Jesus said at the beginning of his ministry that he had chosen his twelve disciples, but that one of them was a devil and that one was Judas Iscariot (John 6:70–71).
Jesus knew the real motives of everyone around him (John 2:24–25, Mark 2:8).
He knew what was in Judas' heart. This raises the possibility that Jesus chose
Judas knowing that he would fulfill the role of betrayer to fulfill prophesy, see below.
God's reasons for doing what he does, allowing what he allows, is ultimately his alone, see God is sovereign in God's Attributes.
The chief priests and the scribes sought how to kill Jesus, but they feared the people, see Fear of Man. They didn't want to arrest him during Feast of Unleavened Bread,
because they were afraid that it would cause an uproar among the people.
(Mat 26:3–5, Mark 14:1–2, Luk 22:2, John 11:47–57).
Jesus and his disciples came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, see The Death of Lazarus. They gave a dinner for him there in the home of Simon the Leper. Martha, Lazarus' sister, was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Jesus at the table. (John 12:1–2, Mat 26:6, Mark 14:3a).
Mary, Lazarus' second sister, then came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he lay at the table. It was a pound of expensive ointment made of pure nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. This can be seen as a kind of worship of Jesus. (Mat 26:7, Mark 14:3b, John 12:3).
Judas questioned this and said that it would have been better to sell this ointment for 300 denarii and give it to the poor. The value corresponds to an entire year's salary for a poor worker. He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and he used to take care of the money bag to help himself to what was put in it. The Love of Money was one of Judas' weaknesses. Other disciples also became upset and scolded her as well. (John 12:4–6, Mat 26:8–9, Mark 14:4–5).
Jesus rebuked them and told them to leave her alone and not trouble her. She had done a beautiful thing to him. They would always have the poor among them,
and when they will they can do good for them. But they won't always have Jesus among them. She had done what was possible for her, anointed his body for burial in advance. Jesus adhered to the custom of anointing the dying before burial
(John 19:38–40, Mark 16:1, Luk 23:56). Jesus also said that wherever this gospel is preached in the world, what she had done would also be told in memory of her
(Mat 26:10–13, Mark 14:6–9, John 12:7–8).
Judas may have taken this to mean that Jesus was publicly taking a stand for
Mary in front of him. That Jesus did it for a woman who was a nobody in that culture, before Judas who was a chosen disciple of Jesus. Judas may have perceived himself as publicly insulted and offended by Jesus. But Jesus never takes a stand for one person at the expense of another. Jesus shows no partiality. We shouldn't show partiality (Luk 20:21, 1 Tim 5:21, Proverbs 24:23, 28:21). It's a sin to show partiality (James 2:9), and Jesus has no sin (John 8:46, Heb 4:15, 1 Pet 2:22,
2 Cor 5:21). Jesus always makes the right decisions, see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life. Judas didn't understand this. He didn't understand Jesus' explanation.
It says that Satan then entered into Judas (Luk 22:3), and he went to the chief priests and officers and conferred with them how to betray Jesus to them. He asked them what they were willing to give him him if he would hand Jesus over to them. They counted out 30 pieces of silver for him, as prophesied in Zechariah 11:12. This was equivalent to 120 denarii. Since one denarius was a day's wages for a laborer, Judas received the equivalent of four monthly wages for betraying Jesus. It was also the price of a slave under the Mosaic Laws
(Exo (2 Mos) 21:32). (Mat 26:14–15, Mark 14:10–11a, Luk 22:4–5).
Judas was guilty for his actions, but there was a spiritual evil power behind Judas
and that's the power of the enemy. Satan had previously tempted Jesus without success (John 14:30), see The Temptations of Jesus. Now Satan turned Judas
against Jesus.
Judas then looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus in the absence of a crowd, to hand him over to the chief priests and officers (Luk 22:6, Mat 26:16, Mark 14:11b).
This means that at their Last Supper the devil had already sat in the heart of Judas
to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Jesus foretold that Judas would betray him when he gave him a piece of bread at this supper (John 13:18–30, Mat 26:21–23,
Mark 14:18–20, Luk 22:21, 1 Cor 11:23). By doing this, Jesus fulfilled a prophesy (Psalm 41:9 (10 in some translations)). Jesus also warned Judas while he was still there: "The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." (Mat 26:24, Mark 14:21, Luk 22:22). Judas then asked Jesus if he was the one who would betray Jesus (Mat 26:25). It says that Satan then entered into Judas and he immediately went out to be able to arrest Jesus
(John 13:27a, 30). It's clear that Judas didn't believe in Jesus at this point.
When Jesus said to Judas: "What you are going to do, do quickly" (John 13:27b), it was no more evidence of God's approval than the word to Balaam to go to Balak, see Balaam and Balak. There is no way that Jesus approved of what Judas did.
When Judas later saw that Jesus was condemned, he was remorseful but he didn't repent, see the times 38:22–39:33 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ January 2024
and 6:41–7:46 in Matthew 27:1-35 – The Innocent One Crucified. The used Greek word in Mat 27:3 means regret and remorse. You can be regretful of your action without repenting (2 Cor 7:10). Judas brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. He told them that he had sinned by betraying innocent blood. But they answered Judas that it was his responsibility, not theirs.
Judas then threw the pieces of silver into the temple and went away and hanged himself. The chief priests said that it wasn't lawful to put the money into the treasury, because it was the price of blood. Instead, they bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in. This field was called "The field of blood".
See time 13:40–22:14 in Luke 19 (Part 1) :1-27 • Zacchaeus - Responding in Faith.
This fulfilled the prophesy of Zechariah 11:13: "They took the 30 pieces of silver,
the price set on him by some of the sons of of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord directed me." (Mat 27:3–10).
When Judas died, he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out (Acts 1:18). Probably the rope broke when Judas hanged himself, and he fell down in such a bad way.
After Jesus' ascension, Matthias replaced Judas as of the twelve apostles to fulfill prophesy in the Scripture. It says: "May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it" and "Let another take his office."
(Acts 1:16, 20, 26, Psalm 69:25 (26 in some translations), 109:8).
Judas had been a follower of Jesus and a preacher of the gospel, but there was a double-mindedness about him. Finally he abandoned the faith he once professed.
Judas was actively involved in Jesus' ministry and received remarkable spiritual gifts, see Jesus sends out the twelve in The Great Commission. Judas walked
with Jesus for three and a half years and saw his miracles, see Miracles of Jesus.
He was warned by Jesus at the Last Supper about the consequences of betraying him, but he did it anyway. Judas was given many opportunities and yet he betrayed Jesus (Jer 17:9). God has given us a free will to accept or reject him. Judas didn't have to betray Jesus, even though Jesus knew he would make that choice, see
The Predestination Theory. Judas had heard The Parable of the Prodigal Son,
so he should know that God is ready to welcome and forgive those who have wasted themselves in many sins. He therefore didn't have to hang himself afterwards.
He really could have repented and asked God for forgiveness, but he didn't
(Acts 1:25b, John 17:12b). Judas confessed his sin to the chief priests and it was good (1 John 1:9). But he must also repent and believe in Jesus as Christ
(Acts 16:27–32, Heb 4:2, Eph 2:8–9), see Salvation. Something he never did.
Perhaps it was money, power, a high position, and popularity that Judas wanted, and therefore began to follow Jesus. Judas must have had big dreams and envisioned something completely different from what Jesus was talking about. Judas
was probably disappointed in Jesus when he considered himself to be publicly rebuked by him when he criticized Mary for pouring the very expensive perfume on Jesus. All of this together made him probably to loose faith in Jesus and betray him.
Judas had stolen from the collective money bag, and when he kept this sin secret, Satan entered into him. He made a deal with the chief priests and then sat down at the Lord’s table with known sins he wouldn't confess, and Satan entered even further into his life. Unconfessed sins always open the door to Satan’s power. Satan doesn’t gain a foothold in the lives of people who walk in the light with Jesus. He only gets access to us when we open the door.
Jesus can conquer man without man first approaching him. But Satan’s frailty is proved by this, that he can't approach a soul unless that soul has first turned to him by sinning willfully. We shouldn't give Satan such a foothold (Eph 4:25-32 (NIV)).
See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.
