Question 1

Why did Judas return the thirty pieces of silver and then hang himself?

Accepted Answer

Judas realized that Jesus had been condemned and felt deep horror over what he had done. He admitted, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood,” and tried to give the money back. But instead of turning to God for mercy, he sank into despair. His sorrow was real, but it was not the kind of repentance that seeks forgiveness. Overwhelmed by guilt and without hope, he went away and hanged himself. His story warns us about trying to carry our sin alone instead of bringing it to God.

Question 2

What is the meaning of the priests buying the potter’s field, the Field of Blood?

Accepted Answer

The chief priests refused to put the thirty pieces of silver back into the temple treasury, calling it “the price of blood.” Yet they still used that same money to buy a potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. This showed their hypocrisy: they worried about a rule on money, but not about killing an innocent man. The field came to be called the Field of Blood, reminding people of Judas’s betrayal and the leaders’ guilt. It also matched what God had spoken beforehand about this money and its use.

Question 3

Why did the crowd choose Barabbas and call for Jesus to be crucified?

Accepted Answer

Pilate offered the people a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a well-known prisoner. He could see that the leaders had handed Jesus over out of envy and that Jesus had done no evil. But the chief priests and elders stirred up the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to demand Jesus’ death. When Pilate questioned them, they only shouted louder, “Let him be crucified.” This shows how easily people can be led into great sin, and how Jesus, the righteous one, was willingly given up in the place of the guilty.

Question 4

What does Pilate washing his hands and the people saying, “His blood be on us,” mean?

Accepted Answer

When Pilate saw that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying he was innocent of Jesus’ blood and that they must see to it. The people answered, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” Pilate’s act was an attempt to shift blame, but he still gave the order to crucify Jesus. The crowd’s words showed how lightly they took the guilt of killing an innocent man. They took responsibility for his death, not realizing the weight of what they were saying.

Question 5

What is the significance of the darkness and Jesus crying, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Accepted Answer

From the sixth hour to the ninth hour, there was darkness over the land while Jesus hung on the cross. In those hours he suffered not only in body but also in soul. When he cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” he was feeling the horror of bearing the punishment our sins deserve. He was truly trusting God, yet tasting the pain of being under God’s wrath. The darkness and his cry show how deep his suffering went as he took the place of guilty people.

Question 6

Why was the veil of the temple torn in two when Jesus died?

Accepted Answer

At the moment Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom. That veil separated the most holy place from the rest of the temple. Its tearing showed that something powerful had happened in his death. God himself opened the way into his presence, not by priestly rituals, but through the death of his Son. The earthquake, the splitting rocks, and opened graves around that time also showed that God was acting and that death and separation from God were being dealt with in a new way.

Question 7

Why did the centurion say, “Truly this was the Son of God”?

Accepted Answer

The centurion and the soldiers had been watching Jesus die. They saw the darkness, the earthquake, and all that happened when he gave up his spirit. They had also seen how he suffered without answering the insults and how he cried out at the end. Filled with fear, the centurion said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” A hardened soldier, used to executions, was shaken into confessing who Jesus really was. His words show that even those who helped kill Jesus could see that this was no ordinary man.

Question 8

Who was Joseph of Arimathaea and why is his role in Jesus’ burial important?

Accepted Answer

Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. After Jesus died, Joseph went to Pilate and asked for his body. He wrapped Jesus in a clean linen cloth and laid him in his own new tomb cut in the rock, then rolled a great stone to the entrance. His actions matter because they show that Jesus was buried openly, with the governor’s permission, in a known place. This makes it clear that Jesus truly died, and it leaves no doubt about the reality of his later resurrection.

Question 9

Why did the chief priests and Pharisees ask Pilate to seal the tomb and set a guard?

Accepted Answer

The day after Jesus’ death, the chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and reminded him that Jesus had said he would rise after three days. They feared the disciples might steal the body and tell people he had risen. So they asked Pilate to secure the tomb until the third day. Pilate told them to use a guard and make it as sure as they could, so they sealed the stone and set a watch. Their actions, meant to stop any claim of resurrection, later only confirm that the tomb was truly guarded when it was found empty.

Matthew 27:1

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

Judas Hangs Himself

Jesus before Pilate

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

Pilate Washes His Hands

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

The Crucifixion

The Death of Jesus

The Burial of Jesus

The Guards at the Tomb

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

Cross References

Matthew 27:1

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

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Jesus Delivered to Pilate

Judas Hangs Himself

Jesus before Pilate

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

Pilate Washes His Hands

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

The Crucifixion

The Death of Jesus

The Burial of Jesus

The Guards at the Tomb

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

Cross References