Key Verse
“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.”
— Mark 14 : 10 (NIV)
1. The Chosen Disciple
Judas Iscariot was not an outsider. He was handpicked by Jesus Himself (Luke 6 : 13–16), entrusted with responsibility, and included in every miracle, sermon, and journey of the Twelve. He heard divine truth from the incarnate Word and witnessed the authority of the Son of God over nature, demons, and death.
He believed in Jesus’ power — enough to follow Him for three years — yet he never surrendered to His lordship. Judas walked beside salvation but never entered into it. His tragedy began not in disbelief but in divided loyalty.
2. The Seed of Corruption
The Gospel of John provides a telling detail: Judas was keeper of the common purse and “a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12 : 6). The sin that destroyed him did not start with betrayal but with small compromises tolerated over time.
Greed, masked as practicality, eroded his conscience. When Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume, Judas objected: “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” (John 12 : 5). His concern appeared moral but concealed covetousness. Hypocrisy preceded apostasy.
3. The Act of Betrayal
Judas’s final decision came during the growing hostility toward Jesus. Approaching the chief priests, he asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” (Matt 26 : 15). They counted out thirty pieces of silver — the price of a slave. Love had been replaced by transaction.
Even in Gethsemane, Jesus called him “friend” (Matt 26 : 50), offering one last moment of repentance. But Judas’s kiss became the emblem of deceit — affection used as betrayal. His outward familiarity masked inward rebellion.
4. Remorse without Repentance
After realising the gravity of his betrayal, Judas was “seized with remorse” and returned the silver, confessing, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matt 27 : 3–4). Yet remorse is not repentance. He acknowledged guilt but could not turn back to grace.
Instead of seeking forgiveness from the One he had wronged, he sought escape through death. “He went away and hanged himself.” (Matt 27 : 5). His despair testified that self-condemnation without divine surrender leads only to destruction. Judas believed Jesus was innocent — but not that He was Saviour.
5. Theological Reflection
- Proximity to truth does not equal possession of faith. Judas’s access to Christ’s presence did not produce transformation.
- Unchecked sin grows into irreversible rebellion. Small thefts of trust evolved into betrayal of the Master.
- Remorse without repentance ends in ruin. Feeling sorry for sin is not the same as turning back to God.
Judas stands as a warning to all who equate religious activity with salvation. He symbolises lost opportunity — the disciple who touched divinity yet chose darkness.
6. Lesson for Today
It is possible to know about Jesus and never truly know Him.
The tragedy of Judas endures because it mirrors countless modern hearts that admire Christ’s teachings but resist His rule. Betrayal need not be as dramatic as thirty pieces of silver — it may appear in every act that values convenience over conviction.
Yet the same grace Judas refused still calls today. Christ’s mercy remains available until the final breath; despair need not have the last word. The story of Judas warns, but also pleads: return before remorse hardens into ruin.
Key References
- The Holy Bible (NIV). (2011). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- Barclay, W. (1975) The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 2. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.
- Carson, D. A. (1991) The Gospel According to John. Leicester: IVP.
- France, R. T. (2007) The Gospel of Matthew: NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
- Green, J. B. (1997) The Gospel of Luke: NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.