Acts 1:15-17 – “In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters ,the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.” 18 (With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’ 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Let’s first look at Vs 18-20 “With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’” Since the Word of God is inerrant, surely this happened as both Matthew (Matthew 27:1-10) and these verses in Acts testify to. Some think that these two versions contradict each other, but it is not so. Dr. Charles R. Swindoll in his commentary on Acts explains it this way “In his (Judas) fit of remorse, Judas cast the thirty pieces of silver on the temple floor and then hanged himself in a remote field. No one found him until his body had decayed, become bloated, fallen from the noose, landed face down, and burst open, and his organs had spilled onto the ground. The Greek word translated “headlong” is prenes [4248] which doesn’t have the meaning “headfirst” in other Greek literature but simply “level,” “prostrate,” or face down.”
“Ancient people considered this gruesome scene the most shameful way to die and an unthinkable way for a body to decay. In the Jewish mind, a hanged man was “accursed of God,” and if the corpse was not buried the same day, the land was considered defiled (Deuteronomy 21:23). Moreover, Jews avoided cadavers and blood at all costs. This was cursed ground.”
“The priests didn’t want the money and no one wanted the land, so the landowner was compensated for this loss and the field reviled as “the blood field.”
Some think that Judas, being in an isolated place, was not found right away and the rope broke and he fell down to the land below the cliff and his rotting body burst open when he landed, face first.
We see that the two accounts are not contradictory, but rather complementary, both giving truthful accounts while including different details.
Family, whatever sin we slip into, we need only repent of it, call out to Jesus for forgiveness, and we will be forgiven. All sin. For the unbeliever, all sin is shame and the shed blood of Jesus is strong enough to wash sin it all away. Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” The Gospel is that Jesus paid the full price for all sins of mankind. That men hear the Gospel, confess the truth of being a sinner and therefore in need of a Savior. They confess that Jesus is the Savior. The ask Jesus to be their own Savior and also ask Jesus to always be the Lord of their life. That is how we are saved. Once one becomes a Believer 1 John 1:9, clearly states that when a Believer sins we need confess our sins to God He will purify us. For the Believer, he has already accepted the free gift that all sins have already been paid for by Jesus, past, present and future. In 1 John 2:1-2 the Believer is admonished to not sin. Yet, in the same verse, our weakness is recognized and we are told that Jesus is our Advocate and His blood will continue to wash us clean of all sin. What do we learn from this, we learn that when we fail, when we stumble, when we have been playing in the filth of the world, forgiveness is always available to us, we just need to come to Jesus and receive it. Family, we should never run from God after we have sinned, He knows we have, and like God sought out Adam and Eve, God continues to pursue us and call us to stay close to Him. He will forgive us each and every time we ask. And the wonderful thing about the sin we can’t stop doing is that He will help us with that also (1 John 1:9b). Family, when our conscience is clear, run to Jesus. When our consciences are not clear, do not give up, run to Jesus. Never run away from God, but always to Him. He has already proved His great love for us. Run to Jesus, it is the right choice all the time and eternity will bear it out. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.