Judas was one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus, always listed at the end and forever remembered as the traitor. We don’t know very much of how or when Jesus chose Judas to be in His inner circle, but we do know how it all ended. Judas expressed remorse, threw the thirty pieces of silver he had acquired for betraying Jesus into the Temple, and hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). He then fell headlong, his body burst open, and his intestines spilled out (Acts 1:18).
When did Judas first betray Jesus – and why? Numerous commentaries on Judas Iscariot state that it was his greed that motivated him. The apostle John gave us a glimpse on Judas’ hypocrisy and greed (John 12:1-8), not unlike modern day communists who claim to want to help the poor but truly want to steal from them and everyone else.
“Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and 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 his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ‘Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?’ He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, ‘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.’”
When Jesus chose Judas Iscariot to be in His inner circle, Bishop Fulton Sheen believes that Judas hadn’t yet fallen into the mortal sin that led to his death. That came around the time when Jesus spoke of Himself and His flesh and blood as the true drink and bread of life (John 6:52-58).
“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.’” (John 6:52-58).
“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.’ He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him. (John 6:66-71). “And you are clean, but not every one of you” (John 13:10).
Judas ultimately sealed his fate at the Last Supper where he was identified by Jesus. “After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.’ So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the feast,’ or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” (John 13:21-30).
“For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:22)
After supper, Jesus took Peter, James, and John to Gethsemane and prayed to His Father. “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12)
Judas knew where to find Jesus, so he directed a great crowd of Jesus’ enemies to the Mount of Olives at Gethsemane where it was Jesus’ custom to pray.
“Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.’” (Matthew 26:48).
“He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?’” (Luke 22:47-48).
“‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ And he kissed him.” (Matthew 26:49). Judas and his crowd of vipers then led Jesus away to be beaten, bloodied, and crucified.
“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).
“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty 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 he went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:3-6).
Both Peter and Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, as Peter had denied Him three times just as Jesus predicted. Yet Peter wept bitterly when he realized his error after the rooster crowed for the third time.
After Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus reminded Peter of his error with three questions. Jesus “said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
St. Peter went on as Jesus’ rock, upon whom He would build His church, while Judas Iscariot endured a different fate.
In the earliest days of the church, the apostles replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:25). “And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’”
The Greek word for “place” is τόπον (topon), which refers to a secluded place, a solitary place, or a desert place. Where is Judas Iscariot today?
SJ Thomason is a Christian mom, wife, and business professor.
Christian Apologist 