This is a study of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss or a sign of affection.

1. JESUS WAS BETRAYED WITH A KISS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Luke 22:47-48 47Whilehe was still speaking a crowd
came up, and the man who was calledJudas, one of
the Twelve, was leadingthem. He approachedJesus to
kiss him, 48butJesus asked him, "Judas, are you
betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christianity And Violence
Luke 22:47-52, 63
W. Clarkson
The use of the sword by Peter, and the presence of "swords andstaves" in the
hands of the officers, suggestto us the connectionbetweenJesus Christ(and
his disciples)and the employment of violence;and this both by them and
againstthem.
I. THE UNSEEMLINESSOF VIOLENCE USED AGAINST JESUS CHRIST
AND HIS DISCIPLES. It is true that there was something worse than the
weapons ofviolence in that garden; the traitor's kiss was very much worse.

2. We may be sure that Jesus was consciousofa Far keenerwound from those
false lips of Judas than he would have been from the hands of those armed
men had they struck him with their strength. The subtle schemes and the soft
but treacherous suggestions offalse friends are deadlier in their issue, if not in
their aim, than the hard blows of open adversaries. But:
1. How unseemly was open violence shownto Jesus Christ! To come with
swordand stick againstthe Gentle One from heaven; againsthim who never
used his omnipotence to harm a single adversary;againsthim who "would not
break the bruised reed" among the children of men; againsthim who had
been daily employing his power to relieve from pain, to raise from weakness,
to remove privation, to restore from death!
2. How unseemly is such violence shown to Christ's true disciples!His true
disciples, those who are loyal and obedient to their Lord, are men and women
in whom a patient and loving spirit is prevailing; they are peace-makers
among their brothers and sisters;they have "put awaybitterness, wrath,
anger, clamor, railing;" they walk in love; they seek to win by a gentle
manifestation and by a gracious utterance ofthe truth. How entirely
inappropriate and unseemly is violence shownto them! And it may be added,
how useless is such violence employed againstthe cause they advocate!It has
never happened yet that sword and stave have crushed the living truth. They
have smitten its champions to the ground, but they have only brought out into
the light the heroic courage andnoble unselfishness whichthat truth inspires.
"So that those things [those persecutions]have fallen out rather unto the
furtherance of the gospel." Crueltystrikes at its enemy, and smites itself.
II. THE UNLAWFULNESS OF VIOLENCE EMPLOYED ON BEHALF OF
CHRISTIANITY. How vain and how foolish the act of "smiting with the
sword" (ver. 49)! It was an act of intemperate and ill-considered zeal; it was
calculatedto do much more harm than good. Its effects had to be undone by
the calm interposition and the healing power of Christ (ver. 51). It was
rebuked by the Masterin decided terms (Matthew 26:52). And from that hour
to the end of apostolic history the use of physical violence disappears. Well
would it have been for the cause and kingdom of our Lord if it had never been
revived. The sword and the stave have no place in the Christian armoury. The

3. weapons ofits warfare are not carnal. Such instruments do not, they cannot,
serve it; they gain a momentary victory at the sadand greatexpense of
entirely misrepresenting the spirit and the method of Jesus Christ.
Compulsion is utterly out of place in connectionwith the Church of Christ; it
loses immeasurably more than it gains by that resource. Let the disciples of
Christ be assuredthat
(1) the utterance of Divine truth, especiallythe truth that relates to the
redeeming love of the Savior himself;
(2) living a life of blamelessness andbeauty, of integrity and kindness;
(3) dependence on the aid of the Divine Spirit to make the spokenWord and
the living influence effectualand mighty; - that these are the weapons which
will conquer the enemies of Christ, and will place him upon the throne of the
world. - C.
Biblical Illustrator
Judas, betrayestthou the Son of Man with a kiss.
Luke 22:47-53
The traitor's kiss
Homiletic Review.
I. A TRAITOR AMONG THE DISCIPLES. Manyof them were weak in faith
and carnalin apprehension, but only one a traitor.
II. THE CHARACTERISTIC OF HIS TREASON. BetrayedLord into cruel
hands of foes. Professedfollowers ofChrist may betray Him to the scornof
the world, giving the sceptic arguments for his infidelity, and the worldly
excuses forrejectionof Christ.
III. THE MANNER OF THE BETRAYAL. A kiss.

4. 1. It was the acceptedtokenof affection.
2. It was here prostituted to the basestof uses.
3. It was receivedwith lamblike meeknessby Him who knew it meant
treachery.
IV. THEY BETRAYTHE SON OF MAN WITH A KISS WHO —
1. Compliment and deny Him with the same lips,
2. Profess to be united with Him at His table, and then actas lovers and
servants of the world.
3. Exalt His humanity to the skies, anddeny His rightful divinity and the
efficacyof the atonement.
(Homiletic Review.)
Christ betrayed by Judas
D. Moore, M. A.
I. BY WHOM CHRIST WAS BETRAYED. "Judas, one ofthe twelve." Not
an occasionaldisciple who had fastenedhimself upon the Lord's company, not
one of the seventy who had been sent forth by two and two; one of the called,
the chosen;one singled out from the greatmass of mankind for the office of a
foundation-stone in the Church of God.
II. Let us considerSOME OF THE AGGRAVATIONS OF THIS
PERFIDIOUS CONDUCTON THE PART OF JUDAS. Judas was not only
equal with the rest of the apostles, but he was allowedto carry the bag, which
would certainly appearto invest him with a sortof officialsuperiority.
III. THE ENDS FOR WHICH CHRIST'S BETRAYAL WAS PERMITTED.
That it was of mere permission we know. Godhas abundance of snares for
taking the wise in their own craftiness;He has ten thousand accidents at
command by which to mar a well-concertedplot. Yea, even after the capture
had been effected, twelve legions of angels waitedthe bidding of Christ to

5. rescue Him from the traitor's power. But God will not avail Himself of these
means.
IV. Let us now considersome of the MORAL LESSONS whichseemto be
conveyedto us by this history.
1. We see how needful it is that we, eachone of us, look wellto the state of our
own hearts. Here is a man who knew the truth, who had preached the truth,
who had wrought miracles for the sake ofthe truth; and yet became a
castaway. Now, whywas this? He "held the truth in unrighteousness." The
man who has been a hypocrite in religion is very rarely recovered;he deceives
others, but yet more fatally does he deceive himself.
2. Again: the history teaches us how little security againstour falling away,
there is in the possessionofeminent spiritual advantages. "Judas Iscariot, one
of the twelve."
3. Again: we learn from this history how insensible and unperceived is the
progress ofthe downward course in sin. When a man once enters on the way
of transgression, he cannever tell where he shall stop. Neitherwickedness nor
holiness attain to their full stature all at once. We cannotsuppose that Judas
had the remotestthought of his treachery when he first acceptedthe invitation
to become one of the apostles.
4. The enslaving powerof the love of this present world.
(D. Moore, M. A.)
The treasonof Judas
J. Flavel.
1. Hence in the first place we learn, that the greatestprofessorshad need be
jealous of their own hearts, and look wellto the grounds and principles of
their professions.

6. 2. Learn hence also, that eminent knowledge andprofessionputs a specialand
eminent aggravationupon sin. To sin againstclearlight is to sin with a high
hand. It is that which makes a sad waste ofthe conscience.
3. Learn hence, in the third place, that unprincipled professors willsooneror
later become shameful apostates.
4. Moreoverin this example of Judas you may read this truth — that men and
women are never in more imminent danger than when they meet with
temptations exactly suited to their master-lusts, to their owniniquity. O pray,
pray, that ye may be kept from a violent suitable temptation. Satanknows
that when a man is tried here, he falls by the root.
5. Hence, in like manner, we are instructed, that no man knows where he shall
stop when he first engages himselfin a way of sin.
6. Did Judas sellChrist for money? What a potent conqueror is the love of
this world! How many hath it castdown wounded? What greatprofessors
have been draggedat its chariot-wheels as its captives? Pliny tells us that the
mermaids delight to be in greenmeadows, into which they draw men by their
enchanting voices;but saith he, there always lie heaps of dead men's bones by
them. A lively emblem of a bewitching world! Goodhad it been for many
professors ofreligion if they had never knownwhat the riches, and honours,
and pleasures ofthis world meant.
7. Did Judas fancy so much happiness in a little money, that he would sell
Christ to getit? Learn, then, that which men promise themselves much
pleasure and contentment in, in the way of sin, may prove the greatestcurse
and misery to thorn that ever befel them in the world.
8. Was there one, and but one, of the twelve that proved a Judas, a traitor to
Christ? Learn thence, that it is a most unreasonable thing to be prejudiced at
religion, and the sincere professors ofit, because some that profess it prove
naught and vile.
9. Did Judas, one of the twelve, do so? Learn thence, that a drop of grace is
better than a sea of gifts. Gifts have some excellencyin them, but the way of
grace is the more excellentway (1 Corinthians 12:31). Gifts, as one saith, are

7. dead graces, but graces are living gifts. There is many a learnedhead in hell.
These are not the things that accompanysalvation. It is better for thee to feel
one Divine impression from God upon thy heart than to have ten thousand
fine notions floating in thy head. Judas was a man of parts, but what gooddid
they do him?
10. Did the devil win the consentof Judas to such a design as this? Could he
get no other but the hand of an apostle to assisthim? Learn hence, that the
policy of Satanlies much in the choice ofhis instruments he works by. No
bird, saith one, like a living bird to tempt others into the net. Austin told an
ingenious young scholarthe devil covetedhim for an ornament. He knows he
hath a foul cause to manage, and therefore will getthe fairesthand he canto
manage it with the less suspicion.
11. Did Judas, one of the twelve, do this? Then, certainly, Christians may
approve and join with such men on earth whose faces theyshall never see in
heaven.
12. Did Judas, one of the twelve, a man so obliged, raised, and honoured by
Christ, do this? Ceasethen from man, be not too confident, but beware of
men. "Trustye not in a friend, put no confidence in a guide, keepthe door of
thy lips from her that lieth in thy bosom" (Micah7:5).
(J. Flavel.)
The betrayal
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. LET US TARRY AWHILE, AND SEE OUR LORD UNGRATEFULLY
AND DASTARDLY BETRAYED.
1. It is appointed that He must die, but how shall He fall into the hands of His
adversaries? Shallthey capture Him in conflict? It must not be, lest He
appear an unwilling victim. Shall He flee before His foes until He can hide no
longer? It is not meet that a sacrifice shouldbe hunted to death. Shall He offer
Himself to the foe? That were to excuse His murderers, or be a party to their

8. crime. Shall He be takenaccidentallyor unawares? Thatwould withdraw
from His cup the necessarybitterness which made it wormwoodmingled with
gall.(1)One reasonfor the appointment of the betrayal lay in the fact that it
was ordained that man's sin should reach its culminating point in His
death.(2) Beyond a doubt, however, the main reasonfor this was that Christ
might offer a perfect atonement for sin. We may usually read the sin in the
punishment. Man betrayed his God. Therefore must Jesus find man a traitor
to Him. There must be the counterpart of the sin in the suffering which He
endured. You and I have often betrayed Christ. It seemedmost fitting, then,
that He who bore the chastisementofsin should be reminded of its ingratitude
and treacheryby the things which He suffered.(3) Besides, brethren, that cup
must be bitter to the last degree which is to be the equivalent for the wrath of
God.(4)Moreover, we feel persuadedthat by thus suffering at the hand of a
traitor the Lord became a faithful High Priest, able to sympathize with us
when we fall under the like affliction.
2. Now let us look at the treasonitself. You perceive how black it was.(1)
Judas was Christ's servant, what if I callhim His confidential servant.(2)
Judas was more than this: he was a friend, a trusted friend.(3) The world
lookedupon Judas as a colleague ofour Lord's.(4) Our Lord would look upon
Judas as a representative man, the portraiture of many thousands who in
after ages have imitated his crime.
3. Observe the manner in which Christ met this affliction.(1) His calmness.(2)
His gentleness.
II. Grant me your attention while we make an estimate of the man by whom
the Sonof Man was betrayed — JUDAS THE BETRAYER.
1. I would call your attention, dear friends, to his position and public
character.(1)Judas was a preacher;nay, he was a foremostpreacher, "he
obtained part of this ministry," said the Apostle Peter.(2)Judas took a very
high degree officially. He had the distinguished honour of being entrusted
with the Master's financialconcerns, and this, after all, was no small degree to
which to attain. The Lord, who knows how to use all sorts of gifts, perceived
what gift the man had.(3) You will observe that the characterof Judas was

9. openly an admirable one. I find not that he committed himself in any way. Not
the slightestspeck defiled his moral characterso far as others could perceive.
He was no boaster, like Peter.
2. But I call your attention to his real nature and sin. Judas was a man with a
conscience. He could not afford to do without it. He was no Sadducee who
could fling religion overboard; he had strong religious tendencies. But then it
was a conscience thatdid not sit regularly on the throne; it reigned by fits and
starts. Consciencewas notthe leading element. Avarice predominated over
conscience.
3. The warning which Judas received, and the way in which he persevered.
4. The act itself. He sought out his own temptation. He did not wait for the
devil to come to him; he went after the devil. He went to the chief priests and
said, " What will ye give me?" Alas! some people's religion is grounded on
that one question.
5. We conclude with the repentance of Judas. He did repent; but it was the
repentance that workethdeath. The man who repents of consequencesdoes
not repent. The ruffian repents of the gallows but not of the murders and that
is no repentance at all. Human law, of course, must measure sin by
consequences, but God's law does not. There is a pointsman on a railway who
neglects his duty; there is a collisionon the line, and people are killed; well, it
is manslaughter to this man through his carelessness.But that pointsman,
perhaps, many times before had neglectedhis duty, but no accidentcame of it,
and then he walkedhome and said, "Well, I have done no wrong." Now the
wrong, mark you, is never to be measuredby the accident, but by the thing
itself, and if you have committed an offence and you have escapedundetected
it is lust as vile in God's eye;if you have done wrong and Providence has
prevented the natural result of the wrong, the honour of that is with God, but
you are as guilty as if your sin had been carriedout to its fullest consequences,
and the whole world set ablaze. Nevermeasure sin by consequences, but
repent of them as they are in themselves.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

10. Treacheryto Christ
B. Beddome, M. A.
I. Observe, THE PERSON ADDRESSED — Judas. One on whom the Saviour
had conferredmany benefits, and who had made an open professionof His
name. Betrayestthou!
II. Observe, the PERSON SPEAKING — Jesus. The title which Jesus here
assumes, in calling Himself the Son of Man, may teachus the following things
—
1. That He is really and properly Man, as wellas truly Divine.
2. The phrase, Son of Man, seems intended to denote the meanness of Christ's
origin, and the poverty of His outward condition.
3. Christ's assumption of this charactermay teachus to considerHim as the
Saviour of all nations; or of all that ever will be saved, out of every kindred,
tongue, and people: He is not the Sonof this or that particular people, but the
Son of Man, and the Saviour of all them that believe, by whatever name they
may be distinguished.
4. The term Sonof Man seems to have been prefigured and foretold as a title
which belonged to the expected Messiah.
III. THE QUESTION WHICH JESUS PUTS TO THE TRAITOR:
"Betrayestthou the Son of Man with a kiss?" Improvement:
1. We have here a loud call to be jealous of our own hearts, and to exercise a
holy watchfulness overthem. More especially, if we regardour immortal
interests, let us carefully avoid the following things —
(1)Self-confidence. The fearof falling is a goodsecurity againstit.
(2)The secretindulgence of any sin: this was the ruin of Judas.
(3)Beware ofa professionwithout principle, the form of godliness without the
power. Those who have no root in themselves will soonwither away.

11. 2. We see how far a person may go in the way to heaven, and yet fall short of
it.
3. Let us admire and adore the infinite wisdom of God, who brought so much
real goodout of so much aggravatedevil.
(B. Beddome, M. A.)
He touched his ear, and healed him
Jesus the Restorer
J. Vaughan, M. A.
Jesus wroughta miracle to repair the mischief which Peterhad done. Thus,
by one act, in one moment, Christ made Himself the repairer of the breach.
The evil, which His followerhad done, was cancelled;and, through the kind
interposition of a specialact, the injured man was none the worse — but
rather the better — and the harm, of which a Christian had been the occasion,
was neutralized by his Master. I do not know what we should any of us do if
we might not hope that this is still one of the blessedoffices of Christ. We go
through life meaning to do good; but oh! how often — through some
ignorance, orindiscretion, or self-will-doing exactly the reverse!Happy is it
for us if we might believe that Christ comes afterus to undo the harm — nay,
that by one of His gracious transformations, He comes afterwards to turn to
benefit the very thing which we have done hurtingly. In the retrospectof life
there was, it may be, a long period before you knew God — when your
influence was all on the wrong side; your example and your words were
always for the world, and sometimes for what was positively sinful! How
many a bad and well-nigh deadly "wound" must you have been making
during those years upon the minds of those among whom your remarks and
your actions were being flung about with such utter carelessness!How many a
young companion, years back, may have learnt then to carry with him a life-
long scarthrough some idle word of yours. Through the infinite patience, and
the abounding grace of our God and Saviour, you have become a Christian;
and you now love the Lord Jesus Christ as you love nothing else in earth or

12. heaven; and, at this moment, you could not have a bitterer thought than to
think that you had everdone anything to keepa soul from Jesus;or to give a
moment's pain to one of His little ones. Now, may you take it as one of the
wonderful provisions of your new state — as one of the blessings into which
you have been admitted — that the Christ, whom you now call yours, will
prevent the consequencesofwhat you did in those days of sinful blindness —
that He will restore what you destroyed, that fins bloom to that delicate
conscience, itmay be, of one of your early friends; that He will rectify the ill
— that He will "touch" with His own virtue the afflicted part, and that He
will "heal" all that "wound." Why may we not believe all this? Was not that
the spirit of the Man, that night, when He stoodupon the Mount of Olives?
And is He not the same Restorernow? Do not think because manmade your
trouble, therefore God will not deal with the trouble. It rests with you. If you
bring a sin to Christ believingly, He will take awaythat sin. If you bring a
sorrow to Christ believingly, He will take awaythat sorrow.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Betrayestthou the Son of man with a kiss? - Dostthou attempt to kiss me as a
friend, while thou art delivering me up into the hands of my enemies? We
need not wonderat all this, as Satanhimself had enteredinto the heart of this
traitor, see Luke 22:3; consequentlywe can expectnothing from him but what
is fell, deceitful, and cruel.
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
But Jesus saidunto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

13. There is no vocabulary sufficiently extensive to describe the dastardly act of
Judas Iscariot. The rationalistic devices of some who would extenuate his
treachery, the "explanations" ofthose who exhibit some diabolicalaffinity
with the traitor himself, together with all the brilliant and clever imaginations
setto work out some justification of the traitor's deed - all of these have
utterly failed to redeem Judas in the thinking of upright men from the shame
of this betrayal.
Son of man ... By such a word, Jesus reminded Judas that it was no mere
human teacherthat he was betraying. The divine Messiahwas the one whom
he betrayed with a kiss;and such an actwas so unbelievable that it called
forth the Saviour's exclamationhere. There is a further glimpse of the Lord's
omniscience here. Before Judas profaned the Lord's cheek with his kiss, Jesus
exposedhis intention.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
But Jesus saidunto him, Judas,.... Calling him by his name, that he might
know he knew him, and to aggravate his sin; what, Judas, my apostle, my
friend, my familiar friend, in whom I trusted, or with whom I trusted all my
worldly affairs,
betrayestthou the son of man with a kiss!who assumedhuman nature for the
goodof mankind, who is the Messiahspokenofby the prophets, under the
characterof the son of man, and who is holy, harmless, and never did any
mortal man any hurt or injury; and what, betray such an one into the hands
of his most implacable adversaries, andin such an hypocritical and deceitful
way! all which Christ said, to show he was no strangerto what he was about
to do.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
With a kiss (πιληματι — philēmati). Instrumental case. Jesuschallengesthe
act of Judas openly and calls it betrayal, but it did not stop him.

14. John Trapp Complete Commentary
48 But Jesus saidunto him, Judas, betrayestthou the Sonof man with a kiss?
Ver. 48. Judeas, betrayestthou, &c.]Sic Iudaei, sub praetextu pietatis maxime
delinquebant; et Deo osculum sine amore praebebant. (Bucholcer.)Julian the
Apostate was no friend to Basil, though he wrote to him, φιλος φιλω και
αδελφος αδελοω. Norwas Libanius the more to be believed for saying (in
Epist. ad Basilium), βασιλειου με επαινησαντος κατα παντων εχω τα
νικητηρια. If Basilcommend me, I despise other men’s worse censures.
Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Luke 22:48. Judeas, betrayestthou the Son of man with a kiss?— "Dostthou
betray him, whom thou canst not but know to be the Son of man,—'the
Messiah,'by that which all men use as the symbol either of love or homage,—
making it a signalof thy treachery? And dost thou think that he can be
imposed upon by this poor artifice, or that such basenessand cruelty will not
be punished?"—There is greatreasonto believe that our Lord uses this
phrase of the Son of man to Judas on this occasion, as he had done the same
evening at supper twice in a breath, in the sense here given; see Matthew
26:24 and it adds a greatspirit to these words; which the reader will discern
to be attended with much greaterstrength and beauty, than if our Lord had
only said Dostthou betray ME with a kiss?
Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae
DISCOURSE:1578
THE TREASON OF JUDAS
Luke 22:48. Jesus saidunto him, Judas, betrayestthou the Sonof man with a
kiss?

15. VIRTUE is best discerned when it is subjected to the heaviesttrials. The
stroke of the hammer displays the excellence ofthe diamond; and the furnace
ascertains the purity of the gold. Meekness andpatience are mere dormant
qualities, till injuries or misfortunes callthem into exercise. Letour character
be blasted, our interests ruined, our person injured; and then it will appear
how far these qualities exist within us, and to what extent they will enable us
to support our burthens. Had our blessedLord himself been viewed in a
seasonofperfecttranquillity, his unrivalled glories would have shone only as
the sun behind a cloud: but when he laboured under severe and complicated
afflictions, then his brightness beamed forth in its meridian splendour. His
circumstances were peculiarlypainful at the time when he uttered the words
before us. He had been sustaining a conflict with all the powers of darkness,
and drinking that cup of wrath which his Father had put into his hands. He
had seenwith grief the supineness of his three Disciples, who, notwithstanding
his repeatedwarnings, had consumed in sleepthe time which should have
been spent in watchfulness and prayer. To add to his sorrows, Judas now
approachedhim at the head of an armed band, and by a treacherous kiss
betrayed him into their hands. Behold then our Divine Masterunder these
accumulatedtroubles! What might we expectto hear from him on this
occasion? Methinks his address to Judas, whose treacheryhe was aware of,
could be no other than that of Paul to Elymas the sorcerer, “O full of all
subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all
righteousness,”artthou come to betray me? But howeverthis address became
an Apostle, when zealous for the honour of his Lord, the Saviour himself,
when personally interested, saw fit to speak in milder accents, that he might
setan example to his followers to “shew all meekness to all men:” “Friend,”
says he, “wherefore comestthou?” “Judas, betrayestthou the Son of Man
with a kiss?”
We shall considerthese remarkable words,
I. In reference to the traitor Judas—
That we may have a just view of the wickednessofJudas, let us notice,
1. The light he resisted—

16. [He had attended our blessedLord during the whole course of his ministry: he
had heard all his discourses;and had receivedfrom him in private a further
exposition of the truths which had been more obscurely delivered to the
proud, captious, and malignant auditors that flockedaround him. He had
seeninnumerable and most beneficent miracles wrought in confirmation of
the Messiahshipof Jesus:so that there could be no doubt upon his mind but
that Jesus was “the Sonof Man,” “the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” Had
he entertained any secretsuspicions that Jesus was animpostor, he would
have had some excuse for his treachery: or if he had enjoyed but few
opportunities of instruction, his guilt would have been less heinous. Pilate,
who was an ignorant Heathen, sinned grievouslyin not executing strict
justice: but the sin of those who had delivered Jesus unto him was
incomparably greater[Note:John 19:11.], because ofthe superior light which
they enjoyed. In this view therefore the sin of Judas was exceeding great.]
2. The obligations he violated—
[Judas was “one of the twelve,” who were calledto a more intimate
acquaintance with our Lord; and was selectedfrom among them to be his
purse-bearerand almoner. He had been sent out, like all the other Apostles, to
preach the Gospel, and to work miracles in the name of Jesus. He had seen
diseasesand devils yielding to his word; and had probably been instrumental
in converting others to the faith of Christ. How was he bound then to “shew
all goodfidelity,” and to maintain to the uttermost his Master’s cause!But
besides all this, Jesus, within the space ofa few hours, had acted towards him
the part of a menial servant, and had condescendedto washhis feet: should
not such love have called forth his tenderest and most faithful regards?
Moreover, Judas had, on that very occasion, pledgedhimself to die with Jesus
rather than deny him: yet behold, this man, almostimmediately after uttering
these words, leaves the room, in order to betray his Lord! What impiety was
here! If woe was denounced againstChorazin and Bethsaida for not
improving the mercies vouchsafedto them, what woes must belong to this
unhappy man for violating the strongestobligations which could lie upon
him!]
3. The manner in which he violated them—

17. [Jesus, it should seem, had permitted his Disciples to express their regards to
him by the affectionate and endearing tokenof a kiss:and this was the sign by
which Judas undertook to betray him into the hands of his enemies!What
horrid perfidy! to make an expressionof love and friendship a signalfor his
apprehension!
But mark the peculiar aggravationswith which this perfidy was attended! It
was altogethera voluntary act. The Chief Priests and Elders could never have
entertained a thought of prevailing on one of Christ’s own Disciples to betray
him: they could expect nothing from them but the most vigorous and
determined opposition. Methinks they could scarcelybelieve their ownsenses
when they heard the traitor Judas making the proposal. If indeed they had
seizedon Judas, and threatenedto put him to extreme torture if he would not
further their designs, we might offer some little excuse for him: but who could
conceive that the proposal should originate with him, and that he should be a
volunteer in such a service?
It was immediately after he had receivedan express warning respecting it.
Our blessedLord had, but a few hours before, told his Disciples that one of
them would betray him: and upon being interrogated by eachof them, “Lord,
is it I?” he told them all, that it was the person to whom he should give the sop
[Note:John 13:26.];and told Judas in particular that it was he; and that since
he was thus bent on the commissionof this sin, it would have been better for
him that he had never been born [Note: Matthew 26:21-25.]. Wouldone not
have supposedthat such a warning should have diverted him from his
purpose? Yet, insteadof being checkedby it, he went out “immediately”
under the coverof the night, that he might execute his plot without delay.
We cannotbut be astonishedfor how small a considerationhe was induced to
do this. Had he been promised great riches, sufficient to keephim in opulence
and splendour all his days, we should have wondered less atthe powerof the
temptation: but it was only “thirty pieces of silver [Note:Compare Zechariah
11:12-13. with Matthew 26:15.],” (the price of a slave,)that he was to receive
for his recompence:so little a value did he setupon his master’s life.

18. The diabolicalmalignity which he expressedon the occasion, is a yet further
aggravationofhis guilt. When agreeing with the Chief Priests, he gave them a
strict charge, “Takehim, hold him fast, leadhim awaysafely [Note:Matthew
26:48. Mark 14:44.].” As Ahithophel, the treacherous friend of David,
counselledthe rebellious Absalom: “Give me twelve thousand men, and I will
come upon him while he is wearyand weak-handed, and I will smite the king
only [Note:2 Samuel 17:1-2.];” so did Judas respecting the true King of
Israel: he reminded the Chief Priests how often he had escapedoutof their
hands; and, that they might secure him now, he chargedthem to use the
utmost vigilance and circumspection.
Such was the sin of Judas; a sin unparalleled in the annals of the world.]
Let us now extend our views, and considerthe text,
II. In reference to traitors of every description—
Though the precise sin which was committed by Judas never was, nor will be,
committed by any other, yet are there too many who follow his steps, and
betray the cause and interests of their Divine Master. There are different
kinds of traitors:
1. Infidel—
[Many pretend to be followers of Christ, and yet deny every fundamental
truth of his religion. The fall of man, and the guilt and corruption consequent
upon it; the substitution of our Lord Jesus Christ in the place of sinners, and
our reconciliationto God by the blood of his cross;the regenerating and
sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, togetherwith all the inward life and
powerof godliness;all these, I say, are denied and held up to ridicule and
scorn:and yet the people, who thus expunge from their systemalmost every
doctrine that distinguishes our holy religion, will call themselves Christians.
But are they really friends of Christ? Are they not rather enemies and
traitors? Even the followers ofMahomet express as much regard for Christ as
they: the Mahometanallows that Christ was a prophet; and what do these
infidels allow him more? Truly their kissesare perfidious; their professions
are a lie.]

19. 2. Antinomian—
[There are two kinds of Antinomians; systematical, and practical:the former
are very zealous for the peculiar doctrines of Christianity; but they carry
them to an undue extent; and erase from their system all the obligations of the
moral law. We hope and believe, that all who embrace this system are not so
regardless ofthe law in practice, as they are in theory: nevertheless their
sentiments are most pernicious; and their professedattachmentto Christ is
constructive treason. It is certain that, howeverexemplary some of these
persons may be, others (and we fear by far the greaterpart of them,) take
encouragementfrom these licentious tenets to live in sin. If they do not give
way to those grosserpropensities which would expose their professionto
universal contempt, they are at leastdistinguished by a proud, contentious,
worldly spirit, and by irreverence and undue confidence in their transactions
with God.
As for practicalAntinomians, the greatmajority of nominal Christians are of
this class. Theyobjectnot to the leading truths of the Gospel:having been
educatedin the belief of them, they acknowledgethem as points which they
are not disposedto controvert. But to yield to their influence, and to bring
their souls to a state suited to them, they have no mind. They wish for nothing
beyond this world; they think of nothing but what relates to the body.
Whether their outward conduct be more or less correct, they considerit as of
very little importance. Some canrun to the greatestexcess ofriot, being
wholly addicted to worldliness or dissipation, and yet accountthemselves very
goodChristians. Others, who are restrained from such excesses, cancontent
themselves with “a form of godliness, while they utterly deny its power;” and
though they never smite upon their breasts with contrition, never flee to the
Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, never devote themselves in earnestto the service
of their God, they imagine that all is well, and that they are to be reckoned
among the friends and followers ofChrist. But their professionserves only to
lowerChrist in the estimationof the world, and in many instances to till
heathens themselves with an utter abhorrence of his name.

20. We must acknowledge, indeed, that neither the one nor the other of these
characters have the malignant designs of Judas:but the ultimate effectof
their conduct is to betray him with a kiss.]
3. Hypocritical—
[These come the nearestof all to the characterof Judas: and many there are
to whom this designationproperly belongs. In every age there have been some
who have joined themselves to the Church, while yet they felt only transient
impressions, and had no root of grace in their hearts. Of them, some castoff
all professionof religion, and go back againto the world: others continue
their profession, but indulge habits altogetherinconsistentwith it [Note:
Ezekiel33:31.]. Hence they are found deceitful in their words, dishonest in
their dealings;and less worthy of confidence than the generality even of
avowedworldlings. For a time they wearthe mask with success:but at length
their true characterappears;and they make religion “to stink in the nostrils”
of all who know them. It is almostsuperfluous to saythat these are traitors:
for they not only deliver up Jesus to the scornand contempt of his professed
enemies, but lay a stumbling-block in the way of his friends, and cause many
to wax cold in their attachment to Christ, if not also utterly to renounce him.
“Woe unto the world because ofthem! but woe be more especiallyto those by
whom the offence cometh!” In a little time, if they repent not, they will “go to
their own place,” and participate with Judas the just reward of their deeds.]
Improvement—
1. Let us not be offended with religion on accountof the faults of those who
profess it—
[It would manifestly be absurd to make the treacheryof Judas a reasonfor
rejecting Christ: for the Scriptures, yea and Christ himself, foretold, that “one
who should eatbread with him should lift up his heel againsthim.” And do
not the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testamentdeclare, that “false
brethren should come in,” and that “by means of them the way of truth
should be evil spokenof?” The very existence therefore of traitors and
hypocrites in the Church, is a proof of the truth of our religion; and should
confirm, rather than weaken, ourattachment to it. If indeed the Gospelgave

21. licence to such characters,that very circumstance would be a just ground for
doubting its Divine authority, and withholding from it our approbation: but if
it invariably inculcate holiness both in heart and life, then let the blame of
hypocrisy rest on those only who are guilty of it; and let the offence that is
occasionedby some, be a stimulus to others to adorn the Gospel.]
2. Let us watchagainstour besetting sin—
[Judas from the very beginning was addicted to covetousness.To gratify this
propensity, he took advantage of his office as the purse-bearer to stealfrom
time to time a part of the money entrusted to his care. Had he been told on the
first occasionto what this covetous dispositionwould ultimately lead, how
little would he have been able to credit the assertion!But thus it is with sin; it
is like a breach in a bank, which, if not stopped at first, will soonbe widened
by the current, till the whole country is overflowed. When once a man
harbours any secretlust, it will gatherstrength, and gradually obtain an
entire ascendantover him. Whatever, then, be our besetting sin, whether
lewdness, orcovetousness, orany other, let us watchand pray againstit; lest
we prove at last a scandalto our profession, and, after having instructed
others, ourselves be castaway.]
3. Let us geta real and firm attachment to Jesus Christ—
[There is a sense in which we may say to all of you, “Kiss him, apprehend him,
hold him fast.” The Psalmistbids us to “kiss the Son, lest he be angry;” St.
Paul speaks of“apprehending that for which he had been apprehended of
God in Christ Jesus;” and exhorts us to “layhold on the hope set before us.”
We are commanded also to “cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart.”
And should not we be as earnestin this goodwork as Judas and his band were
in their evil work? If they plotted by day, and watchedby night, to destroy the
Lord Jesus, should we be averse to labour and watchfulness, to obtain an
interest in his salvation? Let us get a love to him in our hearts as deeply
rooted as their enmity againsthim was, and we shall accountnothing too
much to do or suffer for him; nor will the whole world be sufficient to suspend
or lessenour fidelity in his service.]

22. Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
Luke 22:48. [ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, said unto him) In the confused din of the multitude
(comp. Luke 22:51-52), the exceedinglywise course of proceeding which Jesus
adopted is well worthy of observation.—V. g.]— φιλήματι, with a kiss)The
traitor abuses the highesttoken of love with the highest degree of daring
presumption. Comp. the note on Luke 7:45. [None of His most intimate
disciples and friends had ever kissedthe Lord. The traitor alone dared to
profane with impure lips the face of the Lord. This unprecedented act
matched well with his unprecedented treachery.]
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
With a kiss;customarily a sign of affection, but now used by Judas to point
out to the soldiers which was Jesus. Persons who, knowingly, for their own
selfishends, express towards Jesus Christ that which they do not feel, imitate
Judas the traitor; and unless they repent and are forgiven, it will be true of
them as it was of him, that it would have been better for them if they had not
been born. Matthew 26:24.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
48. φιλήματι. He exclaimed ‘Rabbi, Rabbi, hail’ (‘Peace to thee, Rabbi’),
Mark 14:45; but receivedno ‘Peace to thee’ in reply. Overacting his part, he
not only kissedHis Lord (ἐφίλησεν), but kissedHim fervently (κατεφίλησεν,
deosculatus est).
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
‘But Jesus saidto him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” ’

23. Jesus, however, knew betterwhat was happening, and He respondedby
looking Judas firmly in the eye and asking him whether he really felt that
such infamy could be justified. Surely even he must recognise thatany other
way would have been better than this? Did he not think that it portrayed a
callousnesswhichwas extreme, even for him?
For while, once we think about it, his perfidy went along with Judas’
presence, seeminglywithout a qualm, at Jesus’ownTable , and with his
ability to partake in the bread and wine, and receive the sop of friendship, as
though he was one with them all. And it went along with his pretended
surprise in the Upper Room that anyone should betray Jesus, (which he no
doubt must have expressedin order to coverhimself). Neverthelessthe utter
heartlessness thatlay behind it cannotbe overlooked. This was the mark of a
man without a speck ofdecency, and it revealed, as little else could have done,
what kind of a man he really was. It removes from our minds any suggestion
that there was anything perversely noble about what he was doing. He was
demonstrating that he was rotten to the core.
“Judas, do you betray the Sonof man with a kiss?”The mention of Judas’
name as though he were a friend stressesthat Jesus was both hurt and at the
same time seeking to somehow reachhis heart, even though it was now a little
too late. It was both a reproachand a plea. And His reference againto ‘the
Son of Man’ in this context (see Luke 22:22)emphasises that the use of the
title is deliberate. In Daniel 7 also ‘the sonof man’ had been betrayed. But
there at leastit had been by the beasts, although no doubt with the assistance
of traitors, but surely not by a friend? Was he aware that thereby he was
betraying the whole suffering nation, and to all outward appearances
removing their hope? It was a desperate attempt by Jesus at offering him a
kind of redemption.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luke 22:48. Judas, betrayestthen, etc. This probably followedthe question
recordedby Matthew. It is addressedto Judas by name, and is emphatic
throughout, setting before the traitor the full enormity of his purpose. The

24. form used coincides with that used in predicting the betrayal (Matthew 17:22;
Matthew 20:18; Matthew 26:2; Matthew 26:45).
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(48) Judas, betrayestthou the Sonof man?—The first three Gospels allrecord
the Traitor’s kiss. St. Luke alone reports the question. In our Lord’s use of the
words, “the Son of Man,” we may trace a two-fold purpose. It was the old
familiar title by which He had been wont to speak of Himself in converse with
the disciples, and so it appealed to memory and conscience.It was the name
which was speciallyconnectedwith His office as Judge and King (Daniel
7:13), and so it came as a warning of the terrible retribution which the Traitor
was preparing for himself.
END OF STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Question:"What is the significance ofJudas betraying Jesus with a kiss?"
Answer: Judas Iscariotwas one of the original twelve disciples who followed
and were taught by Jesus. Being in Jesus’“inner circle,” Judas had a closer
relationship to Jesus than most people during His ministry. Judas betrayed
the Lord to the Jewishauthorities. The pre-arranged signalwas that the
person Judas kissedwas to be arrestedand takenaway(Mark 14:44). In this
way the Son of Man was betrayed with a kiss (Luke 22:48).
In the culture of first-century Israel, a kiss was not always a romantic
expressionof love; rather, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting, a sign
of deep respect, honor, and brotherly love (see Luke 7:45; Romans 16:16;1
Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12;1 Thessalonians5:26;1 Peter5:14).

25. For a student who had greatrespectfor his teacher, a kiss fell well within the
healthy expressionof honor.
What really stands out in the mode of Judas’s betrayal is that Judas used such
an intimate expressionof love and respectto betray Jesus. Judas’s actions
were hypocritical in the extreme—his actions said, “I respectand honor you,”
at the exacttime he was betraying Jesus to be murdered. Judas’s actions
illustrate Proverbs 27:6, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy
multiplies kisses.”Often, foes disguise themselves as friends. Evil often wears
a mask to concealits true purpose.
In Luke 22:3, we see that Satanentered into Judas before Judas went to see
the chief priests and setthings up to betray Jesus. SatanpossessedJudas in
hopes of using him to destroy Jesus’ministry and getHim out of the way, and
Satanused a kiss—a signof affection—to unleash a surge of hatred. However,
there is nothing the Evil One does that God doesn’t know about or have
complete control over. GodallowedSatan to possessJudas and use him to
betray Jesus in such a deceptive and hypocritical way in order to bring about
our redemption. The betrayal itself was prophesied hundreds of years before
its fulfillment (Psalm 41:9).
When Jesus was betrayed by a kiss, He identified with the troubles of David,
who wrote, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were
rising againstme, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my
companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyedsweetfellowshipat the
house of God, as we walkedabout among the worshipers” (Psalm55:12–14).
Job’s emotional pain also foreshadowedJesus’sorrow:“Those Ilove have
turned againstme” (Job 19:19).

26. Once Judas gave the kiss, the deed was done. Jesus was betrayed into the
government’s hands to be crucified. Judas was “seizedwith remorse”
(Matthew 27:3) overwhat he’d done. He gave the money back to the temple
authorities and hangedhimself out of guilt (verse 5).
https://www.gotquestions.org/betrayed-with-a-kiss.html
Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss
Bible study questions
Judas brought soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane and gave Jesus the
infamous kiss of greeting which identified him to his enemies.
Why did Judas betray Jesus?
What happened at the Last Supper?
What is a ‘Judas kiss’?
What drives someone to suicide?
Judas agrees to betray Jesus
Once the Jewishauthorities decided to get rid of Jesus, theyhad to find a way
to do it without inciting a riot or an uprising. They knew that Jesus had
supporters among the ordinary people, many of whom might take up arms on
his behalf. They had to arrestJesus quickly, without a fuss.
But there was a problem. Since there would have been something like 100,000
people in and around Jerusalemat Passoverthat year, the chances of locating
and arresting an individual, especiallyone who did not want to be found, were
slight.
Suddenly a solution to their problem appeared. One of Jesus’disciples, Judas,
approachedthe authorities and showedthem how they might arrest Jesus.
Judas knew what Jesus’movements were likely to be.

27. He was well placed to find an occasionwhenJesus would be most vulnerable.
He also showedthem how Jesus could be arrestedduring the festival without
the event becoming too public, too disruptive.
‘Quick and silent’ was what was neededin this combustible situation. Once
Jesus was arrested, evenhis popularity with the people would not protect him.
He could be takeninto custody and dealt with before the generalpopulace was
even aware of what was happening.
Why did Judas do it?
Judas was, and still is a riddle. He walkedwith Jesus and knew him well. Not
only that, he had been chosenas one of the specialgroup of insiders who were
Jesus’intimates. The gospels keepidentifying him as ‘one of the twelve’, a
phrase which highlights the tragedy of his betrayal of Jesus. But they also say
he turned to the Tempter, a stark warning for all who think they canresist
temptation, and perhaps the reasonfor St Paul’s caution: “Let anyone who
thinks that he stands, take heed lesthe fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Judas did not betray Jesus for the money. The equivalent modern value of
thirty pieces of silver is not known, but it was a comparativelymodest sum.
When Judas facedthe Temple authorities he did not quibble at the amount, or
bargain for more.
The evangelistJohnsuggests it was Judas’ avarice and dishonesty which were
the deciding factors, but money cannot have been his primary motive, given
the amount.
Perhaps he did not agree with the direction of Jesus’ministry. Perhaps he had
been won over to the politics of the Zealots, ancient-day terrorists who aimed
to seize power and violently end Roman domination of Israel. Judas realised
he was never going to getthis through Jesus.
On the other hand, maybe Judas was afraid for his own safety. Did he think
Jesus was becoming too radical, too dangerous? The attack on the money-
changers had occurredonly a few days before. Judas may have decided to get

28. out while the going was good – and prove his loyalty to the Jewishleaders by
handing over Jesus.
At the same time he fervently believed in Jesus, as his later despair showed.
Note:The gospels saw that‘Satan entered into Judas’. This should not be
confusedwith demonic possession. We know from the Qumran documents
that many Jewishpeople at that time believed that there were two universal
forces, goodand evil. A person turned to one or the other in his actions, and in
this case Judas alignedhimself with evil.
Readthe blue text at end of page.
Where it happened: the city of ancient Jerusalemlay in the lowerleft and
centre of this 19th century photograph; the Kidron valley is lower right ; the
Mount of Olives is extreme lower right
Jesus and Judas at the Last Supper
What happened? On the day in question, Jesus stayedin Jerusalemfor the
evening meal instead of eating in Bethany, where he had probably been
staying since he arrived in the Jerusalemarea. This ties in with the Last
Supper being the Passovermeal, which had to be eatenwithin the city walls.
In the middle of observing this important Jewishfestival, Jesus stunned his
disciples by saying that he was about to be betrayed. None of them seemedto
have argued with him, which gives us some idea of the mood in that room.
One by one they askedif it was they who would betray him. Not for a moment
did they think he might be mistaken. Jesus then told Judas that he was the
betrayer.
How does Jesus know that his betrayer was Judas? There is nothing ‘magic’
about it. Jesus had almost certainly been warned by various friendly sources
in Jerusalemthat the ruling priests had struck a bargain with one of his
disciples. We know he had followers in positions of influence, and any one of
these might have alerted Jesus to the priests’ plans. And Jesus was ofcourse
an acute judge of people, and of what they might or might not do.

29. What happened then? Jesus handed Judas a piece of bread, the gesture of a
friend and attentive host. The dish they dipped this morsel into was probably
a bowl of sauce/gravy. To dip bread into this bowl and then give it to someone
was a mark of honour. In this case it was a special, lastappeal to Judas. Then
Jesus told Judas to do what he must – but the meaning was ambiguous and
the decisionultimately belongedto Judas.
People in the ancient world despisedanyone who receivedhospitality or
friendship (as Judas did) and then betrayed their host. Psalm41:9 says “Even
my bosomfriend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted his heel
againstme.” But Judas’ crime was even worse:he not only shared a meal with
Jesus that evening, but took food from the very bowl used by Jesus.
Now Jesus’words had the effectof forcing Judas to act, one way of another.
Jesus was saying staywith me, or go to the priests and betray me. Make up
your mind. ‘What you are going to do, do quickly’.
The gospelof John simply states that Judas immediately went out; and it was
night. Again there’s a double meaning: it was night-time, but also night for
the soulof Judas.
Readthe greentext at end of page
The Last Supper, by Nikolas Ge;Jesus is filled with grief as Judas leaves the
upper room
The Judas kiss
After Judas left the upper room where they had been eating, Jesus washedthe
feet of his friends in an actof godly service. Thenthey went out to a garden
across the Kidron Valley, a garden they must have knownwell. Jesus prayed
there, but the peace of the garden was shatteredby the arrival of a contingent
of guards and officials. Theyhad come to arrestJesus. With them was Judas.
Becausethere were many pilgrims around, it was necessaryto have a sign (the
kiss)to identify Jesus. If there had been a struggle the wrong man might have
been arrested, especiallyin the dark. A kiss was normal enough; it was the

30. way a pupil greeteda Rabbi, and Jesus had been a teacherto Judas. Mark,
writing in Greek, uses anemphatic form of the verb katephilesen. Judas
kissedJesus with more than usual fervour and affection.
The Kiss of Judas (El Beso de Judas), FranciscoSalzillo, 1754
The gospeltexts describing his scene keepidentifying Judas as ‘one of the
twelve’, a reproach. The phrase drives home the enormity of Judas’
treachery.
Jesus submitted quietly to the soldiers, but spoke some final words to Judas:
Friend, why are you here?
The words can be read as a loving rebuke, but they can also be translatedas
Do what you came to do.
Readthe red text at end of page
The Betrayalof Jesus by Judas, Caravaggio
The suicide of Judas
There was no excuse for what Judas had done, and he knew it. His breach of
trust and failure of loyalty made him a pariah, even to himself.
We canguess something of his despair when we learn that he took back the
money to the priests, and tried to return it. It was a hopeless, despairing
gesture. He knew he could not stop the train of events, and yet he deeply
regrettedhis own actions. Tragically, he made his crime worse by yielding to
despair. He went awayand hanged himself.
Conscience, by Nikolas Ge;Judas stands alone, watching as the soldiers lead
Jesus away

31. Meanwhile, Jesus facedthe hastily assembledcourts. His fate was already
sealed.
Readthe black text at end of page
Summary
At a last meal with his closestdisciples, Jesusknew that one of them, Judas,
was about to betray him. He tried to draw Judas back from the brink by
offering friendship and forgiveness, but it was too late. Judas sold Jesus to his
enemies, identifying him with a kiss. Jesus was arrestedandtaken awayfor
trial.
For more, see The Last Supper
Return to top
What the Gospels say
1 Judas agrees to betray Jesus:Readthe blue text
2 Jesus and Judas at the Last Supper: Readthe greentext
3 The Judas kiss:Readthe red text
4 The suicide of Judas:Readthe black text
Mark 14:10-11
10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in
order to betray him to them. 11 When they heard it, they were greatly
pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an
opportunity to betray him.
Mark 14:17-21
17 And when it was evening, he came with the Twelve. 18 And while they were
reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me,

32. one who is eating with me. 19 They beganto be grieved and to sayto him, one
by one, “It is not I, is it?” 21 But he said to them, “One of the Twelve, one who
dips into the bowl with me. 21 For the ‘son of man’ goes, just as it is written
concerning him; but woe to that man through whom the ‘son of man’ is
betrayed. Betterfor him if that man had not been born.”
Mark 14:43-46
43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the
twelve, and with him a crowdwith swords and clubs, from the chief priests
and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign,
saying, “The one I shall kiss is the man; seize him and lead him awayunder
guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, “Master!”
And he kissedhim. 46 And they laid hands on him and seizedhim.
Matthew 26:14-16
14 Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, came to the chief
priests and said 15 ‘What will you give me so I will betray him to you?’ And
they setwith him the amount of thirty silver coins. 16 And from that time he
beganto seek anopportune time in order that he might betray him.
Matthew 26:20-25
20 And when evening came, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And while
they were eating, he said: “Truly I tell you that one of you will betray me. “22
And becoming greatly distressed, they began to sayto him, one by one: “I’m
not the one, Lord, am I? ” and he answeredand said: “The one having dipped
his hand with mine in the bowl, this one will betray me. 24 The Son of Man
goes just as it has been written concerning him, but woe to that man through
whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better if that man had
not been born.” 25 And Judas, the one betraying him, answeredand said: “I
am not the one, Rabbi, am I?” And Jesus saidto him: “You have said he
truth.”
Matthew 26:47-50

33. 47 While he was still speaking, Judas, one ofthe twelve, arrived; with him was
a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of
the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying “The one I will
kiss is the man; arresthim.” 49 At once he came up to Jesus and said,
“Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissedhim. 50 Jesus saidto him “Friend, do what
you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested
him.
Matthew 27:3-5
3 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and
brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 He
said “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that
to us? See to it yourself.” 5 Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple,
he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
Luke 22:3-6
3 Satanentered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the
Twelve, 4 and he went and conferred with the chief priests and the officers
about how he might deliver Jesus up to them. 5 They were glad and decided to
give him money. 6 He agreedand beganto seek for an opportunity to deliver
him up in the absence ofa crowd.
Luke 22:47-48
47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas,
one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; 48 but
Jesus saidto him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?”
John 13:21-30
21 After saying these things Jesus became agitatedin spirit. He bore witness
and said, “Amen, amen, I tell you, one of you will betray me. 22 The disciples
lookedat one another, at a loss to know of whom he was speaking. 23 One of
his disciples was reclining at table close to the breastof Jesus–the one whom
Jesus loved. 24 Simon Petertherefore made signs to him that he should

34. inquire who it was of whom he was speaking. 25 Thatdisciple therefore
leaned back on Jesus’chestand said to him, “Master, who is it?
26 Jesus answers, “Itis he for whom I shall dip this piece of bread in the dish
and give it to him.” After dipping the bread he (takes it and) gives it to Judas,
son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after the piece of bread Satanentered into him.
Jesus says to him, “Whatyou are going to do, do quickly. 28 Now none of
those reclining at table knew for what purpose he said this to him; 29 for some
of them were supposing, since Judas used to keepthe money-box, that Jesus
was saying to him, “Buy what we need for the festival,” or that he should give
something to the poor. 30 After taking the bread, therefore, he went out at
once;and it was night.
John 18:1-5
1 When Jesus had spokenthese words, he went forth with his disciples across
the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples
entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place;for Jesus often
met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, procuring a band of soldiers and
some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, wentthere with
lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to
befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They
answeredhim, “Jesus ofNazareth.” Jesus saidto them, “I am he.” Judas, who
betrayed him, was standing with them. https://www.jesus-story.net/betrayal/
Why Judas Betrayed Jesus with a Kiss
December2, 2014
7 Comments
Why did Judas betray Jesus with a kiss? The simplestexplanation is of
course the one we find in Matthew and Mark. It was the prearranged sign by
which Judas identified Jesus to the arresting soldiers (Mark 14:44, Matt.
26:48). Ok. But that explanation still leaves a major issue unanswered. Why

35. a kiss? There are certainly far less intimate ways to identify someone,
pointing or a simple tap on the shoulder being among them. Why a kiss? The
answerhas everything to do with Jesus’claimto be king.
When Jesus enteredJerusalemon a donkey days before the betrayal, he
publicly proclaimed himself the Christ/Messiah, the Sonof David, the rightful
king of Israel. The crowdof people present that day certainly understood his
actions. Their interpretation is found recordedin eachof the four Gospels. In
Matthew they shout, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” In Mark they say,
“Blessedis the coming kingdom of our father David!” In Luke we hear them
proclaim, “Blessedis the king who comes in the name of the Lord! And in
John they cry, “Blessedis the King of Israel.”
The question we need to ask is why did these people connectJesus’entrance
into Jerusalemon a donkey with an implicit claim to the throne? Matthew
and John of course point to a prophetic fulfillment of Zachariah 9:9,
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvationis he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
And this is typically where our answers end.
But there’s an even biggerreasonto connectJesus’entrance into Jerusalem
with his claim to be king than this short verse in Zachariah. We know that
the actof riding a mule into Jerusalemwas the signby which Solomonwas
proclaimed king of Israel. This event is found in 1 Kings 1. The ride on
David’s mule is there emphasized, being repeatedthree times. This is a
particularly crucial event in Israel’s history. It’s Israel’s first dynastic
succession. ThoughSaulhad been the first king of Israel, he had no dynasty.

36. He and his sons were killed and the rule passedto a new line in David. It’s not
until Solomon’s coronationin 1 Kings 1, however, that we find David’s royal
linage established. And it’s establishedin none other than Solomon’s ride into
Jerusalemon David’s mule. Given this events historical and symbolic
importance, I believe its probable that it was repeatedin all subsequent
coronationceremonies. Inthe same way George Washington’s personal
decisionto swearon a Bible has been repeatedin all subsequent presidential
inaugurations, so the riding into Jerusalemon a mule formed the basis for
future coronations. Jesus,by entering Jerusalemon a donkey, appears to be
invoking a royal ceremony which the people recognized.
In this specific act, Jesus publicly proclaimed himself to be the restorationof
the fallen house of David. In 2 Samuel 7, God had made an eternal promise to
David that one of his sons would sit on Israel’s throne. And yet by the time of
the Gospels,David’s throne had been empty for more than five hundred
years. Psalms 89, bemoans this situation. In it God says, “
Once for all I have swornby my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
Like the moon it shall be establishedforever,
a faithful witness in the skies.” (89:35-37)
And yet the Psalmistgrieves the fact that God has now
castoff and rejected;
you are full of wrath againstyour anointed.
You have renounced the covenantwith your servant;
you have defiled his crownin the dust. (89:38-39).
Psalms 89 looks back on the original promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7.
And its 2 Samuel 7 which is especiallyimportant for our understanding of

37. David’s successors andtherefore Jesus’selfunderstanding as He enters into
Jerusalem. It explains what it means for Jesus to be the “Christ,” “the Son of
David” and yes, even “the Sonof God.”
In 2 Samuel 7, David tells Nathan the prophet of his plans to build a “house”
for God. David has built himself a “house of cedar” and thus finds it
unbearable that the ark of God should still reside in a tent. Nathan endorses
the plan but then suddenly changes his mind when he receives a messagefrom
God. God says He doesn’t want David to build him a “house.” InsteadGod
promises to make a “house” (i.e. dynasty – note the play on words), for David.
“Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise
up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will
establishhis kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish
the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to
me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men,
with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfastlove will not depart from
him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your
house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne
shall be establishedforever.’” (2 Samuel 7:11-16)
Note that the Son of David has a specialrelationship to God. The king is here
describedas God’s son. Oddly, God is the father of David’s son. By this point
you should be recognizing the echoes in the Gospels. Inthe Gospels, God
himself calls Jesus his “Son” while Jesus calls Godhis “Father.” In reading 2
Samuel 7 it’s also quite natural to see a reference to Solomon since Solomon,
the first son of David, did in fact build a “house” or temple for God. But it’s
also important to see in this promise a note to Jesus’selfunderstanding. Jesus
first act, after his entrance into Jerusalem(again, in the manner of Solomon’s
coronation)is to inspect and “cleanse” the temple. The establishmentof a
“house” for Godis the specialprerogative of David’s son. Jesus acts
accordingly. And the people respond with appropriate anticipation.
The problem, however, is that Jesus’coronation doesn’toccur in the way the
people expect. Jesus is subsequently crucified which would suggestthat Jesus

38. was just a pretender, a false claimant to David’s throne. But that’s not how
Mark and the other Gospelwriters see it. They do indeed place Jesus on the
throne but it’s ironically the cross, the moment of Jesus’greatestglory. We
know this is how the Gospelwriters see it because ofthe details they choose to
emphasize.
There’s a specialturning point in eachof the first three Gospels where Jesus
asks his disciples the question everyone has been asking, who is Jesus? “Who
do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29, Matt. 16:15, Luke 9:20) Peterdeclares,
“You are the Anointed one.” In other words, Petersays you are “David’s son,
the Christ, the messiah, the king, the rightful heir to the throne.” It’s a
significant hair-raising announcement. And it’s with this announcement that
Jesus turns his attention to Jerusalemand his ultimate destiny. Jesus warns
them not to tell anyone what Peter has just said and at the same time begins to
teachthem that he will be rejected, killedand three days later rise again. The
disciples, however, choke onthis prediction. Peterrebukes him. When he
said “Christ” he clearly didn’t mean “loser.” Insteadhe meant a royal kick-
ass leaderwho would free Israelfrom its foreign oppressors. ButJesus in-
turn rebukes Peter, teaching his disciples that to save ones life is to lose it and
to lose ones life is to save it. This pattern is repeatedtwo more times in the
journey to Jerusalem. WhenJesus predicts his death, the disciples express
pride in their earthly position and Jesus in turn must once again adjust their
perspective through a paradoxicalteaching. To be the greatestyoumust
become the least. To be first you must be last. To rule you must become a
servant.
The lastexample of this pattern occurs when James and John approach Jesus
with a request to sit on his right and left in his glory. Jesus has just told them
he is going to Jerusalemto die but they apparently still believe he’s going up
to sit on a golden throne. Jesus, however, knowsthat his glory is the cross and
his questions to them specificallypoints to that. “Are you able to drink the cup
that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
They, not at all understanding what’s he’s talking about, nod their heads with
blank stares, saying that they are able. But Jesus says, “to sit at my right
hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been
prepared.” (Matt. 20:23, Mark 10:40)

39. This is significant because the only place we find anyone on Jesus right and
left in the Gospels is in the crucifixion. Mark 15:27 says, “they crucified two
robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.” Its clearthat when the
disciples ask to sit with Jesus in his glory, Jesus points them to the cross. The
cross is his glory. The placing of the thieves on Jesus right and left comes
significantly at the culmination of a long list of coronationelements (15:16-
27). With Pilates order to have Jesus crucified, Mark tells us that the soldiers
lead Jesus into the praetorium and there assembledthe whole battalion before
him. In this actMark’s original readers would have heard echoes ofthe
coronationof Caesarwho was himself proclaimed Lord through the vote of
the praetorianguard. Mark then tells us that they clothed him in a purple
cloak (a color only rulers could legally wear)and put a crown of thorns on his
head. They salutedhim, “Hail, King of the Jews,”onbended knee in mock
homage. Theypost his charge, “the King of the Jews.”
The Gospelwriters find a further irony in the “sarcasm” ofthe soldiers act.
Jesus is indeed receiving the kingdom in the cross. In losing his life, he’s
saving it. In serving, he’s becoming Lord. This is truly his coronation. His
inauguration. Jesus’crownis in fact bestowedin the crucifixion.
So what does this have to do with Judas’kiss? The answeris found in Psalms
2. It’s one of the psalters coronationhymns and as such it was sung at the
inauguration of eachnew davidic king. It tells us something important about
the historic coronationceremony but in that it also tells us about the ironic
coronationof Jesus found in the Gospels. ReadPsalms 2 with that in mind.
Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth setthemselves,
and the rulers take counseltogether,
againstthe Lord and againsthis Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
and castawaytheir cords from us.”

40. He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begottenyou.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessedare all who take refuge in him.
“Kiss the Son…” Some translations hide the explicit connectionby rendering
it “do homage to the son.” The actionis of course homage but the literal verb

41. is “kiss.” And the word kiss is relatively rare in the Old and New Testament,
leastof all an imperative to kiss the son/the anointed king.
Is there a connectionto Judas and Jesus here? I think there absolutely is. We
know that the disciples recognizedJesus as the christ, the king, the son of
David. We saw this in Matthew 16, Mark 8 and Luke 9. They went to
Jerusalemto see Jesus establishedon the throne. They knew the davidic
coronationscript. They knew what it meant for Jesus to enter Jerusalem
riding on a donkey. But for some reasonJudas lost faith. I think in light of
the Gospels it’s quit probable that Judas couldn’t get over Jesus’rejectionof
traditional messiahrole. He realized there would be no earthly glory and thus
he chose to sarcasticallybetray Jesus, the supposed“son”, with a kiss. His
kiss is deeply ironic. As with the soldiers, He mocks Jesus in his claim to be
the rightful king of Israel. And yet in the Gospels we find it is the Lord who
turns his sarcasminto an further layer of irony and its is the Lord who enjoys
the lastlaugh.
Matthew ScottMiller
BetrayedBy A Kiss
Brian Zahnd
“Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” –Jesus
Kiss and betrayal. Betrayed by a kiss. The kiss of Judas. The kiss of death.
That ignominious kiss from two thousand years ago in the Garden of
Gethsemane has planted itself firmly in the Westernimagination. Is there a
more famous kiss in history? How many paintings and poems, songs and
sermons has that one kiss inspired? Louis Armstrong sang, “a kiss is just a
kiss.” But is it? Here’s an axiom you can live by: Things are more complicated
than you think. And this is true of Judas and his infamous kiss.
Albert Einstein is supposedto have said, “everything should be made as
simple as possible, but not simpler.” Yet we love simplifying things. Keep it

42. simple, stupid. K.I.S.S. We especiallylike to simplify stories. Goodguys and
bad guys. White hats and black hats. Protagonistand antagonist. Conflict,
climax, resolution. Followedby ten sequels. All with the same simple plot. But
despite our penchant for simplification our stories remain complicated,
because we are complicated. If we tell the story of Judas as just a bad guy who
sold out Jesus to make a few bucks, that’s a simple story. Greedythief. Thirty
pieces of silver. Cut a deal with the priests. Kiss Jesus. Fade into the night.
Simple. He did it for the money. It’s a simple story. Easyto comprehend. Plus,
(and this is very important!) it has the advantage of being something we would
never do. Betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver? We would never do that! So
we have establisheda safe distance betweenourselves and Judas Iscariot, the
Son of Perdition.
But it’s not that simple. Yes, it’s true Judas was a thief — the treasurerwho
was also an embezzler. Nevertheless,I insist that Judas story is far more
complicatedthan that of a petty thief who betrays his rabbi for thirty coins.
Judas’ story gets complicatedwhen Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. Why the
kiss? Why this theatricalembellishment? Why this feigned affectionthat has
so captured our imagination? If Judas is betraying Jesus for money, why not
just point him out — that’s the guy! — take the money and run? Why this
business with a kiss? If we cananswerthis question, I think we’ll find that we
don’t have a simple story of a petty thief, but a complicatedtragedy and a
story that may leave us rather uncomfortable.
Judas Iscariot. What do we know about him? We know he was a disciple of
Jesus. He was chosenby Christ to be one of the Twelve Apostles. Judas was to
be among the twelve leaders who reformed and reframed the twelve tribes of
Israelby announcing and enacting the kingdom of God as taught and lived by
Jesus. We know Jesus was aware veryearly on that Judas would eventually
betray him. We also have reasonto suspectthat prior to his becoming a
disciple of Jesus, Judas had belongedto a violent insurgency known as the
Sicarii. Is Judas Iscariot, Judas the Sicarii-ite? Some scholars think so. The
JewishSicarii(“dagger-men”)were the most extreme faction of the Zealots —
an insurgency advocating violent overthrow of the Roman occupation. The
Sicarii carriedout assassinations ofRoman soldiers and officials and Jewish
elites whom they deemed as collaborators. During the governorship of Felix,

43. the Sicariiassassinatedthe Jewishhigh priest. Their preferred method was to
selecta target in a crowdedpublic place, strike with their concealeddaggers
for which they were named, and then escape by blending into the crowd. It
was a form of terrorism designed to intimidate and dishearten their foreign
occupiers, something we are familiar with today. Did Judas belongedto the
Sicarii before becoming a followerof Jesus? We can’tbe sure, but we do know
that one of Jesus’disciples — Simon the Canaanite — had belonged to the
Zealots. Perhaps it’s telling that in their listing of the twelve disciples Matthew
and Mark pair Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariottogether. The Zealot and
the Sicarius?
In the end it may not matter whether or not Judas belongedto the Sicarii.
Judas and the restof the disciples were undeniably lockedinto a paradigm of
a violent Messiah. The Jewishunderstanding of Messiah’s vocationincluded
rescuing Israelfrom foreign oppressors and eventually ruling over the
Gentiles. It was assumedthis would be accomplishedin the same manner as
the messianic prototypes of Joshua, David, and Judah Maccabaeus — through
violence. So despite his message ofloving enemies, turning the other cheek,
and forgoing violent resistanceto evil, the disciples were convinced that Jesus
would eventually resortto violence. Eventually Jesus would alter his message,
start killing Romans, and liberate Israel. Eventually Jesus wouldbecome
practical — and there’s nothing more “practical” than violence. It gets the job
done! So when Jesus was aboutto be arrestedin Gethsemane, his disciples
shouted, “Lord, shall we now strike with the sword?!” The ever-
presumptuous Peterdidn’t even wait for a reply, but led the attack, severing a
slave’s ear, until Jesus shouted, “No more of this!” and put a stop to the
violence. It’s clearthat for the disciples, including Judas, violence remained a
viable means through which the kingdom of God would finally arrive. Love
your enemy…until you need to kill him. Live the Sermon on the Mount…until
it becomes impractical. Take up your cross…butin the crucial moment resort
to the sword. This was how the disciples were “practical” aboutthe teaching
of their rabbi.
With this as a backdrop, let’s ask a question: What was Judas trying to do
and why did he betray Jesus with a kiss? Was Judas trying to force Jesus’
hand — trying to push him out of his Sermon on the Mount ethics of enemy-

44. love? Was Judas was trying to force Jesus to resort to violence and start the
war for Jewishindependence? I think so. The reasonJudas greetedJesus with
the customarykiss (which was also a covert sign), is that Judas didn’t so much
want to betray Jesus as he wantedmanipulate Jesus. Judas wantedto
manipulate Jesus into launching a violent revolution. Judas wanted to remain
a part of the inner-circle of disciples following a now violent Jesus. Judas
actedlike he was still a faithful disciple, because Judas wantedto be a faithful
disciple — but only on his own terms. Judas didn’t want to betray Jesus, he
wanted to control Jesus. Judas wantedJesus to be Messiahin a certain way:
Violent.
But Judas miscalculated. Tragicallyso!Jesus really meant what he taught and
would not resortto violence…evenwhentempted to do so. So when things
spun out of control and Jesus was actuallyarrestedby the Temple guard and
condemned to death by the Sanhedrin, Judas was remorseful. Deeply
remorseful. Judas returned the money, confessedhis guilt to the priests, and
insisted that Jesus was aninnocent man. When Judas saw he had setinto
motion something he could not stop, something that would result in the
executionof Jesus, Judas despairedand committed suicide. These are not the
actions of a petty thief. These are the actions of a failed revolutionary. Judas
betrayed Jesus, not primarily for money (he returned the money!), but for the
cause ofviolent revolution. Judas wanted a violent Messiahand he was willing
to give Jesus a little push toward taking up the sword. Judas tempted Jesus to
take up the sword, just as satanhad tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
(Remember, satanhad entered Judas!) Judas had a problem with money. But
Judas had a bigger problem with violence.
So what does it mean to betray Jesus with a kiss? It means trying to
manipulate Jesus to our way of thinking. It means trying to control Jesus for
our own agenda. Whenwe try to getJesus to stepoutside of his own ethics of
enemy-love in order to fight our battles, wage ourwars, and kill our enemies,
we have betrayed Jesus. Ofcourse we do it while claiming to love Jesus as our
Lord and Savior. In other words, we betray Jesus…with a kiss.
https://brianzahnd.com/2013/03/betrayed-by-a-kiss/

45. Updated:Apr 16, 2019Original:Mar15, 2019
Why Jesus Was Betrayedby Judas Iscariot
Once one of Jesus’s mosttrusted disciples, Judas became the poster child for
treacheryand cowardice.
SarahPruitt
Leemage/UIG/GettyImages
From the moment he plants a kiss on Jesus ofNazareth in the Garden of
Gethsemane, Judas Iscariotsealedhis own fate: to be remembered as
history’s most famous traitor.
But by identifying Jesus to the Jewishauthorities, Judas set into motion the
series ofevents that became the foundations of the Christian faith: Jesus’s
arrest, his trial, his death by crucifixion, and eventually his resurrection,
known collectivelyas the PassionofChrist.
Given how little we actually know about him from the Bible, Judas Iscariot
remains one of the most enigmatic—andimportant—figures in Jesus’s story.
In recent years, the discovery of the long-lost GospelofJudas, a Gnostic text
originally dating to the secondcentury, has led some scholars to reconsiderhis
role, and even to ask whether he might have been unfairly blamed for
betraying Jesus.
READ MORE:The Bible Says Jesus Was Real. WhatOther ProofExists?
Who Was Judas Iscariot? What We Know from the Bible

46. Though the Bible offers few details about Judas’s background, all four
canonicalgospelsofthe New Testamentname him among Jesus’s 12 closest
disciples, or apostles. Intriguingly, Judas Iscariotis the only one of the
apostles whomthe Bible (potentially) identifies by his town of origin. Some
scholars have linked his surname “Iscariot,” to Queriot (or Kerioth), a town
locatedsouth of Jerusalemin Judea.
“One of the things that might setJudas apart from the rest of Jesus's disciples
is that Judas is not from Galilee,” says RobertCargill, assistantprofessorof
classicsand religious studies at the University of Iowa and editor of Biblical
ArchaeologyReview. “Jesus is from the northern part of Israel, or Roman
Palestine. But [Judas’s]surname might be evidence that he's from the
southern part of the country, meaning he may be a little bit of an outsider.”
READ MORE:Explore 10 Biblical Sites:Photos
Alternatively, others have suggestedthat the name Iscariotidentified Judas
with the Sicarii, or “dagger-men,” a group of Jewishrebels who opposedthe
Roman occupationand committed acts of terrorism circa A.D. 40-50 onbehalf
of their nationalist cause. But there’s nothing in the Bible to link Judas to the
Sicarii, and they were known to be active only after his death.
“We're not sure Judas was from the South, and we're not sure Judas was a
Sicarii,” Cargillsays. “These are attempts to see if there may have been
something up front that setJudas apart from the rest. Becausepeople are
always trying to explain—why would he have done this? Why would Judas
have betrayed Jesus?”
READ MORE:What Did Jesus Look Like?
Jesus made an announcement of betrayal at the Last Supper. Judas is seen
seatedat the opposite side of the table.
David Lees/Corbis/VCG/GettyImages

47. Possible Motives forHis Betrayal
According to the Gospelof John, Jesus informed his disciples during the Last
Supper that one of them will betray him. When they askedwho it would be,
Jesus said“It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped
it in the dish.” He then dipped a piece of bread in a dish and handed it to
Judas, identified as the “sonof Simon Iscariot.” After Judas received the piece
of bread, “Satanentered into him.” (John 13:21-27).
Judas then went on his own to the priests of the Temple, the religious
authorities at the time, and offered to betray Jesus in exchange for money—30
pieces of silver, as specifiedin the Gospelof Matthew. Like the Gospelof
John, the Gospelof Luke also cited Satan’s influence, rather than mere greed,
as a reasonfor Judas’s betrayal. John, however, made clearthat Judas was an
immoral man even before the devil got into him: He kept the “common
purse,” the fund that Jesus and his disciples used for their ministry, and stole
from it.
“There have always beenthose who have wanted to tie Judas's betrayal to the
fact that he had a love of money,” Cargill points out. Others have suggesteda
more political motive for his traitorous act. According to this theory, Judas
might have become disillusioned when Jesus showedlittle interest in
fomenting a rebellion againstthe Romans and reestablishing an independent
kingdom of Israel.
Alternatively, Cargill suggests, Judas (like the Jewishauthorities at the time)
could have seena rebellion as potentially dangerous for the Jewishpeople in
general, as in the case ofthe Roman destruction of Sepphoris earlierin the
first century: “Maybe he decided to hand Jesus over, in effect, to stop a larger
rebellion.”
READ MORE:Why Did Pontius Pilate Have Jesus Executed?
What Happened After That

48. Whateverhis motives, Judas led soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane, where
he identified Jesus by kissing him and calling him “Rabbi.” (Mark 14:44-46)
According to the Gospelof Matthew, Judas immediately regrettedhis actions
and returned the 30 pieces ofsilver to church authorities, saying “I have
sinned by betraying innocent blood.” When the authorities dismissedhim,
Judas left the coins on the floor, and committed suicide by hanging himself
(Matthew 27:3-8).
The Bible offers differing accounts of Judas's death. The Gospelof Matthew
describes him hanging himself after realizing the depths of his betrayal. The
Book ofActs, on the other hand, describes his death more like a spontaneous
combustion.
Culture Club/Getty Images
According to another canonicalsource in the Bible, the Book ofActs (written
by the same author as the GospelofLuke), Judas didn’t kill himself after
betraying Jesus. Instead, he went into a field, where “falling headlong, he
burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushedout” (Acts 1:18). This
spontaneous-combustion-like processwas a common form of death in the
Bible when God himself causedpeople’s deaths.
Judas’s betrayal, of course, led to Jesus’s arrest, trialand death by
crucifixion, after which he was resurrected, a sequence ofevents that—
according to Christian tradition—brought salvation to humanity. But the
name “Judas” became synonymous with treachery in various languages,and
Judas Iscariotwould be portrayed in Westernart and literature as the
archetypal traitor and false friend. Dante’s Inferno famously doomed Judas to
the lowestcircle in Hell, while painters liked Giotto and Caravaggio, among
others, immortalized the traitorous “Judas kiss” in their iconic works.
READ MORE:Mary Magdalene:Prostitute, Wife or None of the Above?
Was Judas Really That Bad?

49. “The most important fact about Judas, apart from his betrayal of Jesus, is his
connectionwith anti-Semitism,” JoanAcocella wrote in The New Yorker in
2006. “Almostsince the death of Christ, Judas has been held up by Christians
as a symbol of the Jews:their supposed deviousness, theirlust for money and
other racialvices.”
The historicaltendency to identify Judas with anti-Semitic stereotypes led,
after the horrors of the Holocaust, to a reconsiderationofthis keyBiblical
figure, and something of a rehabilitation of his image. ProfessorWilliam
Klassen, a Canadianbiblical scholar, arguedin a 1997 biography of Judas
that many of the details of his treachery were invented or exaggeratedby
early Christian church leaders, especiallyas the church beganto move away
from Judaism.
The Gospelof Judas
In 2006, the NationalGeographic Societyannouncedthe discoveryand
translation of a long-losttext known as the “Gospelof Judas,” believedto
have been originally written around A.D. 150, then copied from Greek into
Coptic in the third century. First alluded to in writing by the second-century
cleric Irenaeus, the Gospelof Judas is one of many ancient texts discoveredin
recentdecades that have been linked to the Gnostics, a (mostly) Christian
group who were denounced as heretics by early church leaders for their
unorthodox spiritual beliefs.
Rather than denounce Judas as Jesus’s betrayer, the author of the Gospelof
Judas glorified him as Jesus’s mostfavoreddisciple. In this version of events,
Jesus askedJudas to betray him to the authorities, so that he could be freed
from his physical body and fulfill his destiny of saving humanity.
An ancientCoptic manuscript dating from the third or fourth century,
containing the only known surviving copy of the Gospelof Judas.
Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images

50. Controversysurrounds the Gospelof Judas, as some scholars have argued
that the National Geographic Society’s versionrepresenteda mistranslationof
the Coptic text, and that the public was wrongly made to believe the document
portrayed a “noble Judas.” In any case,the factthat the Gospelof Judas was
written at leasta century after Jesus and Judas died means that it provides
little in the way of historically reliable information about their lives, and
certainly doesn’t provide the missing link to understanding Judas Iscariot’s
true motivations.
“The truth is we don't know why Judas did what he did,” notes Cargill. “The
grand irony, of course, is that without [Judas’s betrayal], Jesus doesn'tget
handed over to the Romans and crucified. Without Judas, you don't have the
central component of Christianity—you don't have the Resurrection.”
By Sarah Pruitt
Kiss of Judas
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"The Kiss of Judas" redirects here. For the film, see The Kiss of Judas (film).
Kiss of Judas (1304–06), frescoby Giotto, ScrovegniChapel, Padua, Italy
The kiss of Judas, also known(especiallyin art) as the Betrayalof Christ, is
how Judas identified Jesus to the multitude with swords and clubs who had

51. come from the chief priests and elders of the people to arresthim, according
to the Synoptic Gospels. The kiss is given by Judas in the Garden of
Gethsemane afterthe Last Supper and leads directly to the arrestof Jesus by
the police force of the Sanhedrin.
Within the life of Jesus in the New Testament, the events of his identification
to hostile forces and subsequent executionare directly foreshadowedboth
when Jesus predicts his betrayal and Jesus predicts his death.
More broadly, a Judas kiss may refer to "an actappearing to be an act of
friendship, which is in fact harmful to the recipient".[1]
Contents
1
In the New Testament
2
In liturgics
3
In art
4
See also
5
References
6
Further reading
In the New Testament[edit]

52. The gospels ofMatthew (26:47–50)andMark (14:43–45)bothuse the Greek
verb καταφιλέω (kataphileó), whichmeans to "kiss, caress;distinct from
φιλεῖν (philein); especiallyofan amorous kiss"[2]It is the same verb that
Plutarch uses to describe a famous kiss that Alexander the Greatgave
Bagoas.[3]The compound verb (κατα-)"has the force of an emphatic,
ostentatious salute".[4]Lutheran theologianJohannBengelsuggeststhat
Judas kissedHim repeatedly: "he kissedHim more than once in opposition to
what he had said in the preceding verse: Greek:φιλήσω, philēsō, a single kiss
(Matthew 26:48), and did so as if from kindly feeling".[5]
According to Matthew 26:50, Jesus respondedby saying: "Friend, do what
you are here to do". Elaine Pagels and Karen King have speculatedthat Jesus
and Judas were actually in agreementwith eachother and that there was no
real betrayal.[6]Luke 22:48 quotes Jesus saying "Judas, are you betraying the
Son of Man with a kiss?"[7]
Jesus'arrestfollows immediately.[8]
In liturgics[edit]
In the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostomthe Greek Orthodox Church
uses the troparion Of thy MysticalSupper.., in which the hymnist vows to
Jesus that he will "...notkiss Thee as did Judas..." («...οὐφίλημά σοι
δώσω,καθάπερὁ Ἰούδας...»):
Τοῦ Δείπνου σου τοῦ μυστικοῦ, σήμερον, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, κοινωνόνμε παράλαβε· οὐ
μὴ γὰρ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου τὸ Μυστήριονεἴπω· οὐ φίλημά σοι δώσω, καθάπερὁ
Ἰούδας·ἀλλ’ ὡς ὁ Λῃστὴς ὁμολογῶ σοι·Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ
σου.
Of Thy Mystic Supper receive me today, O Son of God, as a partaker;for I
will not speak of the mystery to Thine enemies;I will not kiss Thee as did
Judas; but as the thief, I will confess Thee:Lord, remember me in Thy
kingdom.[9]:194–195

53. Sermon on Matthew 26 47-56 – Betrayedwith a Kiss
MATTHEW 26:47-56 – BETRAYED WITH A KISS
Matthew tells the story of the greatestbetrayalin history – as Jesus was
betrayed with a DECEITFULKISS from JUDAS, one of his 12 disciples. We
do not know a greatdeal about JUDAS. He was calledIscariotby the other
eleven, as he was the son of Simon Iscariot. Some people think this means
Man from Kerioth, a town in Southern Judea. The other eleven disciples came
from Galilee. Judas actedas treasurer to the disciples and was later on
regardedas a thief who helped himself to the money. Beyond those facts we do
not know all that much more about him.
Fiction and popular culture have often depicted Judas as some kind of
monster, an ape-like figure with twisted features. To anti-Semites, he was an
archetype of Jewishtreachery. Thatignores the obvious factthat Jesus and all
12 disciples were Jewish, and those who plotted againstJesus included the
Gentile Roman authorities. Today we will try to learn from the failure of
Judas. Eachof us fails the Lord every day, but none of us wish to become the
enemies of Jesus. We canlearn from this sad and tragic man if we humble
ourselves under God’s word today. Two things to note: 1) A MONSTROUS
TRAITOR. 2)A MONSTROUS BETRAYAL.
1). A MONSTROUSTRAITOR.
What does a monstrous traitor look like? The gospelwriters are restrained
and measuredas they talk of Judas. Generally, they speak ofJudas as “one of
the twelve”. The truth is that NO ONE SUSPECTED HIM FOR EVEN A
MOMENT.
a). A TRAITOR LOOKS JUST LIKE THE REST OF US!
Any one of us could let the Lord down badly. Fanciful legends of early church
history, gory speculationin Dante’s Inferno, or the psychologicalspeculations
of modern Broadwayplays, and Hollywood Cinema eachtry to understand or
explain Judas. He stands in scripture not so much as a MONSTROUS AND
UNPARALLELED TRAITOR – but as a WARNING TO ALL OF US. Judas
was just like us; he was one of the 12 most privileged people in history. That

54. he fell awayis a warning againstcomplacencyfor us all. Take care not to walk
awayfrom the grace ofGod.
b). A TRAITOR IS SELDOM ALONE!
Judas chose his SIDE. He arrived with a CROWD. It is much easierto betray
Jesus if you have like-minded company. Sin and selfishness finds comfort and
boldness in numbers. This is also the style of bullies and persecutors
throughout history.
The intimidating crowd armed with clubs and swords may have numbered
1,000, andcertainly numbered in the hundreds. There were so many
“stakeholders”!Some represented the Chief Priests, others the Elders, the
whole Sanhedrin, Temple Police (Luke 22:52), Roman Army (John 18:3);
both the Phariseesand Sadducees (John18:3, Mark 15:1, Acts 23:6). A
Roman Cohort could number 600 men, probably based at Fort Antonia in
Jerusalem.
Jesus would be captured like a dangerous rebel. It was at night and away
from the crowds of worshippers thronging the city streets. Nothing in the plot
with Judas was left to chance. Jesus wouldnot slip through their fingers.
Question:WHO HELD ALL THE POWER? Mostin that crowd had NO
IDEA WHY they were there. It lookedlike Satan, or Judas or the authorities
were in charge. But their actions were in a sense MINDLESS. Irrational
hostility to a man who had broken no laws and done them no wrong.
We still meet the ABC ATTITUDE in our society:ANYTHING BUT
CHRIST, and lifestyle or philosophy exceptbiblical Christianity. But Christ
was about to heal Malchus, the servantof the High Priest, who had got his ear
lopped off in the mêlée. This mighty Christ was firmly in charge of the night!
2). A MONSTROUSBETRAYAL.
You sense the Satanic influence as events unfold. Judas entered the Garden
and gave the pre-arranged sign to identify Jesus. He would KISS the person of
interest to the authorities so that Jesus would be safelyarrested.