Judas "Helps" Jesus
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matt. 26:14-16, RSV.
The Jewish leaders were ready to move against Jesus, but they faced several problems. First, they dare not risk open action because the masses are favorable to Him (Matt. 26:5). Yet they are under the pressure of time. After all, if they delay their move until after the Passover, Jesus will presumably leave the city and thus elude their grasp.
Aid for their cause comes from a most unexpected source--one almost unbelievable: the defection of one of Jesus' 12 disciples. Judas Iscariot agrees to work as an inside man for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Zech. 11:12). He volunteers to arrange an opportune time for the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus.
The Gospels all report Judas' betrayal, but none of them provides a reason for the action. In that absence, Bible students have suggested several possible reasons. One is that Judas became disillusioned with Jesus when he discovered He was a man of peace rather than a military Messiah who could overthrow the Romans.
But the only motive mentioned in the New Testament is money. It is no accident that Matthew places the story of the woman who anointed Jesus' feet between the story of the frustrated plotting of the Jewish leaders and the story of Judas' volunteering to betray Jesus.
The fourth Gospel helps us here. It tells us that Judas was especially upset because of the cost of the perfume (almost a year's wages) and that he was stealing from the disciples' communal money bag, which he carried (John 12:4-6).
But selfishness alone does not provide us with a sufficient interpretation for Judas' actions, especially since he still expected an earthly Messianic kingdom in which he would be a prominent leader. It seems that the best explanation is that through betrayal Judas sought to force the slow-moving Jesus into exerting His power and setting up His kingdom. Of all the possible constructions behind Judas' betrayal, this one best suits all the facts. And it also explains why Judas committed suicide when his plans went wrong.
Thought question: Am I ever guilty of pushing things a bit to get God moving in the direction I think He should go?
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. Matt. 26:14-16, RSV.
The Jewish leaders were ready to move against Jesus, but they faced several problems. First, they dare not risk open action because the masses are favorable to Him (Matt. 26:5). Yet they are under the pressure of time. After all, if they delay their move until after the Passover, Jesus will presumably leave the city and thus elude their grasp.
Aid for their cause comes from a most unexpected source--one almost unbelievable: the defection of one of Jesus' 12 disciples. Judas Iscariot agrees to work as an inside man for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Zech. 11:12). He volunteers to arrange an opportune time for the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus.
The Gospels all report Judas' betrayal, but none of them provides a reason for the action. In that absence, Bible students have suggested several possible reasons. One is that Judas became disillusioned with Jesus when he discovered He was a man of peace rather than a military Messiah who could overthrow the Romans.
But the only motive mentioned in the New Testament is money. It is no accident that Matthew places the story of the woman who anointed Jesus' feet between the story of the frustrated plotting of the Jewish leaders and the story of Judas' volunteering to betray Jesus.
The fourth Gospel helps us here. It tells us that Judas was especially upset because of the cost of the perfume (almost a year's wages) and that he was stealing from the disciples' communal money bag, which he carried (John 12:4-6).
But selfishness alone does not provide us with a sufficient interpretation for Judas' actions, especially since he still expected an earthly Messianic kingdom in which he would be a prominent leader. It seems that the best explanation is that through betrayal Judas sought to force the slow-moving Jesus into exerting His power and setting up His kingdom. Of all the possible constructions behind Judas' betrayal, this one best suits all the facts. And it also explains why Judas committed suicide when his plans went wrong.
Thought question: Am I ever guilty of pushing things a bit to get God moving in the direction I think He should go?
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