Hi friends. I'm Annie F. Downs. Let's read the Gospels. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the stories of Jesus Christ's life on earth, the friendships, the parables, the sacrifices, the meals, the miracles. So here is how it works. I'll read three chapters to you. You can listen or read along in your own Bible or online, and then I'll pray. And that's it. Today is day 30, and I'll be reading Matthew

27 and 28 from the new living translation. And we are finishing up the Let's Read the Gospels

Journal as well. We are today on page 193.

Matthew 27. Very early in the morning, the leading priests and the elders of the people met again

to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to pilot the

Roman governor. When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die,

he was filled with remorse. So he took the 30 pieces of silver back to the leading priest and

the elders. I have sinned, he declared, for I've betrayed an innocent man. What do we care?

They retorted. That's your problem. Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the temple and went out

and hanged himself. The leading priest picked up the coins. It wouldn't be right to put this money in the

temple treasury, they said, since it was payment for murder. After some discussion,

they finally decided to buy the potter's field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.

That is why the field is still called the field of blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah

that says they took 30 pieces of silver, the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel,

and purchased the potter's field as the Lord directed. Now, Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor.

Are you the king of the Jews? The governor asked him. Jesus replied, you have said it.

But when the leading priest and the elders made their accusations against him,

Jesus remained silent.

Don't you hear all these charges they are bringing against you, Pilot demanded.

But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor's surprise.

Now, it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd anyone they wanted.

This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.

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