Matthew 26:69-75
Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus
Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. A female servant came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.
But in front of all of them, Peter said he was not. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
Then he went out to the gate leading into the courtyard. There another servant saw him. She said to the people, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Again he said he was not. With a curse he said, “I don’t know the man!”
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter. “You must be one of them,” they said. “The way you talk gives you away.”
Then Peter began to curse and said to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Right away a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said. “The rooster will crow,” Jesus had told him. “Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Peter went outside. He broke down and cried.
Matthew 27:1-10
Judas Hangs Himself
It was early in the morning. All the chief priests and the elders of the people planned how to put Jesus to death. So they tied him up and led him away. Then they handed him over to Pilate, who was the governor.
Judas, who had handed him over, saw that Jesus had been sentenced to die. He felt deep shame and sadness for what he had done. So he returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said. “I handed over a man who is not guilty.”
“What do we care?” they replied. “That’s your problem.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins. They said, “It’s against the law to put this money into the temple fund. It is blood money. It has paid for a man’s death.” So they decided to use the money to buy a potter’s field. People from other countries would be buried there. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then the words spoken by Jeremiah the prophet came true. He had said, “They took the 30 silver coins. That price was set for him by the people of Israel. They used the coins to buy a potter’s field, just as the Lord commanded me.” (Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 19:1–13; 32:6–9)
