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Do we know why Judas betrayed Jesus?


Was it for the money?  Thirty pieces of silver wouldn't seem like very much.

Was he jealous of Jesus, thinking that a mere chastisement by the Sanhedron might cool Jesus' heals a little, not realizing that they really wanted to kill him?

Was it for some political reason?

Someone had to do it?
So... he was chosen by God to be the betrayer?
He obviously knew Jesus very personally - what could make a man look God in the eye, kiss Him - then betray Him?  
As you see - I only have questions...
It has always been a mystery to me how Judas could bring himself to betray Christ.

John 17:11-12

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.KJV

It is true that Judas was destined to betray Jesus so that the Scriptures could be fulfilled.  The "how", is perhaps the question that is being asked.

At the time of Jesus arrival on earth, the Messiah had long been anticipated.  The Jewish nation was looking for a reigning King as Messiah, not a servant.  This is one reason the Sandhedrin would not accept Jesus and why they continually questioned Him.  Isra'el was under Roman rule, and it was heartless and harsh.  Expectancy that God would deliver His people once again, in the same way He did from Egypt, was foremost on people's hearts.  Remember, that Moses had prophecied that One would come like him, but greater than him.  That is sort of a simplistic over-view - but I think you get the idea.

Judas Iscariot was a zealot, a politcal type person and probably hard driven to excel and motivated to fight.  imho, I believe that when He saw the miracles of Jesus and the words He spoke against the Sanhedrin - he "tasted blood".  He was calculating and mercanery.  At one point we discover he had been stealing money from Jesus.  This leads me to understand that he was not motivated by love and his intentions were evil and Jesus knew it.  He was also very crafty and covered himself well.  Why else would the disciples been totally at a loss as to who would betray Jesus at the last supper?  Judas was very good at what he did.  He did not have a heart for God or His purposes. That he betrayed Jesus, Who once called Judas His friend, does not surprise me in the least.  It was not the money that Judas wanted.  He wanted to be one of the victorious in a battle against the Romans.  He believed Jesus was the leader that God had appointed to do it.  When it finally sank in that Jesus did not come for that purpose, Judas was disgusted and angry and only wanted revenge.  He was the son of perdition - that is anathama in God's eyes.  Yes, in the end he was sorry and perhaps had some guilt over what he had done, but it was not repentence that Judas sought, but perhaps pity for himself what he had wanted and lost.

Well, for one thing they didn't yet know He was God.

Another possibility is that he was simply impatient.  He thought he knew what the messiah's purpose was, and was tired of all this messing around and wanted to force Jesus' hand into action.

On the other hand - given how much public preaching Jesus had done, why did it take a personal friend to identify him at all - surely they must have known who he was?

Did Judas know that Jesus was God?

Matt 16:13 ¶ And coming into the parts of Caesarea of Philip, Jesus questioned His disciples, saying, Whom do men say Me the Son of Man to be?
14 And they said, Some say John the Baptist, and others Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.
15 He said to them, But you, whom do you say Me to be?
16 And answering, Simon Peter said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And answering, Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against her.
19 And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven. And whatever you may loose on the earth shall be, having been loosed in Heaven.
20 Then He warned His disciples that they should tell no one that He is Jesus the Christ.
21 ¶ From that time, Jesus began to show to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go away to Jerusalem, and to suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised on the third day.

Judas knew.  Plus, Jesus sent out the 70 to heal and rebuke demons, in His Name - Judas was one of them.  satan entered Judas at the Last Supper which is why and how he could betray the Son of the Living God.

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

You really think Peter knew in detail what this meant at that time?  's quite clear from John, that they only began to properly understand AFTER Easter.

They understood that He was the Messiah - the Son of the Living God.  They did not understand the why He had to die.
As I noted in a previous post, the Messiah to come, for them meant a physical Deliverer, not a spiritual One.  The disciples also did not understand that He would rise from the dead.

Was it not for the reasons of God? To fulfill the given law in Christ that all who are called be redeemed back to God.

I remember hearing somewhere that Judas was supposed to have betrayed Jesus from love.

He loved Jesus, once. But he became disillusioned, felt himself betrayed and so became the Betrayer, because he did not understand that Jesus was not going to establish a political Kingdom but a spiritual one. He heard, but he did not understand. All he came to see was a teacher who spoke of a kingdom that he was not going to realise.

So largely then that Judas, like the crowd yelling "Crucify him, crucify him!", was a dissatisfied, or impatient, customer.

The "messiah" to all of them was either militant, or of no use.  So Judas wanted action.

So the Jews were still wanting a "king" just like they had wanted with Saul, 1000 years earlier.

They were still just earthly, just human.

Many Christians today are still waiting for an earthy king. Even after He has said..

John 18:36

36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
KJV

:'(

But... He WILL come soon!

It is written;

1 Tim 6
10  For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11  But thou, O man of God flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meakness.

Judas betrayed he Lord because he loved money, if it weren't so, the scriptures would never have pointed out he was a thief and held the bag, at John 12:4-6, the other gospels give the same story about Mary and the spikenard ointment, but only the gosple of John tells us about his motives.

Mathew 14:10, tells us, Judas went to the chief priests; Caiaphas (the high priest) and Annas (Lk 3:2) and agreed to deliver Jesus.

Money always accompanies the desire for power over people, I suspect that when, Judas realized Jesus, was not interested in wealth and the power and influence it can buy, he realized there was nothing here for him.

But make no mistake about this one thing, he was a devil according to Jesus (Jhn 6:70), and on the night he betrayed Jesus, Satan entered into him (possessed him) (Jhn 13:27)

All that the scriptures might be fulfilled, as reba has said Jhn 17:12.


Blessings,

Petro



He betrayed Jesus