In the Bible, Judas is portrayed as a trusted disciple of Jesus, chosen to be one of the twelve individuals who would accompany and support Jesus in his ministry. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Judas eventually succumbs to greed and deceit.
The act for which Judas is most infamous is his betrayal of Jesus to the religious authorities for
Judas Iscariot was one of the Twelve Apostles. He is notorious for betraying Jesus by disclosing Jesus’ whereabouts for 30 pieces of silver. Judas brought men to arrest Jesus and identified him with a kiss. Jesus was then arrested, tried, and executed.
Judas serves as an illustration of how predestination and human responsibility go hand in hand. Judas’s destiny was set before his betrayal. Jesus said that he kept all his disciples from apostasy except Judas, “the son of destruction.”
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The Story Of Judas In The Bible
Judas Iscariot is one of the most infamous characters in the Bible. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus Christ, which led to the crucifixion of Jesus. The story of Judas is told in all four Gospels of the New Testament, and it is one of the most significant events in Christian theology.
Judas was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. He was entrusted with the responsibility of managing the finances of the group. However, he was also a thief and would steal money from the group’s funds 2. According to the Gospel of John, Judas was unhappy with Jesus because he believed that Jesus was not doing enough to establish a political kingdom on earth. Judas thought that Jesus was too focused on spiritual matters and not enough on worldly matters.
Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is one of the most significant events in Christian history. According to the Gospels, Judas agreed to betray Jesus to the religious authorities for thirty pieces of silver. He identified Jesus to the authorities by kissing him on the cheek. Jesus was then arrested and put on trial. He received a death by crucifixion verdict and blasphemy punishment.
The story of Judas is a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and the consequences of betraying trust. Judas was a man who was completely preoccupied with his own desires and ambitions, and he paid the ultimate price for his actions. His story is also a reminder of the importance of loyalty and trust. Jesus trusted Judas with the responsibility of managing the group’s finances, but Judas betrayed that trust.
The story of Judas is referenced in the New Testament as well. In the book of Acts, Peter refers to Judas as a “guide to those who arrested Jesus”. In the Gospel of Matthew, Judas is described as “the one who betrayed him”. The story of Judas is a powerful reminder of the importance of making the right choices in life. Judas had a choice to make, and he chose to betray Jesus. His story is a reminder that our choices have consequences, and we must be careful about the decisions we make.
Judas’ Betrayal of Jesus Summary
The Bible Story of Judas betraying Jesus is found in all four gospels. This powerful story is well known in Christian theology as one of the most significant events of disloyalty. There are several explanations as to why Judas betrayed Jesus, including bribery and demonic possession, that vary among the gospel accounts.
The Gospels imply that Jesus anticipated and permitted Judas’s betrayal. One interpretation is that Jesus allowed the betrayal because it would allow God’s plan to be achieved, and another is that regardless of the betrayal, Jesus was eventually fated for crucifixion as part of God’s plan.
During the meal of the Last Supper, Jesus predicts that “one of you will betray me,” referring to Judas. Judas leaves the supper and goes to the Roman authorities, who are looking to arrest Jesus. He accepts a bribe of 30 silver and agrees to take them to Jesus. Judas knew that Jesus and the disciples would go to a garden near Jerusalem and led the soldiers there, stating, “Whoever it is I kiss, he is the one; take him into custody, and lead him away under guard.” Leading the group into the garden, Judas sees Jesus with his disciples and approaches him. “Greetings, Rabbi!” Judas says, and he kisses Jesus very lightly. “Fellow, for what purpose are you present?” Jesus responds. (Matthew 26:49, 50) Answering his own question, Jesus says, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
As the soldiers move toward Jesus, the apostles recognize what is happening. “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” they ask. (Luke 22:49) Before Jesus can respond, Peter uses one of the two swords that the apostles have and attacks Malchus, a servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
Jesus caresses the ear of Malchus, healing the wound. He then teaches an important lesson, telling Peter: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword.” Jesus is willing to be captured, for he explains, “How would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must take place this way?” (Matthew 26:52) This then leads to the trial and crucifixion of Christ.
Who Was Judas in the Bible?
Judas is first mentioned in Matthew 10:1, a list of the 12 disciples that Jesus gave special gifts to and became his closest companions. We know that several hundred people were following Jesus at any given time, and there were 72 disciples that Jesus sent out to do ministry (Luke 10). The 12 disciples were an inner circle within the 72, and some were apparently closer to Jesus than others. Peter, James, and John spent lots of individual time with Jesus, and the Gospel of John mentions “the disciple Jesus loved” several times. How close Judas was to Jesus isn’t clear. The Gospels don’t describe the scene where he met Jesus like it does for Peter or Philip. Given that Jesus often picked disciples by directly approaching them and saying, “follow me,” it’s possible that Judas was singled out by Jesus as a potential follower.
The Gospels also don’t give us any individual scenes of Judas with Jesus. Given that tradition holds that the Gospel of Mark is Peter retelling his memories to his student John Mark, that the Gospel of Matthew is written by Matthew the former tax collector, and that the Gospel of John is by the apostle John, that doesn’t necessarily mean Judas didn’t have one-on-one time with Jesus. The writers would have focused on retelling the big moments (the ones multiple Gospels mention as major events) and their personal memories (Peter recalling the Transfiguration, for example). Remembering when and if Judas hung out with Jesus may not have been a high priority for them.
This lack of references to Judas may also mean that Judas didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He didn’t have massive fights with Jesus that everyone remembered after the fact. He didn’t do anything so cool that everyone remembered as the “disciple most likely to succeed.” Matthew 10 says that all 12 disciples got spiritual gifts and preached, so Judas was doing what all the other disciples were doing. He apparently didn’t seem less spiritual or more rebellious—he was one of the boys.
The fact that Judas didn’t stick out as a rebel or traitor becomes clear if we look at the Last Supper. Mathew 26, Mark 14 and John, all agree and say that when Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him, no one singled out Judas. Instead, they all said, “Surely you don’t mean me?” (Mark 14:19). Peter even asked someone else to ask Jesus who he was talking about (John 13:24). Even when Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer and he left, the other disciples thought something more innocent was going on (John 13:27-30).
Why Did Judas Kiss Jesus
The Bible doesn’t take us directly into Judas’ mind or have any scenes where he makes a defense for his actions. This means that it’s hard to say exactly what he thought of Jesus when he started following him and what changed that made him decide to betray him.
We do know that Jesus told his disciples in John 6:64–70 that he knew some of them did not believe and even said one of them was a devil. This condemnation suggests that there was something fundamental about Jesus’ message that Judas missed. Perhaps he didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah; he just went along for the ride to gain influence as Jesus acquired power and fame. Given that people tried to kill Jesus several times, Judas must have felt he had something big to gain from being with Jesus—something worth the risk. Maybe he thought, as the other disciples seemed to think, that the Messiah was going to free Israel from Rome (Acts 1:6), setting himself up as king. When it became clear that Jesus wasn’t doing the things that a political champion would do (coming into Jerusalem on a warhorse, killing Romans), Judas may have reconsidered who he was getting behind.
The one moment we do get a look into Judas’ motivations is when he rebuked Mary for pouring perfume on Jesus. The writer says that Judas was only upset because, had Mary sold the perfume for the group, he would have accessed the proceeds and taken some for himself (John 12:6). Jesus told Judas to leave Mary alone, and after that incident, Judas met with the religious leaders and accepted money to betray Jesus. This scene indicates that Judas was benefiting financially from being around Jesus and may have been concerned that Jesus knew about his theft.
It’s also interesting to note that Judas was guilt-stricken when Jesus was condemned to be crucified (Matthew 27:3–10). Given that the religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy, which traditionally meant death by stoning (Leviticus 24:16), Judas almost certainly knew things wouldn’t end with Jesus “cutting a deal” and walking away alive. He may have been shocked that the leaders got the Romans to kill Jesus by crucifixion. Pilate was confused at the people’s request (Luke 23:1–56; John 19:4-6), since the Romans didn’t administer punishments for religious disputes. Given that Judas had spent years traveling with Jesus, he may have felt the sheer emotional weight of what he had done and seen it in light of all the time he’d spent with this man. Regardless, it’s clear that Judas wasn’t a sociopath who felt no responsibility for what he’d done. At some point, he realized the reality of his actions and was heartbroken by them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the story of Judas is a powerful reminder of the dangers of greed and the consequences of betraying trust. Judas was a man who was completely preoccupied with his own desires and ambitions, and he paid the ultimate price for his actions. His story is also a reminder of the importance of loyalty and trust. The story of Judas is a cautionary tale that has been passed down through the generations and continues to inspire people today.
