Did the Pharisees Need Judas?

[Neil_Anthony]

Why did the pharisees have to pay Judas to betray Jesus? Wasn’t Jesus often seen in public? They had soldiers to arrest him, so why did they need Judas to identify him to them? Why couldn’t they just arrest him at any time, such as when he rode the donkey into Jerusalem, or while he was preaching?

 

[Mirdath]

They wanted to get him alone or with only a small group – can you imagine the trouble they’d have arresting Jesus as he entered the city? There’d be riots!

Luke 22:7 mentions Judas’ planning: He accepted their offer and sought a favorable opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.

 

[TheOneTrueFred]

In parochial school we were taught that Jesus and the apostles “all looked alike.” Not kidding

 

[TMC]

In parochial school we were taught that Jesus and the apostles “all looked alike.” Not kidding

Sorry, that really tickled me.

I think that Mirdath is exactly right. Also, the fact that His betrayal came from within His closest group of friends probably provided other tactical advantages to His enemies at the time, and as well as lessons for us today.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

They wanted to get him alone or with only a small group – can you imagine the trouble they’d have arresting Jesus as he entered the city? There’d be riots!

Luke 22:7 mentions Judas’ planning: He accepted their offer and sought a favorable opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.

Matthew 26:3-5 also supports your view:

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and took counsel together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult among the people.”

 

[Genesis315]

There would be tons of folks in town that day. It would be almost impossible for the Pharisees to scour every house and garden that night looking for Jesus–He could have been anywhere. Judas showed them were Jesus was.