Before Jesus entered Jerusalem on the day that would become known as Palm Sunday, one of His own disciples had already planned to betray Jesus to His enemies. We know this traitor as Judas Iscariot, the most reviled and notorious backstabber in human history. But why did Judas Iscariot choose to betray Jesus and what happened after Judas sold out his master for a mere thirty pieces of silver?
What Does the Bible Say about Judas' Death?
After Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the gospels tell us that Jesus was swiftly arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. He would then be handed over to the Romans, who beat, flogged, mocked, and crucified Him on a hill outside of Jerusalem.
To the disciples, the death of Jesus was a shocking and devastating event. As a result, they scattered and went into hiding. Little did they know, however, that Jesus’ story would not end in tragedy. Rather, three days later, Jesus would rise again, overcoming sin and the power of the grave through His death and resurrection. He would eventually appear to His beloved disciples, redeeming and restoring them before eventually empowering them to become His apostles to the world.
Judas Iscariot, however, would not be among the Twelve when Jesus returned. That is because shortly after Jesus was condemned by the high priests and Pharisees, Judas was overcome by unbearable remorse and regret for his actions. Satan had prompted him to betray the Son of God, but once the deed was done, the prince of darkness offered no reward or comfort to the betrayer, only misery and shame.
And the thing Judas coveted above all else, money, could not absolve him of his guilt. The Bible tells us that Judas even tried to return the money he had been given for Jesus’ betrayal. But the Pharisees did not care. They had what they wanted. Jesus was out of the picture. Judas now meant nothing to them. The “spiritual leaders” he looked to offered him no guidance or forgiveness in his moment of greatest failure. Only Jesus could have done that. Judas, however, had betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver.
As a result, Judas spent the remaining hours of his miserable life in a hell of his own making. But rather than repenting of his sin, running to the throne of grace, and seeking forgiveness, Judas tried to silence his conscience.
When Judas realized that he could not absolve himself of the guilt of his betrayal, the Bible tells us that he went out and hanged himself, ending his life mere hours before Christ’s resurrection (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:15-20).
In the book of Acts, Peter also reveals that Judas had “acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.” (Acts 1:18-19; see also Matthew 27:7-8)
It is a grotesque and graphic end to Judas’ life. It is also the last time Judas is ever mentioned in Scripture. His legacy, however, endures.
Today, eleven of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ are revered as saints and heroes of the faith. Judas, however, is regarded as one of the greatest failures and villains of history. Proverbially, he had it all. He had an invitation, access, and opportunity to learn directly from Jesus and become what Christ would equip and empower His disciples to become.
Judas wasted his God-given opportunities and squandered any potential he may have had in life. He is a cautionary tale on the spiritual dangers of greed, deceit, hypocrisy, and betrayal. More importantly, he is a tragic reminder that proximity to Jesus is never a sign of genuine faith when the heart is not surrendered to Him.
Who Was Judas Iscariot?
Shortly after Jesus began His public ministry, the gospels tell us that He chose twelve men to become His disciples. Of course, far more than twelve men would follow Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. There were women as well as men who accompanied Jesus on His travels from Galilee, through Samaria, to the other side of the Jordan, and eventually to Judea and Jerusalem. The chosen twelve disciples, however, who Jesus later anointed as His apostles, had been set apart for a different task.
For a little over three years, these men would be Jesus’ direct students, followers, and closest friends. They walked with Him, talked with Him, ate with Him, listened to His teachings, and were the direct eyewitnesses of His many miracles, some of which He performed only in their presence.
However, one of Jesus’ chosen Twelve would never share in the victory of Christ’s resurrection. He would not rejoice in the wonders of salvation or walk in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. His name would become synonymous with betrayal and his legacy would be eternally defined by his treachery. But where the others, flawed and imperfect as they may have been, would emerge triumphant in Christ as entrusted messengers of the gospel and leaders of the early church, the one called Judas Iscariot would go down as one of the greatest failures in human history.
But what do we really know about this infamous traitor prior to his first encounter with Jesus Christ?
Like many of the apostles, not much is revealed in Scripture about Judas Iscariot prior to accepting the call to follow Jesus. Their lives prior to Jesus are largely a mystery. Of course, the Bible does tell us that one of the disciples was formerly a tax collector (Matthew) and another a zealot (Simon). Others were fishermen by trade (Peter, Andrew, James, John, and perhaps more). Some were followers of John the Baptist before they began to follow the Lamb of God who “takes away the sins of the world.” Most resided in and around the region of Galilee at the time of their calling.
But what about Judas Iscariot?
Unfortunately, not much is known about his upbringing or background prior to meeting Jesus.
The apostle John does note that Judas Iscariot served as the treasurer for the group and was responsible for managing their funds (John 12:6). It is possible, therefore, that Judas worked previously in finance, accounting, or some other industry that involved money management. Ultimately, we do not know because the Bible does not tell us. However, John reveals that Judas would ultimately use this position to pilfer funds from the money box, which he kept for himself.
Did the other disciples ever suspect Judas of theft? Again, we do not know.
All we know is that Judas Iscariot is listed as one of the original twelve disciples called by Jesus. Judas had chosen to follow Jesus willingly and had left whatever life and profession he previously had to become one of Christ’s disciples. In every list provided in the Bible, Judas is always mentioned last among the Twelve (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16).
His Hebrew name, a form of the Jewish name Judah, was one of the most beloved and respected names in Jewish history. It means “Jehovah leads” or “God be praised,” and in many ways, it would serve as a tragic irony of one who abandoned God’s Son to instead be “led by Satan.”
Judas, however, is distinguished from others by his other name, Iscariot. This actually tells us where he probably came from, Kerioth-hezron, a town in the south of Judea (see Joshua 15:25). Therefore, by referring to Judas as Iscariot (ish being the Hebrew word for “man”), Judas’ friends and acquaintances, including the other apostles, were essentially calling him “man of Kerioth.”
If true, this would have made Judas one of the only disciples in the company of Jesus who was not originally from Galilee. It is possible this made Judas feel like an outsider or stranger among the Twelve.
Several of the gospel writers also preemptively refer to Judas as the traitor (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16). However, there’s little evidence to conclude than any of his fellow disciples ever suspected him of treachery prior to his actual betrayal.
In fact, even after Jesus had told His disciples that one of them would betray Him, none of them were suspicious of Judas, who suddenly and mysteriously left the group after Jesus, knowing what was in his heart, told him, “what you do, do quickly.” (John 13:27). Rather, John writes that the disciples assumed that Judas had left to make other arrangements for the Passover or had gone out on some other financial errand (John 13:26-29).
How much the apostles knew about who Judas really was on the inside is unknown. In hindsight and with divine revelation from from the Holy Spirit, the apostles probably came to understand Judas’ true character, realizing later on that Jesus knew all along that Judas would be the one to inevitably betray Him, a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Psalms 41:9; John 13:21-31).
In this regard, Judas had effectively concealed his true character and intentions from the others, masquerading as a true believer the whole time they were together. Jesus, however, knew Judas’ heart from the very beginning. That heart was never fully His.
Why Did Judas Choose to Betray Jesus?
Sadly, three years of walking with Jesus had done little to soften or change Judas’ heart. Of course, we don’t know exactly what motivated Judas to ultimately betray Jesus. It is important, therefore, to distinguish between what Scripture says versus what theologians have speculated over the years. For example, in his book on the twelve disciples, pastor John MacArthur concludes that “Judas was not attracted to Christ on a spiritual level. He followed Jesus out of a desire for selfish gain, worldly ambition, avarice, and greed… wealth, power, and prestige were what fueled his ambitions.”
It is possible that Judas, like many, had initially followed Jesus with high hopes and expectations. Whether Jesus had failed to capitalize on His popularity and make Judas rich in the process or had failed to become the conquering messiah many hoped He would be, somewhere along the way, Judas had lost faith in Jesus and lost interest in His divine mission. Judas, however, was more than disappointed. Disappointment may have inspired him to simply walk away. Instead, Judas had grown bitter and resentful.
Once again, pastor MacArthur hints that “Judas probably convinced himself that Jesus had stolen his life and robbed him of three years of money-making potential. That sort of thinking ate away at him until finally he became the monster who betrayed Christ.”
The breaking point for Judas would come just days before Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.
How Did Judas Plan to Deliver Jesus to the Pharisees?
Contrary to what has been written in countless books and taught in far too many sermons, Judas’ betrayal was not some sudden lapse in judgment or emotional misstep in a moment of passion or weakness. Rather, his resentment of Jesus and determination to betray Him had been brewing for quite some time. The exact details of his plan may not have come together until the last minute; however, Judas had already rejected Jesus in his heart and therefore rejected every offramp and opportunity to change course. He was committed to his cause.
Mere days before Jesus and His disciples entered Jerusalem, he found his opportunity, or rather, sought it out.
While Jesus and His disciples were eating at a house in Bethany, John tells us that Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive bottle of perfume (John 12:1-8).
This was, of course, an extravagant gift and a true act of heartfelt worship. To a greedy and already resentful Judas, Mary’s gift was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?” Judas asked (John 12:5).
Concern for the poor, however, was never Judas’ motivation. With the perfume “wasted” on Jesus, Judas saw an opportunity to enrich himself disappear (John 12:6). Remember, Judas had been stealing from the money box for months, if not years.
Matthew, one of the Twelve, tells us that Judas then slipped away from the group, walked about a mile and a half to Jerusalem, then found the Pharisees and religious leaders.
His mission was clear. “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” he asked them. “And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. And from then on, he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.” (Matthew 26:14-16)
Ironically, the Pharisees had not approached Judas. Rather, Judas had gone to them, looking to broker an unholy transaction. Judas did not fall into sin; he sought it out. Thirty pieces of silver was their offer, and without any hesitation or attempt to negotiate a higher price, Judas accepted (see Zechariah 11:12-13; Matthew 27:9-10).
Earthly treasure was the reward Judas sought. And in that moment, he traded any eternal reward or inheritance he may have had in the kingdom of God.
All he had to do now was wait for the right moment “in the absence of the multitudes” (Luke 22:6) to hand Jesus over to His enemies. As a member of Jesus’ inner circle, Judas would have had an inside knowledge of Jesus’ comings and goings.
By the time he and the disciples arrived at the Last Supper, Judas’ heart was already set on evil. He had made up his mind and had become a willing instrument of Satan. All Jesus could do was hand Judas over to the desires of his heart. “What you are doing, do it quickly,” He told Judas in the Upper Room (John 13:27).
It is written that Judas would then go to the Pharisees and return with an armed cohort of soldiers and officers to the Mount of Olives, a place where Jesus was known to meet and pray with His disciples (Luke 22:39).
When Jesus presented Himself before the mob, asking, “whom are you seeking?” (John 18:4), Judas approached and kissed Jesus on the cheek. This was the prearranged signal he would use to identify Jesus as the one they were looking for (Matthew 26:48).
Even in the midst of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus looked tenderly upon His chosen disciple and friend. “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” he asked (Luke 22:48)
Judas’ treachery, however, was complete.
He had played an instrumental role in Christ’s mission to atone for the sins of humanity (Luke 9:22; see also Isaiah 53:3-5). Sadly, Judas would never share in the victory of Christ’s resurrection. His life would come to a much darker end. Judas' betrayal of Jesus is a sobering story, but Jesus' interactions with him remind us that no matter the heinous sins we commit and how darkness fills our hearts, he desires to redeem us. We need not allow despair over our sin to keep us from Christ for his arms are always open and he is always ready to forgive those who repent.
Additional Resources:
“5 Powerful Lessons from Judas’ Failure and Peter’s Redemption”
“Why Did Judas Take 30 Pieces of Silver for Jesus?”
“What Was Behind the Kiss of Judas?”
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/gabrielabertolini
