Hi, friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, his friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles.

Each month, we read all four books. Today is the last day of April. And we are done. We will finish today. And then tomorrow, Monday morning, we'll start on May 1st in the CSB version.

Tonight is a great night if you get a chance to go to Let's Read the Gospels on Instagram or TikTok or Twitter or Facebook, wherever and share a post inviting your friends to join us for the month of May.

What a great month. The school is ending as people are starting to go on vacations as life gets really busy to invite your friends to join us. And to just listen during the day, just listen at some point every day of May.

We say this a lot around here, but you don't have to be in the Gospels every day to be changed, but every day you are in the Gospels will change you. And I believe that is true today.

So here's how this is going to work. I'm going to read you the last two chapters of the book of Matthew today. And then we have finished our loop for April. You can listen and read along in your own Bible or online. And then I'll pray. And that is it.

So today is April 30th day, 30 of this month. I'll be reading Matthew chapters 27 and 28. And this month, I've been reading from the message.

Matthew 27. And the first light of dawn, all the high priest and religious leaders met and put the finishing touches on their plot to kill Jesus. Then they tied him up and paraded him to pilot the governor.

Judas, the one who betrayed him realized that Jesus was doomed, overcome with remorse. He gave back the 30 silver coins to the high priest saying, I've send I've betrayed an innocent man.

They said, what do we care? That's your problem. Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself. The high priest picked up the silver pieces, but then didn't know what to do with them.

It wouldn't be right to give this a payment for murder as an offering in the temple. They decided to get rid of it by buying the potters field and use it as a burial place for the homeless.

That's how the field got called murder meadow, a name that is stuck to this day. Then Jeremiah's words became history. They took the 30 silver pieces, the price of the one priced by some sons of Israel and they purchased the potters field.

And so they unwittingly followed the divine instructions to the letter. Jesus was placed before the governor who questioned him. Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said, if you say so.

But when the accusations rain down hot and heavy from the high priests and religious leaders, he said nothing.

Pilate asked him, do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren't you going to say something? Jesus kept silence, not a word from his mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.

It was an old custom during the feast for the governor to pardon a single prisoner named by the crowd. At the time, they had the infamous Jesus Burabis in prison.

With the crowd before him, Pilate said, which prisoner do you want me to pardon? Jesus Burabis or Jesus the so-called Christ?

He knew it was through sheer spite that they had turned Jesus over to him. While court was still in session, Pilate's wife sent him a message.

Don't get mixed up in judging this noble man. I've just been through a long and troubled night because of a dream about him.

Meanwhile, the high priests and religious leaders had taught the crowd into asking for the pardon of Burabis and the execution of Jesus.

The governor asked, which of the two do you want me to pardon? They said, Burabis, then what do I do with Jesus, the so-called Christ? They all shouted, nail him to a cross. He objected. But for what crime?

But they yelled, all the louder, nail him to a cross. When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere and that a riot was imminent, he took a basin of water and washed his hands in full sight of the crowd saying, I'm washing my hands of responsibility for this man's death. From now on, it's in your hands, your judge and jury.

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