Judas Iscariot

From the Bible itself, not a lot is known about Judas Iscariot.

We know that he was a thief (John 12:6).

We know he was "a devil" (John 6:70).

We know...

...he approached the chief priests and officers of the temple guard to conspire against Jesus (Matt. 26:14) and that he "discussed with them how he might betray Jesus." (Luke 22:4)

...that "from then on Judas on watched for an opportunity to hand him over." (Matt. 26:16).

... he was at the last supper because Jesus made it known that Judas would betray him (Matt. 26:25, John 13:26).

...that before the meal, Jesus washed the feet of the one who betrayed him, knowing that he would soon be betrayed by those same feet. (John 13:5).

...that as soon as Judas had taken the bread that Jesus dipped, he slipped out to work out the arrangements with the chief priests. (John 13:26,30).

... that when the time came for Jesus to be turned over to the priests, it was Judas that led the way. (Luke 22:47 and John 18:2,3). John 18:5 states that Judas was standing there with the priests when they approached Jesus to arrest him. He didn't try to blend in with his disciple buddies or slip into the shadows. He openly stood there with those who had purchased his services.

...he betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Mark 14:45 and Luke 22:48).

We know that Judas collected thirty pieces of silver for his "work". (Matt. 26:15)

Finally, we know that once Jesus had been arrested, Judas was "seized with remorse" and returned the money to the priests (Matt. 27:3) then went out and hanged himself  (Matt. 27:5).

There are a few different theories about why Judas may have betrayed Jesus. There's the idea that Judas was trying to push Jesus into taking His rightful place as king, presumably so that Judas could spend the rest of his days in luxury and ease as one of the king's chosen. There's the idea that Judas was simply greedy and wanted whatever money he could get for turning Jesus over to the priests. And of course, there's the new idea floating around in the media these days, that Judas was actually doing Jesus a favor by turning him in because the two of them were best buddies and Judas was the only one that truly understood why Jesus was here.

The so-called "lost gospel of Judas".

It's interesting to remember that Judas didn't choose to hang out with Jesus. Jesus chose to hang out with Judas. Jesus is the one who chose the disciples. None of them, not a single one, applied for the position. And it's interesting to note that Jesus chose Judas knowing that Judas would betray him. In fact, perhaps that's the very reason Judas was chosen!

The other eleven were chosen to spread the gospel. Judas was chosen to betray Jesus...to fulfill the ancient prophecies leading to the crucifixion, which in turn, provided a way to salvation for mankind.

Then Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" (John 6:70)

It would be rather ludicrous to think that Jesus didn't know who he was choosing when he picked Judas as a disciple. The fall of Satan wasn't a surprise. How could the betrayal of a simple human take him off guard?

There are a few things we can pick up from the Bible to give us a little insight into Judas and his character, but for the most part, I suppose it would seem to be mostly speculation. For instance, it seems that at least to some degree, as many thieves are, he was on the greedy side.

When Jesus was at the home of Lazarus just before his arrest, Mary (Lazarus' sister) anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume.

"But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." (John 12:4,5).

As not only a thief, but the keeper of the money bag, had the perfume been sold instead of poured out, then he would have had access to a year's wages...perhaps a possible motive? This event occurred just a couple of days before the crucifixion. In fact, it was the very next day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, with people lining the streets shouting and waving and calling His name. (John 12:12).

Maybe Judas was a little ticked that he had "missed out" on what must have seemed like a fairly decent sum of money. Surely it was on his mind as he walked into Jerusalem with Jesus and the other disciples. He had to have been brooding over it, even as they walked through the throngs of people. A year's wages...gone. Poured into the dust!

The fuss the crowd was making over Jesus as He passed probably caused that irritation to fester a bit...you know how we humans are. We think about it and stew on it and chew on it, until it grows from an irritation to outright anger.

Then we say or do something that we almost immediately regret! In extreme cases, someone gets hurt or killed. In less extreme cases, someone scrapes a key along the side of someone's new Mercedes. In milder cases, we say things we don't mean...things we wish with all we have that we could take back. We've all done it.

If Judas betrayed Jesus out of greed, it would seem that in the long run, he would have made more money by simply continuing his embezzlement. The thirty pieces of silver was a one time deal. Embezzling funds from the money bag could have continued indefinitely, it seems.

Whether Judas knew it or not, his thievery was no secret! For one, Jesus knew. Apparently, from the above verse, so did John. If John knew, it's likely that at least some of the other disciples did too...and if they hadn't put a stop to it yet, chances are good they would have allowed it to continue.

It's possible that Judas was trying to push Jesus into claiming His kingship so that he could live out his remaining days in luxury. At the same time, it might seem that after spending the past three years walking, talking, eating and sleeping with Jesus, that Judas would have realized Jesus' nature.

Jesus was here (this time) to serve, to teach and to die for our sins. One might think, too, after those three years, that Judas would have come to learn that no one can push Jesus into anything. People had already tried! Satan himself had tried to entice Jesus, to no avail (Matt. 4:8.9). One might think that Judas would have realized that Jesus had no ambition or desire for such a position...that he would have turned it down, had it been offered. He was here to do one thing...God's will.

Then again, it's possible that maybe Judas was just having a temper tantrum. Maybe he was just being human. Maybe that whole thing with the perfume the night before was still on his mind...and that passing through the streets of Jerusalem with the crowds of people cheering for Jesus fueled the fire.

They didn't know about the perfume thing...how all that expensive perfume had soaked into the dust. Or that there was enough perfume there to bring a year's wages. Money that he, Judas, would have been able to dip into any time he wanted. The crowd didn't know about all that! Besides, they were too busy cheering...

And while they were cheering, maybe Judas was brooding.

And sulking.

And pouting.
 

And getting angry.

Not only had the perfume been "wasted", but then Jesus had rebuked him for expressing his concern! (John 12:7,8). It had been a mild rebuke, but a rebuke all the same. He had been so embarrassed!

All Jesus had said was "Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

But to Judas, (who had to feel pretty small at that moment) it must have been a stinging remark. Maybe it was because he had been the only one with the courage to point out the monetary value of the perfume. Or maybe it was because Jesus had said it right out in front of everybody.

Or maybe it was just because it made Judas feel so guilty. Whatever the reason, it had to have been embarrassing! How would you have felt?

So Judas was walking along behind Jesus, with his hands shoved into his empty pockets...watching the crowd cheering and waving at Jesus...thinking about how Jesus had told him to leave Mary alone right out in front of everybody, when he had just been trying to "help"...and it made him mad. Furious, even!

Mad enough to throw a temper tantrum. Mad enough to go to the chief priests and the temple guards to work out a deal. He would show Jesus! And even though he wouldn't get a year's wages out of it, he'd get something, by golly!

So Judas led the priests and guards to the garden, kissed Jesus on the cheek...and the priests and the guards arrested Jesus.

Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" (Luke 22:48)

It's happened to all of us. Sometimes we do it impulsively. Sometimes we, like Judas, spend a little time thinking about it, though our thinking is clouded by anger. But we've all done it. We've all said and done things, in anger, that we wish we could un-say or un-do.

But once it's said or done, then it's said or done. And the very instant we say it...or the very instant we do it...just as soon as it has slipped out and we can't get it back...we regret it. The really sad thing about it is that we most often do it to someone we love. And I believe Judas loved Jesus...just as Jesus loved Judas.

I wonder if maybe that's what happened to Judas. Because while it was Jesus that chose Judas as a disciple, Judas could have walked away any time he wished. But he didn't. He stayed right there with Jesus. Why? It wasn't the easiest life, but it wasn't the hardest either. And it had it's perks. He got to be seen with Jesus! He got to see all the miracles...stuff that nobody else could do was done right before his eyes!

The money may not have been great, but there was enough for him to help himself to now and then. Why did he stay?

After all, sometimes being seen with Jesus was a bad thing. It was no secret the religious guys didn't care much for Him. In fact, they had tried a few times already to kill Him. And Jesus and his band were most definitely in the minority! In fact, when they had first started out, there were just the thirteen of them.

Some of the things Jesus talked about didn't make a lot of sense at the time. A lot of people thought He might be a little crazy. But the miracles...nobody could explain those.

While some may have looked upon Jesus and His group in awe and admiration, many more looked upon them with something else. Some were curious. Some thought they were nuts. Some were standoffish and disdainful. Some were downright mad and hateful. A radical man with a rather weird assortment of twelve guys that seemed to have nothing in common hanging out with the dregs of society.

So, why the heck did Judas stay?

Maybe it was because he liked Jesus! Maybe, in spite of their occasional differences, Judas liked Jesus just for being Jesus. He didn't stay because it was his "job". He wasn't getting paid (except, of course, for the few times he would help himself to the kitty!). He could have seen the same miracles if he had been standing in the crowd instead of standing beside Jesus.

If it was "status" that kept him there, there were more people that disliked Jesus (or were indifferent) than there were followers. Kind of like the situation we live in today, actually.

Maybe he just liked Jesus! Maybe he even loved Him! As mad as he could get sometimes...

Which brings us to one more thing we know about Judas. For all his faults, there was something about Judas that Jesus liked. Jesus didn't hesitate to rag on those he didn't like. Take a look at some of the things he said to some of the religious folks of the day. He called them a brood of vipers( Matt. 12:34), hypocrites (Matt.  23:14) and all kinds of stuff...he didn't hold back.

But Judas, he liked. He called Judas his friend, even as he was being betrayed in the garden (Matt. 26:50). Judas had qualities that made Jesus like hanging out with him. And Jesus had qualities that made Judas like hanging out with him, too!  They were friends.

That's why Judas felt remorse afterwards. That's why he got mad in the first place. His friend had gently insulted him in front of the others. He was hurt. So he got mad and...well...he did something he regretted.

Like us. Like we get mad at those we love. Like we do and say things we wish we could take back.

Judas may have led the priests and the temple guards out of the temple thinking he was sure gonna show Jesus! But, like we all do when we do something out of anger, somewhere along the way, he may have began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. Maybe he hadn't considered the possibility that those priests...those "men of God"...would actually KILL Jesus. I mean, come on...they were PRIESTS, for crying out loud!
 

Maybe he was thinking of the times Jesus had forgiven him for one thing or another. Or some of the conversations they had enjoyed while sitting around the evening meal. Or some of the jokes they may have played on each other. Or some of the miracles he had seen.

But, it was too late...

Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

How would you have felt? With those soft, gentle eyes looking at you?

How have you felt? When you've had one of those angry moments that you can't take back? When you've done something vindictive that you knew was going to hurt someone...just because you're a little peeved? It sure felt good when you did it, but as soon as it was done...there was a kind of sick feeling in your stomach. Like maybe you really, really, really wished you hadn't done that. And all of a sudden it didn't feel so good anymore. Remember?

Remorse. Only with Judas, it was enough to cause him to take his own life.

"So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." (Matt. 27:5).

We'll probably never know what motivated him for sure. What we do know is that once again, Scripture fulfilled itself...and that for all of our sakes, it had to be done.As for Judas being a hero of sorts (according to the "lost gospel of Judas"), well, that just isn't true. He was a thief. He may have been misguided, may have been angry, may have been what we all are...human.

But he was no hero.

You can love him, or hate him, feel sorry for him...but you can't judge him...and you can't worship him. He, like the rest of us, is not worthy of worship.

Only God is.

And only God is worthy to judge.