerning the betrayal of Judas for thirty pieces of silver is provided.
The prophecy relates to the prophetic activities the Lord directed Zechariah in, as he was commissioned to shepherd "the flock marked for slaughter", Zechariah 11:7, his payment of silver and the direction the Lord gave him to throw the silver at the potter. The fulfillment of this prophetic direction, of course, is further documented in Matthew 27 where we read that Judas, having betrayed Jesus for the thirty pieces of silver, felt remorse and threw the silver into the temple where the chief priests picked it up and "they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field..." Matthew 27:7.
What catches my eye is the comment Zechariah makes, "the handsome price at which they valued me!" The value of something is always recognized by what it can be bought for, and for the Son of God, the value placed on him was thirty pieces of silver. The only man qualified to take away the sins of the world was worth thirty pieces of silver!
That raises a question for me personally. What is Jesus Christ worth to me? What value is he to me that I should express? Money, time, effort, the giving myself to his agenda? What value do I express in my worship of him? In my desire for him that is expressed by spending time with him in his word, in prayer, in those things he cherishes? Am I willing to be transformed into his image to bring him the recognition he deserves? Am I willing to love others as he has asked of me?
How much do I value Jesus Christ? Because I live in a real, physical, material world, I will express his value to me by the choices I make. At the end of my life, how will that balance sheet look?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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