Why did Judas betray Jesus?

[tonyrey]

I agree with you apart from the suggestion that he may have just not believed enough in Jesus. Petty theft doesn’t seem to due to diminished belief in Jesus but an insignificant detail for a person who doesn’t have any money.

I agree with you. It seems symbolic because Jesus knew Judas wouldn’t be present at the last Supper. But symbolic of what? Not being united to Jesus when He consecrated the bread and wine? Or compassion for Judas because he wouldn’t receive His Body and Blood? Or was it just to indicate the identity of the traitor?

.In the case of Judas the prize must have been too valuable for Satan to resist. If he could tempt Jesus surely he could tempt Judas…

Of that there seems little doubt but foreknowledge doesn’t exclude free will. Judas wasn’t completely innocent by any means.

 

[simpleas]

It is beyond all doubt that Judas was sorry for what he did. Why else would he have hanged himself? The words “I have betrayed innocent blood” are proof enough. They also show that he did believe in Jesus after having heard His teaching and witnessed His compassion and so many miracles. During the three years they were together his Master must have had a profound effect on him.

That is a very important point. It demonstrates not only Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him but also knew he was possessed and wanted him to act immediately to fulfil the prophecy. Why? Because the prospect of being crucified would make Him sweat blood later that night. He wanted the ordeal to be over as soon as possible. It must have troubled Him throughout His life. In a barbaric age He came to rescue us from the law of the jungle and must have seen men crucified and left hanging by the side of the roads. Judea was a hotbed of revolt where Roman soldiers were frequently assassinated. It is likely that two of the apostles were Zealots, one being Simon and the other Judas. The Jews hated each other intensely and both sides committed unspeakable atrocities. The Jews stoned women - not men - caught in adultery and the Romans enjoyed watching their victims fighting for their lives against each other and wild beasts. That is why the teaching of Jesus was revolutionary. The idea of loving your enemy was sheer madness and still is for many people today…

I entirely agree. In all other respects he seems to have been a faithful follower of his Master. Probably the other apostles were envious of him because Jesus had selected him to be the treasurer and they may have exaggerated his dishonesty. We have no idea how many times he pilfered the common purse.

Why else would Jesus have chosen him?! It doesn’t mean Judas was entirely innocent but it does mean he wasn’t fully responsible for what he did. We tend to underestimate the power of evil but one English atheist philosopher, Professor CEM Joad, became a Christian because he realised there is no natural explanation for the diabolical atrocities committed cold-bloodedly and systematically by the Nazis over a period of years. Catholics believe in the Communion of Saints which implies they intervene on our behalf and work miracles for us. Yet we usually forget the malevolent source of temptations to live for ourselves and neglect those who need our help. In a secular society moral values are usually regarded as human conventions but in reality we are not isolated from the rest of Creation. Wherever there are rational beings there is a conflict between good and evil. The most fundamental fact of all is that we are either united by love or divided by selfishness.

There was a program on this morning about the Judas kiss. I only saw half of it, but what I took from it was that Judas despaired. Peter although he denied Jesus, he repented, where as Judas despaired and killed himself. If Judas had have stayed until the events unfolded, he may have asked Jesus to forgive him, and Jesus would have, he would still have been the betrayer, much like peter is the denier, but both would have received forgiveness.
The line where Jesus says it would have been better if that man had never been born, sounds like Judas could never have been forgiving, and I think through the centuries in art work, Judas is painted/portrayed as someone who couldn’t receive mercy for handing Jesus over to the high priests.
I think as we have grown in our understanding of what mercy is, and that it is open to all who ask, we are growing more merciful towards the man Judas.In a completely different time, different attitudes and understanding of each other, it’s hard to grasp the events that took place, yet we all know we could be a Judas or Peter given the part we are to play in this world.

 

[tonyrey]

There was a program on this morning about the Judas kiss. I only saw half of it, but what I took from it was that Judas despaired. Peter although he denied Jesus, he repented, where as Judas despaired and killed himself. If Judas had have stayed until the events unfolded, he may have asked Jesus to forgive him, and Jesus would have, he would still have been the betrayer, much like peter is the denier, but both would have received forgiveness.

I don’t think Judas could have asked Jesus to forgive him because he was utterly convinced - like many other people even today - that his crime was unforgivable. Even if Judas had access to Jesus, which is doubtful, hee was so ashamed of himself he couldn’t have dared to speak to Jesus who was in chains and already being manhandled by his captors who were accustomed to treating criminals mercilessly. Men who have others in their power are notorious for their sadistic brutality.

The line where Jesus says it would have been better if that man had never been born, sounds like Judas could never have been forgiving, and I think through the centuries in art work, Judas is painted/portrayed as someone who couldn’t receive mercy for handing Jesus over to the high priests.
I think as we have grown in our understanding of what mercy is, and that it is open to all who ask, we are growing more merciful towards the man Judas.In a completely different time, different attitudes and understanding of each other, it’s hard to grasp the events that took place, yet we all know we could be a Judas or Peter given the part we are to play in this world.

I entirely agree. To think the treachery of Judas is unforgivable implies God is not infinitely merciful yet He never rejects anyone even those who are in hell. He loves all His creatures without exception because all evil is ultimately due to ignorance even when it is culpable. If we saw everything from God’s point of view we would realise it is not in our own interest to sin because we harm ourselves more than others in the long run. Judas is not in hell because he didn’t reject God: he loathed and rejected himself whereas the damned love themselves so much they reject God because they are determined to be independent and exist for themselves without having any obligations to others. Judas believed he had nothing to live for because he mistakenly but understandably believed God no longer loved him. Many Christians believe it was the greatest crime in the history of mankind and it would be if Judas had foreseen the full consequences of what he was doing and intended Jesus to be tortured and crucified. Hanging himself because he knew he had betrayed innocent blood proves beyond all possible doubt he did not want his Master to suffer and die. Even Caiaphas did not act out of sheer malevolence because he was concerned about what the Romans would do to the Jews if there was a uncontrollable riot with so many people in Jerusalem during Passover: “It’s better that one man should die for the people.” His fear was justified because Judea was a hotbed of revolt which would eventually lead to the destruction of the city and Temple in 70 AD.

 

[tonyrey]

A further reason why Judas betrayed Jesus is the intense hatred of the Jews for the Romans because of their cruelty. Throughout his life he was forced to watch rebels being flogged and crucified for having killed Roman soldiers. Their companions took revenge in an attempt to deter the Jews from committing further crimes but it was a constant vendetta between the Zealots and their oppressors. Judas may well have been a Zealot but there is little doubt he couldn’t bear the thought that his Master wouldn’t use His power to liberate His people who had been oppressed by the Romans for many years. According to the Scriptures that was why the Messiah was to come yet the prophecy would not be fulfilled if Jesus let Himself be killed like a criminal. That was the temptation Satan put into his mind. In a society accustomed to the idea of “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” surrendering to the enemy was sheer madness. It would achieve nothing and simply prolong the virtual slavery of the Jews. Jesus had told the apostles he would be betrayed and killed but perhaps He was testing their courage. Did any of them dare to betray Him? It may seem a perverse thought to us but a desperate man is willing to seek any excuse to fulfil his lifelong ambition. Any doubts Judas had were dispelled when Jesus said " Do what you have to do quickly"…