Apostle Judas Iscariot
The life of Judas Iscariot, the man who betrayed Jesus, is mentioned twenty-two times in the King James Bible. Who was he? What did Christ have to say about his character? Did he repent of betraying the Savior of mankind just like Peter had a change of heart after he denied the Lord three times? How did Judas die?
Judas is one of Biblical history’s most unfortunate and tragic figures. He became a pawn in Satan’s evil game to totally destroy the Messiah, an act that would ultimately fail as prophecy predicted (Genesis 3:14 – 15).
What kind of man was Judas Iscariot? There is an old tradition that says, from childhood, he and Jesus had been friends and that Christ continually had to pull him out of trouble. Although this tradition may not be quite true, it is logical to conclude that the two were more than mere acquaintances.
While Scripture is silent regarding the life of Judas before he became a disciple, it does tell us a few things about him during the ministry of Jesus. He was, of course, one of the twelve apostles (Mark 3:14, 19) whose surname Iscariot is believed to mean “a man of murder” or a hireling (Hitchcock’s Bible Names) or “a man of Kerioth” (A Dictionary of the Holy Bible). Kerioth was a city within the inheritance of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:25).
Judas was in charge of the group’s money (John 13:29) and was a thief who regularly stole from it (John 12:6). He was known to be a liar (John 12:3 – 6) who was also deceitful and greedy (Matthew 26:14 – 15). He was called a traitor (Luke 6:16) and was identified as a betrayer during the last Passover (John 13:21 – 26). He was willing to pretend to honor someone for his own selfish purposes (Mark 14:44 – 45, Matthew 26:49).
(Genesis 3:14 – 15);
14
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
(Mark 3:14, 19)
14
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
19
And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
(Joshua 15:25).
25
And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
(John 13:29;
29
For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
(Matthew 26:14 – 15
14
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15
And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
The closing prayer was left by Judas for people to see. This was a prayer.
Closing prayer: Dear Lord,
What am I to make of Judas Iscariot?
You chosen him to be among your twelve most trusted companions.
But he betrayed You with a kiss, gave You over to torture and certain death for 30 pieces of silver…
I know that over the years artists have pictured Judas as having red hair, which
is seen in every nationality, but always
as an exception in a minority of people.
The intent was, of course, to make Judas an “other,” distancing him from most of us.
And so, we breathe a sigh of relief: We are not traitors: We are better than him.But meditating seriously on Judas does force us to think of our own loyalty, or lack thereof, to our friends, acquaintances or even family. Might we desert them in their hour of greatest need?
Have we not all acted at some timein the manner of Judas, not leading someone to death, not collecting 30 pieces of silver, but perhaps savaging a reputation behinda “friend’s” back, or standing in in the way of another’s success or happiness?
We are none of us innocent.
I beg you Lord, help me always to stand up for my companions, deal with them honestly, and be always Your Own loving loyal friend.
No more could I want than this, my Jesus.
Amen
For those who wish to become a child of Our Heavenly Father or wish to be stronger in his eyes, please say the following prayer below.
Dear Heavenly Father, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
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