Table of Contents
Disambiguation
There were two people called Judas among the twelve disciples of Jesus. One became a traitor and the other was faithful for life. The one who was a traitor is referred to as Judas Iscariot. When referring to Judas the traitor, so as not to make your audience mistake him for the faithful Judas, it is better to use the name Judas Iscariot; merely saying Judas can mislead your audience.
Facts about Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot’s first mention in the Bible was in Matthew 10:4; this was the time when Jesus Christ was selecting his 12 disciples for ministry, and he was chosen by Jesus to be part of the twelve disciples.
At that time, Judas Iscariot was a full-grown man ready to be utilized in the religious ministry. Nothing was said about his early life or what he did for a living. His father’s name was Simon. (John 6:71; John 12:4; John 13:26) And it is believed he came from Kerioth. Because Jesus mostly chose simple men for his ministry, we can be sure that Judas Iscariot was no different from the rest; he too was a simple man with no high social status.
In the ministry of Jesus, Judas Iscariot was given an honorable position as the treasurer; and it appears he was the only one who had a position among the disciples; the others did not have such a privilege. He had a money bag, and the money donated to Jesus was put into the money bag which was in his keep.
Jesus foretells Judas Iscariot’s betrayal
There was a time when after Jesus had just finished delivering a sermon a great number of His disciples showed their resentment, took offense at Him, and abandoned Him for good. While this great multitude walked away, the twelve disciples proved faithful and remained with Jesus against all odds.
It was during that moment that Jesus dropped one of His thought-provoking revelations that one of His twelve disciples would betray Him. This was the first of his prophecies concerning his death and the cause thereof. The Bible categorically stated that Jesus knew exactly whom He was referring to. He was referring to Judas Iscariot, but he did not identify him by his name.
At the time Jesus Christ first dropped the revelation about betrayal and His death, Judas Iscariot had not as yet formed the intention of betraying Jesus for any reason. He was just as innocent as the other disciples. This is because, normally, revelations or prophecies come at a time when the event in question does not look likely to happen. (John 6:66-71)
Judas Iscariot’s weakness and sin
“This he (Iscariot) said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” John 12:4-6.
The story of Judas Iscariot began to take a new twist when this elevated disciple took advantage of his position to enrich himself. Being the treasurer and having access to all the money that came in, he began to steal some for himself. As to why Judas Iscariot was so desperate for money to the point of stealing, we can only speculate.
He seemed to have lost his focus at some point; he seemed to have lost sight of the reason why he had been called to play a role in Jesus’ ministry. And he saw his position as an opportunity to enrich himself. Jesus Christ once said, “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles ?” Matthew 7:16
The fact that Judas Iscariot was in desperate want of money to the point where he did not consider the morality of what he would do to get money, no doubt, makes us see that he had the weakness of greed – greed for money, also called ‘love for money. Hence he was a lover of money.
Judas Iscariot rebukes Mary the sister of Lazarus
Judas Iscariot is also well remembered for a hypocritical rebuke he unleashed on Mary the sister of Lazarus. According to John’s Gospel, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where his friend Lazarus was. And they prepared a dinner for Him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Jesus at the table.
Then Mary took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples, said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
John explained that Judas Iscariot said that, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and since he was the keeper of the moneybag, he used to steal some of the money for himself.
Then Jesus, with a gentle rebuke, said to him, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.” (John 12:1-8)
Judas Iscariot agrees to betray Jesus Christ
As we have already seen, Judas Iscariot had greed for his weakness and he was in the firm grips of greed for money; and he was perfectly living up to his weakness by stealing from the ministry.
His weakness of greed, and his sin of love for money and consequently theft, no doubt, made Judas Iscariot open to the devil’s influence. Iscariot, at this point, was nothing more than a golden opportunity for the devil to exploit to attempt to ruin Jesus. And the devil tapped into the opportunity without delay. He used money as bait to lure him to do something awful – that was betraying Jesus.
According to the Bible, Satan entered Judas Iscariot and led him to the chief priests. These chief priests were enemies of Jesus desperately seeking to take Him out. But they had not been able to lay hands on Him due to fear that if they arrested Him in public, it would spark a riot and they would have to answer for it (Luke 22:2). Therefore, they would be grateful if someone could help them to easily lay hands on Jesus at a time when He is not surrounded by the crowd. (Luke 22:6)
When Judas Iscariot met the chief priests, this was his first statement: ‘What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.’ Matthew 26:15
Seriously, Judas Iscariot was in for the money – money was his main incentive for betraying Jesus. It is pretty sad that others are trying to override biblical evidence and are trying to concoct stories to explain why Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus; some say it was for political reasons, whatever. Biblical evidence points to money as his incentive for his betrayal.
Jesus warns Judas Iscariot
After meeting with the chief priests and making a deal with them, Judas Iscariot became nothing more than a spy and a secret agent of the Jewish authorities. Jesus now had a representative of his enemies right in His camp.
There came a time when Jesus and His disciples were reclining at a table for the Passover – it was the last of its kind before Jesus’ arrest and demise. The very fact that Jesus knew that the hour of betrayal was near and that one of His very own was going to commit such a sin turned His mood sorrowful throughout.
In the course of their eating, Jesus Christ interrupted with the same old revelation that one of His disciples was going to betray Him. And this time, His message was more of a warning to make the betrayer reconsider his action. He said,
“The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24; also, Mark 14:2)
It would have been better for that man if he had not been born – meaning that whosoever betrays Jesus is bound for inevitable destruction. Judas Iscariot was there when Jesus said all that but it still did not deter him from his planned action of handing Him over to the Jewish authorities.
Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus
After the supper, Jesus and his disciples went to Gethsemane. At Gethsemane, Jesus was greatly sorrowful and troubled and He spent some time praying through the night and there an angel of the Lord came to strengthen Him. When he was done paying, and as He was speaking to His disciples, Judas Iscariot came, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. Judas Iscariot, at that moment, handed Jesus over and set in motion a series of events – Jesus’ trial, torture, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Matthew 26:47-56
Judas Iscariot’s regret
Jesus Christ, since he was arrested, had been subjected to beatings and interrogations upon interrogations. And early in the morning, he was taken to Pontius Pilate who, eventually, consented to the Jews’ thirst for Jesus’ crucifixion. And Jesus was taken away to be crucified in the afternoon.
Then when Judas Iscariot saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed and went to hang himself. But the chief priests, taking the 30 pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood. (Matthew 27:3-10)
The death of Judas Iscariot
1. According to Matthew: Mt 27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
This is how Judas Iscariot ended up or died by committing suicide according to Matthew 27:3-10.
2. According to Luke: Acts 1:18 Now this man (Judas Iscariot) purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
Why the difference in the account of Judas Iscariot’s death
Two people, Matthew and Luke, were involved in producing an account of Judas Iscariot’s death and their accounts differ from each other’s. Since the Bible is inspired by God and is trustworthy, we can be sure that none of them was wrong. It happened that Judas Iscariot hanged himself and also fell headlong. The problem is how to connect these two accounts. With time, many have attempted to put these two pieces together to make one story.
When Judas Iscariot was consumed with guilt, regret, self-judgment, and self-condemnation, he went to hang himself and died. And his dead, hanging body bloated – as we all know bloating occurs in dead bodies, especially, in the abdomen. While hanging there, the rope broke, his body fell to the ground, his bloated abdomen burst, and all his bowels gushed out.
Prophecies about Judas Iscariot
“And I said unto them, If you think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver. And Jehovah said unto me, Cast it unto the potter, the goodly price that I was prized at by them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them unto the potter, in the house of Jehovah” Zechariah 11:12-13
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 41:9