Betraying Jesus - a Character Study of Judas (Luke 22:47-53)

Introduction

The point of this study is to understand what human factors might lead us or anyone to head down a path of betrayal. It seems to be possible that one who aligns themselves at one point in time to Jesus might find themselves later to be opposing Jesus. What might cause this? Given that Judas would have found something attractive about Jesus to begin with, what went wrong?

Question to Consider

We read this text from Luke (22:47-53) and its parallels in the other gospels, and ask the question: “HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED??” I have listed four possibilities – four basic problems that Judas could have had.

1. Background Matters

(a) We don’t know that much about Judas. He was listed as one of the original twelve disciples. Given that the gospels were written after the fact, Mark, Matthew & Luke include the name of Judas Iscariot with the additional remark – “who betrayed [Jesus]”. We gather from John’s gospel (12:4-6 & 13:29) that Judas had charge of the disciples’ collective finances (the “common purse”), but, unbeknown to the other disciples at the time, Judas would steal from those funds for his own purposes. So Judas had a weakness in the area of money, which certainly affected his judgment. We read in John that Judas criticised the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume for wasting money, at the same time as he himself stole money from his colleagues. This hypocrisy seems to be combined with an inability to accept the idea of lavish worship being offered to Jesus.

We are seeking to answer the question: ‘HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?’

* Was the problem that Judas had misplaced expectations!

Along with the other disciples, he may have thought Jesus had earthly rule in mind – overthrowing the Romans and taking charge. Judas may also have thought and hoped that there would be particular material and financial reward in following Jesus (the first evidence of a misplaced prosperity type doctrine). When it became clearly evident that this was not the case, Judas’ enthusiasm may have gone sour. When the penny started to drop that the way of Jesus was potentially the way of suffering and not comfort, this may have been too much to contemplate. So is this willingness to betray what happens when we don’t get our own way!?!

We should gain our expectations concerning Jesus from the Bible, especially the gospels (and not from a worldly framework). Jesus was first and foremost about spiritual change and reconciliation with God. The defeat of injustice and the possibility of earthly peace would come through an effective living out of the principles that he taught and that could become implanted in his disciples’ lives. Unfortunately Judas never got that far.

* So, was the problem that Judas had misplaced expectations!

(b) We also read that Judas was a bit of a pawn in the hands of the religious leadership who had deep personal reasons for destroying Jesus. They wished to preserve the status-quo and their powerful positions within it (against the threat of Jesus the change agent). When Judas approached them in his weakness, they offered him thirty pieces of silver to close the deal – which would be obviously attractive to Judas. Yet we have to realise that it was Judas who firstly approached the religious leaders and placed himself in this position (Mark 14:10, Luke 22:3). And also we read that far from being hesitant about this, Judas was “leading them” – he was guiding the group of people who would arrest Jesus (Lk 22:47). Was it that despite much opportunity – Judas hearing first hand the marvellous teaching of Jesus for three years, that Judas had not allowed this to sufficiently impact his character!

HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?

** Was the problem that Judas was really unwilling to change!

Just because we attend church or occasionally read the Bible or say the right words at times, doesn’t mean our character is really changing from the inside out … sufficient to know that we would never betray Jesus like his. We need to be actively seeking positive change in our lives. We need to understand and apply Jesus’ own teaching in this matter, e.g. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

This would suggest that those who do not hunger and thirst for righteousness (or right living) will remain empty (or at least be less filled than we should and could be). My father taught me that if you let your car get really low on petrol you draw the scunge from the bottom of your petrol tank into your engine and affect its long-term performance significantly – good analogy in life I think! To “hunger and thirst …” involves the human body’s most demanding urges for food and water, and signifies that we need to be desperate for change and progress in our lives.

** So, was the problem that Judas was really unwilling to change!

(c) There is then the theological complication here that Jesus was destined to die for our salvation, and that somebody or some people had to make it happen. We read of some level of inevitability about all this. In Matthew’s version, when Jesus was telling his disciples to put their swords away, Jesus says – “…how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” (Mt 26:54; see also Acts 1:16). Yet could we ever believe that God or even Jesus could have deliberately set Judas up for such a failure and ultimate destruction. I think not!! God and Jesus continue to hold out great hope for all humans despite the serious deficiencies that appear. It was only inevitable that someone would fail and betray Jesus. In hindsight the gospel writers know that to have been Judas.

This is clear because of the way Jesus spoke about the betrayer – “For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed” (Luke 22:22). Mark’s version (along with Matthew) has the additional – “It would have been better for that one not to have been born” (14:21). Darrell L Bock writes that, “It is a fearful thing to reject the One who gives his life to secure our forgiveness”. Yet, this is not so much a vindictive judgement from Jesus, but rather an expression of grief for the undoing that Judas has brought upon himself. In so many ways this is so regrettable!

HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?

*** Was the problem that Judas refused to take responsibility for his life decisions!

We cannot afford to be complacent about our decision-making just because we can claim forgiveness at the other end. This is because, although forgiveness is a reality, the repercussions of our bad decisions are out there for all to suffer. Sometimes the scrap bits and pieces in our lives finish up on the floors of our houses or cars, and whenever we feel like it (more often for some than others) we can get out the vacuum cleaner and suck them away. However, we cannot suck back into our vacuum cleaner those effects of our bad decision-making and behaviour.

The result was death for Judas, a tragic and grisly death (as described in Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:18). There is the sense in Matthew 27 that Judas really regretted what he had done, threw the thirty pieces of silver back at the religious leaders (and may have even sought forgiveness from God); yet Judas felt that the guilt and shame was all too much and took his own life. What a tragedy! Judas had got past the point of no return in his own mind! Maybe Judas’ life could have been put back together just as the servant’s ear had been restored (Lk 22:51) if only he had been able to recognise this opportunity.

*** So, was the problem that Judas refused to take responsibility for his life decisions!

(d) Luke’s version of the Judas story (along with John), more so than the others, suggests Satan’s role in Judas’ actions – “Then Satan entered into Judas … [then] he went away and conferred with the chief priests … about how he might betray [Jesus] to them” (Luke 22:3-4; see also John 6:70-1 & 13:27). The passage we have read (Lk 22:53) concludes with the sense of evil, the “power of darkness”, over the whole scene. Of course God’s vindication and resurrection of Jesus defeated the worst of what evil can do, yet we see here evidence of the self-centredness and violence that we see in our society today.

HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?

**** Was the problem that Judas took his eyes off Jesus and became vulnerable to attack and bad influences!

Satan attacks our unaddressed weaknesses. If a bloke, for example has a weakness in the area of pornography, and doesn’t do anything about it, this will be where he will be vulnerable and attacked. If a woman has been hurt and has formed a certain bitterness toward another person, then this is an area where she can be attacked. If a young person has a self-image problem combined with a propensity to soften the pain with drugs, then this will be where he or she is vulnerable and attacked.

Judas clearly had some sort of character flaws which, as he did not yield these to Jesus, caused him to be demonically attacked. “For when Satan enters a life, he leads the person in sinister directions” (D L Bock). Yet, as we have already said, the responsibility remains with us to take the required action to get back on track (with of course prayer and the support of our brothers and sisters being crucial to any progress and healing). We have to remember than the one who is within us, that is Jesus, is greater and stronger than the one that is against us (1 John 4:4). We should claim that truth thoroughly!

**** So, was the problem that Judas took his eyes off Jesus and became vulnerable to attack and bad influences!

2. Relevance to Us – could this happen to us?

Well, Judas was there at the “last supper” – the institution of the communion remembrance that we have participated in. Judas was present there as disciple and friend of Jesus. There was trouble in his heart, which would not have barred him from being involved (for we all come to the table needing forgiveness) – the problem seems to be that he wasn’t seeking to set his heart right at all. He must have just been pretending at this point. Graphically making this clear, John’s gospel says: “After [Judas] received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him” (13:27).

Pretence and hypocrisy was building out of control. So much so, that Judas was willing to use the customary sign of (intimate) friendship, the kiss, through which to betray Jesus. So Jesus’ reply (in verse 48) could be understood as him really saying: ‘Do you pretend to be a (close) friend while you actually betray me (the one who is offering to put you back in touch with God)’! This I think is a significant warning to us. Every time Judas is mentioned as the betrayer we also read that he was “one of the twelve” (eg. Lk 22:47). Even more pointedly we read in Acts 1:17 Peter saying, “… [Judas] was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry”.

We have all been allotted our share in Jesus’ ministry. Let us take seriously our need to repent, our need to change in certain areas, our need to deal with our weaknesses, and our need to take our friendship with Jesus seriously and be real about it. Let us understand who Jesus was and is and truly follow in his way, knowing that the way of Jesus is the narrow and sacrificial way. When we metaphorically ‘kiss Jesus’ and thus worship him and commit to his cause, may this be with a purity of heart and total sincerity.