The prophecy concerning the Messiah being sold for thirty pieces of silver is a significant element in the tapestry of messianic predictions found in the Old Testament. This prophecy is explicitly mentioned in the book of Zechariah and finds its fulfillment in the New Testament narrative of Jesus Christ's betrayal by Judas Iscariot.

Prophetic Scripture:

The prophecy is recorded in Zechariah 11:12-13 : "And I said to them, 'If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.' So they weighed out my wages—thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, 'Throw it to the potter, this magnificent price at which they valued Me!' So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter."

In this passage, the prophet Zechariah symbolically enacts the role of a shepherd, representing the Messiah, who is valued at the price of thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave as outlined in Exodus 21:32. The act of throwing the silver to the potter in the house of the LORD further enriches the prophetic imagery, foreshadowing the events that would unfold in the life of Jesus.

Fulfillment in the New Testament:

The fulfillment of this prophecy is detailed in the Gospel of Matthew. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:14-16 states: "Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?' And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus."

The fulfillment continues as Judas, filled with remorse, returns the silver to the chief priests and elders. Matthew 27:3-10 narrates: "When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,' he said. 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'You bear the responsibility.' So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, 'It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.'"

Theological Significance:

The fulfillment of this prophecy underscores the foreknowledge and sovereignty of God in the redemptive plan through Jesus Christ. The specific detail of the thirty pieces of silver highlights the precise nature of biblical prophecy and its fulfillment in the life of Jesus. This event not only fulfills the words of Zechariah but also serves as a poignant reminder of the rejection and undervaluation of the Messiah by His own people, as well as the ultimate purpose of His sacrificial death.Matthew 26:15
And said to them, What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Fulfilled Prophecies of the Bible Bespeak the Omniscience of ...
... definite and distinct were the Old Testament prophecies respecting the Birth of
Christ, that the ... call attention to one of the prophecies which declared ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter five the fulfilled prophecies.htm

The Sovereignty of God in Operation
... raise an argument at this point respecting the believer's ... accurate and literal
fulfilment of these prophecies we have ... Just as the Jews of Christ's day despised ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter six the sovereignty of.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... sinners, I am to infer His wishes respecting ourselves ... and that penitent who had
lain with his father's wife ... Why had Joseph, representing Christ, a coat of many ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

part ii
... His handmaiden." [738] Likewise, all of us being of ourselves ... the Creator, having
recourse in everything to His mercy ... always ask the help of Christ, your Saviour ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

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