Understanding the Twelve-Judas Iscariot
“13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.”
Mark 3:13-19
It is only fitting that this week, we discuss the other Judas. The last two weeks, we had discussed two disciples about whom we had to infer more about them from their lack of being mentioned in scripture. That cannot be said for Judas Iscariot.
It is hard for many believers to accept the fact that the man who would betray Jesus actually walked with Him, was present for certain miracles, heard Jesus preaching, and saw Jesus fulfilling prophecy. You would think that with all that Judas was witness to, he would have known that he was walking with the Messiah. However, we get almost as many glimpses into Judas’s personality as we do Peter.
“4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he 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
Right after Jesus is anointed, Judas grumbles at the money that could have been made from the perfume. He comes off as caring for those who are poor, but through the Holy Spirit, the writers realise that Judas was stealing. We see here that he is cunning and charming to have fooled those around him. This obsession with money is carried over into Matthew 26:14-16 when Judas goes to the chief priests, asking what they will give him for betraying Jesus. This section of scripture also identifies that Judas, despite all that he had seen, did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Instead, Judas saw Him as more or less a “cash cow” or a way to make easy money while gaining respect in the community.
Earlier, I mentioned that Judas was cunning; in fact, I think he had the personality of most con artists, none of those closest to him suspected that he would betray Jesus. Look first at Matthew 26:19-25, “19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. 20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” 23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” When Jesus states that one of the twelve will betray Him, each disciple looks internally; they are all asking Jesus if they still have sin that would cause them to betray Him.
Secondly, we need to look at John 13:21-29, “21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23 Nowthere was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.” Despite Jesus stating earlier that he would be betrayed by one of them, the other disciples still do not recognise that Jesus is identifying Judas as the betrayer. Instead, they believe that when Jesus tells Judas, “What you do, do quickly,” they believe that he is being sent on a task for Jesus. They did not make the connection that Jesus was releasing Judas to do what he was already planning.
Here, I want to put a stop to a growing idea behind Judas Iscariot. There are some who believe that Judas had no choice in his actions, that he was just a pawn used by God the Father to accomplish His will. This is a lie. Judas had as many chances as the other disciples, and more than some who came to recognise Jesus as the Messiah. And yet, he still chose to betray Him. Judas had the free will, as we all do, to make the choice. Follow God or not, he chose not to. Some might say, “Well, if Judas didn’t betray Jesus, then Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross for our sins”. In answer to this I want you to look at Esther 4:13-14, “13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.” While Mordecai is proclaiming that deliverance would come from another if Esther remained quiet, the meaning is the same. If Judas had accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the only One to reconcile mankind to God, then there would have came another who would betray Jesus. God’s will is always accomplished; who is used to accomplish it depends on the free will and the choices that each individual makes. Judas could have just as easily been known as a man of great faith instead of as the man who betrayed Jesus.
Today, believers need to pay attention to the lesson that Judas provides. First, it is frightening to realise that there are those who walk with Jesus, and yet they don’t actually know Him. Churches today are filled with those like Judas; they claim to follow Jesus but are as unsaved as the person who never steps foot into a church. It is why we as believers need to be on the alert; we need to call out sinful behaviour to either correct a born-again believer or to identify someone who is false. Secondly, while we cannot be saved based on our own actions, we have the free will to choose to accomplish God’s will or allow another to rise up to accomplish it. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God did not wish for even Judas Iscariot to perish; however, due to his own choice not to follow God, Judas found his name not in the Lamb’s book of Life.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex