Judas saw that they had decided to kill Jesus. He was the one who had handed him over. When he saw what happened, he was very sorry for what he had done. So he took the 30 silver coins back to the priests and the older leaders.
Judas said, "I sinned. I handed over to you an innocent man to be killed." The Jewish leaders answered, "We don't care! That's a problem for you, not us."
The leading priests picked up the silver coins in the Temple. They said, "Our law does not allow us to keep this money with the Temple money, because this money has paid for a man's death."
So they decided to use the money to buy a field called Potter's Field. This field would be a place to bury people who died while visiting in Jerusalem.
This showed the full meaning of what Jeremiah the prophet said, "They took 30 silver coins. That was how much the people of Israel decided to pay for his life.
When a crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, "I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?"
While Pilate was sitting there in the place for judging, his wife sent a message to him. It said, "Don't do anything with that man. He is not guilty. Last night I had a dream about him, and it troubled me very much."
Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do to make the people change. In fact, it looked as if there would be a riot. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of them all. He said, "I am not guilty of this man's death. You are the ones who are doing it!"
Then they made a crown from thorny branches and put it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. Then they bowed before him, making fun of him. They said, "We salute you, king of the Jews!"
After they finished making fun of him, the soldiers took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be killed on a cross.
and said, "You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that cross if you really are the Son of God!"
They said, "He saved others, but he can't save himself! People say he is the king of Israel. If he is the king, he should come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him.
Quickly, one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled the sponge with sour wine and tied the sponge to a stick. Then he used the stick to give the sponge to Jesus to get a drink from it.
When Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces. The tear started at the top and tore all the way to the bottom. Also, the earth shook and rocks were broken.
The army officer and the soldiers guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything that happened. They were very afraid and said, "He really was the Son of God!"
He put Jesus' body in a new tomb that he had dug in a wall of rock. Then he closed the tomb by rolling a very large stone to cover the entrance. After he did this, he went away.
So give the order for the tomb to be guarded well for three days. His followers might come and try to steal the body. Then they could tell everyone that he has risen from death. That lie will be even worse than what they said about him before."