The Potter's Field

 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers~ Matthew 27:2-7

During our family Bible time the other night, we were reading the story of Jesus' betrayal and arrest. As Dad read about the purchase of the Potter's Field, I thought about a parallel between the purchase of that field, and the 'field' Jesus purchased.

First, consider the purpose of each field. The Potter's Field was a place for burying the dead. When Jesus saves someone, they are to consider themselves dead to sin. (Colossians 3:5) His field is a place for us to bury our 'old man'. The Christian life is a process of becoming more like Christ by actively and daily killing our sin. We must all dig graves in Jesus' field to bury our sin.

Each field was also purchased by Jesus' blood. The priests couldn't put the thirty shekels back in the treasury because it was blood money. So they bought the Potter's Field. Maybe in their self righteousness they thought they were being charitable toward the strangers in Israel. Little did they know that the greatest act of charity would be taking place only a little while later. Jesus' spilled blood and anguish on the cross was the exact payment required to purchase the death and burial of sin.

Lastly, think about for whom the two fields were bought. The Potter's Field was a burial place for strangers; people living in Israel, but who were not of the Jews. In the same way, those whose old selves are buried in Jesus' field are strangers in this world. Jesus said His own, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 17:16) 

Living the Christian life is not always easy. Killing sin is an ongoing struggle for all believers. We still have cause to be thankful in the midst of our fight. Our Savior purchased sin and death's graveyard by His blood, and He secured new life for us with the empty tomb.

Do you have a plot in the Potter's Field?