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Katididaustralia 66F
49 posts
12/16/2014 3:39 am
Judas Iscariot


Judas - from the Hebrew, a form of the name Judah

of Simon and the infamous apostle who betrayed Jesus.

The Bible provides little direct information about the family and background of Judas. Both he and his father were called Iscariot (Luke 6:16; John 6:Seventy1) This term has commonly been understood to indicate that they were from the Judean town of Kerioth-hezron. If this is so, then Judas was the only Judean amount the 12 apostles, the rest being Galileans.

Judas is introduced into the Gospel accounts in the listing of the apostles sometime after Passover 31 C.E. and about a year and a half after Jesus began His ministry. (Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16) It is logical to conclude that Judas had been a disciple for a time before Jesus made him an apostle. Many writers paint an entirely black picture of Judas but evidently for a while he had been a disciple who found favour with God and with Jesus; his very selection as an apostle indicates that. Furthermore, he was intrusted with caring for the common finances of Jesus and the 12. That reflects favourably on his dependability at the time and his ability or education, especially since Matthew had had experience with money and figures but did not receive this assignment. (John 12:6; Matthew 10:3) Nonethe less, Judas did become completely, inexcusably corrupt. Do doubt it is for this reason that he is placed last in the list of the apostles and is described as the Judas "who later betrayed Him" and "who turned traitor". (Matthew 10:4; Luke 6:16)

Became Corrupt

Near Passover 32 C.E., Judas, with the other apostles, was sent out preaching. (Matthew 10:1, 4+5) Shortly after Judas' return, and less than a year after he had been made an apostle, he was publicly denounced by Christ, though not by name. Some disciples left Jesus, being shocked over His teachings, but Peter said that the 12 would stick with Christ. In response Jesus acknowledged that He had chosen the 12 but said: "One of you is a slanderer" ( Greek-diabolos, meaning devil or slanderer) The account explains that the one who already was a slanderer was Judas, who "was going to betray Him, although one of the 12." (John 6:66-71)

In connection with this incident John says: "From the beginning Jesus knew....who was the one that would betray Him," (John 6:64) From Hebrew Scripture prophecies Christ knew that He would be betrayed by a close associate. (Psalm 41:9; 109:8; John 13:18+19) God also, by use of His foreknowledge, had seen that such a one would turn traitor, but it is inconsistent with God's qualities and past dealing to think that Judas had to fail, as if he were predestined. Rather, as already mentioned, at the beginning of his apostleship Judas was faithful to God and to Jesus. Thus Christ must have meant that "from the beginning" of when Judas started to go bad, started to five in to imperfection and sinful inclinations, Jesus recognized it (John 2:24+25; Revelations 1:1; 2:23) Judas must have known he was the "slanderer" Jesus mentioned, but he continued to travel with Jesus and the faithful apostles and apparently he made no changes.

The Bible does not discuss in detail the motives for his corrupt course, but an incident that occurred on Nisan 9, 33 C.E., five days before Jesus' death, sheds light n the matter. At Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, Mary, Lazarus' sister, anointed Jesus with perfumed oil worth 300 denarii, about a year's wages for a labourer. (Matthew 20:2) Judas strongly objected that the oil could have been sold and the money "given to the poor people." Evidently other apostles merely assented to what seemed to be a valid point, but Jesus rebuked them. Judas' real reason for objecting was that he cared for the money box and he " was a thief....and used to carry off the monies" put in the box. So Judas was a greedy, practicing thief. (John 12:2-7; Matthew 26:6-12; Mark 14:3-8)

Betrayal Price
Judas was undoubtedly stung by Jesus' rebuke about the use of money. At this time "satan entered into Judas," likely in the sense that the traitorous apostle gave himself in to the will of satan, allowing himself to be a tool to carry out satan's design to stop Christ. A few days later, on Nisan 12, Judas went to the chief priests and temple captains to see how much they would pay him to betray Jesus, once again showing his avarice. (Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10+11; Luke 22:3-6; John 13:2)

Thirty pieces of silver (about $66, if in shekels) was the price offered (Matthew 26:14+15) The sum fixed by the religious leaders appears designed to show their contempt of Jesus, viewing Him as little value. According to Exodus 21:32, the price of a slave was 30 shekels. Carrying this forward, for his work as a shepherd of the people, Zechariah was paid "thirty pieces of silver." Jehovah scorned this as a very meager amount, regarding the wages given to Zechariah as an estimation of how the faithless people viewed God Himself. (Zechariah 11:12+13) Consequently, in offering just 30 pieces of silver for Jesus, the religious leaders made Him out to be of little value. At the same time, though, they were fulfilling Zechariah 11:12, treating Jehovah as of low value by doing this to the representative He had sent to shepherd Israel. Corrupt Judas "consented (to the price), and he began to seek a good opportunity to betray (Jesus) to them without a crowd around." (Luke 22:6)

Last Night With Jesus
In spite of having turned against Christ, Judas continued to associate with Him. He gathered with Jesus and the 12 on Nisan 14, 33 C.E., for the celebration of the Passover. While the Passover meal was in process Jesus ministered to the 12. Hypocritical Judas allowed Jesus to do that to him! But Jesus said, "Not all of you are clean," (John 13:2-5, 11) He also stated that one of the apostles there at the table would betray Him. Perhaps so as not to appear guilty, Judas asked if he was the one. As a further identification, Jesus gave Judas a morsel and told him to do quickly what he was doing. (Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 12:21-30)

Immediately Judas left he group. A comparison of Matthew 26:20-29 with John 13:21-30 indicates that he departed before Jesus instituted the celebration of the Lord's Evening Meal. Luke's presentation of this incident evidently is not in strict chronological order, for Judas had definitely left by the time Christ commended the group for having stuck with him; that would not fit Judas, nor would he have been taken into the "covenant....for a kingdom." (Luke 22:19-30)

After Judas had betrayed the Christ he felt the enormity of his guilt. Likely he did not feel genuine remorse for what he had done to Jesus but probably he felt a sorrowing after his own self (as many criminals do-sad for their crimes but only because they've gotten caught at it) and in the morning he attempted to return the 30 pieces of silver which the chief priest refused to take back. Finally, Judas threw the money into the temple. (Matthew 27:1-5)

Death
According to Matthew 27:5, Judas hanged himself but Acts 1:18 says, "pitching head foremost he noisily burst in his midst and all his intestines were poured out." Matthew seems to deal with the mode of the attempted suicide while Acts describes the result. Combining the two accounts, it appears that Judas tried to hang himself over some cliff, but the rope or tree limb broke so that he plunged down and burst open on the rocks below. The topography around Jerusalem makes such and event conceivable.

Also related to his death is the question of who bought the burial field with the 30 pieces of silver. According to Matthew 27:6+7, the chief priests decided they could not put the money in the sacred treasury so they used it to buy the field. The account in Acts 1:18+19, speaking about Judas, says: "This very man, therefore, purchased a field with the wages for unrighteousness." The answer seems to be that the priest purchased the field, but since Judas provided the money, it could be credited to him. Dr. A. Edersheim pointed out: "It was not lawful to take into the Temple treasury, for the purchase of sacred things, money that had been unlawfully gained. In such cases the Jewish Law provided that the money was to be restored to the donor, and, if he insisted on giving it, that he should be induce to spend it for something for the public wael (well-being).....By a fiction of law the money was still considered to be Judas', and to have been applied by him in the purchase of the well-known 'potter's field.'" (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1906, Vol. II, p. 575) This purchase worked to fulfill the prophecy at Zechariah 11:13.

The course that Judas chose was a deliberate one, involving malice, greed, pride, hypocrisy and scheming. He afterwards felt remorse under the burden of guilt, as a willful murderer might at the result of his crime. Yet Judas had of his own volition made a bargain with those who Jesus said made proselytes that were subjects of Gehenna twice as much as themselves, who were also liable to "the judgemnt of Gehenna." (Mathew 23:15, 33) On the final night of His earthly life, Jesus Himself said, actually about Judas: "It would have been finer for that man if he had not been born." Later Christ called him "the of destruction." (Mark 14;21; John 17:12; Hebrews 10:26-29)

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From this account we can see that, unlike many who profess otherwise, it is quite possible to 'fall from grace' and loose ones salvation. Judas is the greatest reminder to us all that we must guard our hearts and minds against the "machinations of the devil," (Ephesians 6:10) especially as these 'end days' draw ever onward to their conclusion.
We do not want to 'run the good race just to fall at the last hurdle'.
1Peter 5:8 Keep your senses, be watchful! Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.
James 1:14+15 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.

Yours,
Katidid.