Acts 1:15-20a 15In those days Peter, standing up among the brothers, together with the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons, and said, 16“Men, Brothers, it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17for he was numbered among us and received his share in this ministry.” 18Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling forward, he burst open in the middle and all his bowels burst out. 19 And it became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.
Luke begins a new section with a summarizing transition in those days, referring to the time after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. There was a period of about ten days between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Peter stood up as the leader of the group. He often served this role even in Jesus’ earthly ministry, though sometimes his impulsiveness got the better of him and he got himself in trouble or needed correcting by Jesus. God transformed Peter’s impulsiveness and zeal into courage and faith. Peter served as the spokesperson for the rest of the group. The reference to brothers was obviously inclusive of the women mentioned in verse 14 and was a familiar term often used to describe the close bond of Jesus’ followers. The group of disciples had grown to one hundred twenty people. It would have been difficult for this many to gather in one room unless it was fairly large, and the house was strong enough to hold that much weight.
Luke records many speeches in Acts. These speeches are given in summary form and not necessarily word-for-word recordings. Luke gives the highlights or key points of any speeches that are given. The first speech is given by Peter, who focuses on the fate of Judas Iscariot and the need to replace him. The disciples were later criticized for being “unlearned” (4:13), but Peter knew Scripture well enough to see how it prophesied about Judas. It is unclear if he found this connection or if Jesus had mentioned this in another setting (John 13:18). Peter makes a significant statement about the nature of Scripture in that the Holy Spirit inspired David to write. In his second epistle, Peter referred again to how the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21). The reason Peter stood up on this occasion was to draw people’s attention to the fulfillment of Scripture. He felt that the group needed to do what was prophesied long ago.
Judas was given the great privilege of being chosen by Jesus to be one of the inner disciples who traveled with him for three years. He heard the same teachings and experienced the same miracles. What happened to him? The New Testament does not explain all of his heart motives, but he seemed to break or begin to compromise related to money. He was the group’s treasurer, and treasurers may be tempted to keep tight control of money. Jesus was generous. Judas complained when Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet in John 11. He obviously gave in to the temptation of Satan to entertain thoughts about making Jesus less than Lord. This temptation grew into action when Judas guided the Jewish authorities to where to find Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and arrest him.
Verse 18 gives further insight into Judas’ fate after he had returned the thirty pieces of silver to the Jewish leaders. Matthew 27:3-10 gives many details. There is some inconsistency in the two accounts, but this can be accounted for by considering the oral traditions about Judas and the time span between the events and when they were written down. Luke’s summary in verses 18-19 gives a simple recount of the tradition he had received through his careful study and contact with eyewitnesses. The details are gory with the description of Judas falling on his head and causing his bowels to be opened up. His death was so dramatic that word spread throughout Jerusalem about it. The field that was bought with the betrayal money was given the Aramaic name Hakeldama, the Field of Blood. Judas’ story is a sad example of how the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). For Judas, this was physical death in a vivid and gruesome way. Not always does sin result in that extent of pain and suffering, but sin always brings problems because it goes against God’s best will for us.
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