Judas: A Friend Who Betrayed

KEY VERSE: “Woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed.” —Mark 14:21

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:10,11,17-21,43-46; Matthew 27:3-5

THE Scriptures indicate that Jesus knew from the beginning who it was that would betray him. He also knew that his betrayal was permitted by the Heavenly Father and that it was in fulfillment of prophecy. In John 6:64,70,71 we read, “There are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. … Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” Psalm 41:9 is a prophecy that foretold the betrayal of Jesus. This he quoted as recorded in John 13:18: “Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” Another interesting prophecy that seems to have reference to the betrayal of Jesus is found in Psalm 109:6-12, NEB.

Judas, of course, was one of the twelve, having been selected sometime after Jesus started his ministry. (Luke 6:16) It is reasonable to assume that Judas had been a disciple for a time before he was appointed an apostle. We believe that for a while at least he gave evidence of faithfulness, but his mind was open to the temptation of Satan and eventually he became inexcusably and completely corrupt. By the use of his foreknowledge, God knew that such a one would turn traitor, but it is inconsistent with God’s character to believe that Judas was predestined to fail. We believe rather that God permitted Judas to exercise his own will in submitting to his sinful inclinations. Jesus, we believe, immediately recognized the change.

The Bible does not discuss in detail the motives for Judas’ corrupt course, but an incident occurred just before the death of Jesus in the home of Lazarus that seems to indicate a motive. (John 12:1-8) In this incident Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed Jesus with a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and wiped his feet with her hair. Judas strongly objected and stated that the oil could have been sold and the money given to the poor. The text then continues (vs. 6), “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein.” It is interesting to note what Jesus said in response to the criticism by Judas for we know that he knew the mind and heart of Judas, but he also knew that the Heavenly Father was permitting this to happen and that Judas’ time was not yet. Jesus said, “Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you: but me ye have not always.” (vss. 7,8) After Jesus’ death on the cross the women returned home “and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56) But these ointments were never applied to the body of Jesus because when they returned to the tomb on the first day of the week he had risen.—Luke 24:1-3

After this incident in Mary’s home Judas went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.” (Matt. 26:15,16) The depravity of Judas’ character is shown by the fact that he continued to associate with Jesus and the eleven. He sat at the table with Jesus and the apostles on the night of the Passover Supper. It was during the time of this last meal together that Jesus girded himself and washed the feet of the disciples and presumably the feet of Judas also. But it was while ministering to the disciples that Peter said unto him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.”—John 13:9,10

After the supper, Judas left the group, departing before Jesus instituted the memorial of his death. Judas later found Jesus together with the faithful apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place that Judas knew well for they had met there before. He led a great crowd, including Roman soldiers and a military commander. The mob had clubs and swords and according to the prearranged sign, Judas greeted Jesus in an act of hypocrisy saying, “Hail, master; and kissed him.” (Matt. 26:49) The account in Matthew 27:5 states that after realizing the enormity of his crime, Judas in complete remorse cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple, and departed and went and hanged himself.

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