Topical Bible: Prophecies Respecting Christ: His Price Being Given for the Potter's Field: Fulfilled

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◄ Prophecies Respecting Christ: His Price Being Given for the Potter's Field: Fulfilled ►

Topical Encyclopedia

The prophecy concerning the price of Christ being used to purchase the potter's field is a significant event that underscores the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament narrative. This event is rooted in the prophetic writings of Zechariah and finds its fulfillment in the Gospel of Matthew.

Prophetic Background:

The prophecy is found in the book of Zechariah, where the prophet speaks of thirty pieces of silver, a sum that holds symbolic and prophetic significance. Zechariah 11:12-13 states: "I told 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."

This passage is a prophetic foreshadowing of the betrayal of Jesus Christ, where the thirty pieces of silver become the price for which Judas Iscariot would betray Him.

Fulfillment in the New Testament:

The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he was filled with remorse and attempted to return the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. Matthew 27:3-5 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, recognizing the money as "blood money," decided it was not lawful to put it into the temple treasury. Instead, they used it to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. Matthew 27:6-10 continues: "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.' So they conferred together and 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.'"

Significance:

The fulfillment of this prophecy highlights the divine orchestration of events surrounding the life and death of Jesus Christ. The specific mention of thirty pieces of silver and the purchase of the potter's field serve as a testament to the accuracy and reliability of biblical prophecy. This event also underscores the tragic role of Judas Iscariot in the passion narrative and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan through Christ's sacrifice.

The reference to the prophet Jeremiah in Matthew's account, while seemingly attributing the prophecy to him, is understood by scholars as a reflection of the Jewish tradition of attributing a collection of prophetic writings to a major prophet, in this case, Jeremiah, who was seen as a representative of the prophetic tradition that included Zechariah. This reflects the interconnectedness of the prophetic messages and their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.