Judas Iscariot
One of the people involved in Christ’s crucifixion was Judas Iscariot.
Judas was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus.
He traveled with Jesus.
He had first-hand experiences and in-person visits with Him.
Unfortunately, Judas didn’t see things from the same point of view as Jesus did.
Part of Judas’ responsibility was to look after the money bag.
Once, when a woman came in and anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume, Judas objected.
He asked why they didn’t instead sell the ointment and use the money to feed the poor.
“He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief’; as a keeper of the money bag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” – John 12:6 NIV
In other words, Judas was a thief who was more interested in self-gain than in the work of Jesus.
Judas knew the local religious officials felt threatened by Jesus and that they wanted to silence Him.
So, one day Judas went to the chief priests and teachers and asked them what they would give him if he helped them arrest Jesus.
They offered him 30 pieces of silver.
Judas accepted the silver and left.
He watched for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The next day as Jesus and the disciples observed Passover, Jesus revealed that not only did Jesus know He would be betrayed, He knew Judas was the one who would do it.
He told Judas to go ahead and to do it quickly John 13:21-30
Judas left and went to the chief priests and teachers to tell them he knew Jesus and the disciples often gathered in the Garden of Gethsemane and were probably there then..
He then led a group of soldiers to the garden where they arrested Jesus.
This arrest led to the trial in which Jesus was sentenced to die and as a result was crucified.
When Judas betrayed Jesus he didn’t realize the chief priests and elders were planning to kill Jesus.
When he realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he felt great remorse.
Judas went back to the chief priests and Pharisees and tried to return the silver, telling them he had sinned by betraying innocent blood.
They replied to him that it was not their responsibility.
Judas, who was in great despair over his act of betrayal, threw the coins at them and left.
He then went out and hung himself.
The chief priests picked up the coins Judas had thrown at them.
Because it was blood money it could not be given to the local temple.
Instead, it was used to buy a field for the burial of foreigners. –Matthew 27:6-10 NIV
It is believed that this field, called the Field of Blood, is where Judas was buried..
Judas’ actions contributed to the death of Jesus but it is important to remember that what he did fulfilled Scripture and helped usher in the most important event in human history – the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
Jesus referred to this when He quoted Psalm 41:9.
In John 13:18 He said, “But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'”
Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was not a surprise to Jesus.
He knew it was coming and that it must come.
As sad as it is that Judas made this choice, it is important to focus on Jesus and what was made possible by His crucifixion – the salvation of man and the redemption of mankind.
To learn more about Judas Iscariot, read in Matthew or John about when Jesus told the disciples He knew one of them would betray Him.
To read the accounts of Judas betraying Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, read Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-50, Luke 22:47-54, or John 18:1-14.
You might like to read my post, Jesus Was Arrested
To read more about Judas, see my post, Did Judas Go to Heaven?.
To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.