Could people not only get the crucifixion story about Jesus (pbh) wrong but also mangle the true story of Judas Iscariot from their Bibles? How could that possibly be when they have ‘Biblical records’ like the New Testament to tell the tale? Yet for nearly two-thousand years the tale of Judas Iscariot has been as much manhandled by Christian apologists as has the crucifixion story!
This article will take care of the ‘truth behind the Judas scandal’ that set many of the ‘faithful’ down the wrong path of discovery. Do we need a new book (Testament) for this? The answer is definitely NO! The reason why this is so is because the current New Testament is quite adequate enough to show the real passion behind the choice that Judas made! But just as important as this is the knowledge of the times, the psychology of the mind and common sense reactions to a tale well told.
The story starts off with the dynamic teacher Jesus (pbh) and his journey in becoming the ‘Chosen one of GOD’ or the Messiah who will ‘eventually’ inherit a kingdom of paradise on Earth which is rightfully claimed to last a thousand years according to the book of Revelation:
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years {in that condition both in the Earth and in the Sky}.
The rest of the dead did not come to life {to be put on Earth} until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years {then they will need to sleep to be raised for the Last Day of Judgment and receive their records in their right hands}. Revelation (4-6)
Jesus (pbh) to the Jewish population is basically a strange man in that he is not really known or remembered as much of anything important or special to the Jews of Palestine. True, he was a gifted child in Palestine and as such made the learned men of the Book take notice when he was around 12 years of age by his depth of knowledge of the scriptures. Then he went missing!
After many, many years he shows up in Palestine to a family that knows him and includes him as one of their own. However, the other Jewish people do not know this man and they proclaim that they know his family but NOT this man who is called Jesus (pbh).
And when he {Jesus} came into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, “Where has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works”?
“Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas”?
“And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where then has this man all these things”? Matthew (55:54-56)
Anyway, he has a family, at least a mother, brothers and sisters but they don’t behave like him. He seems gifted, knowledgeable and ready to be combative with the local population. He is challenging their concepts concerning Judaism and they feel uncomfortable. These Jews that he is combating are of the most populous sect of Jews, the Pharisees. As long as one doesn’t get in their way and challenge doctrine, they won’t be too much harassed.
Anyone can tell at this point that Jesus (pbh) is not your regular run-of-the-mill Jew just by carefully reading the New Testament. He also shows tremendous foresight in picking his chosen followers as if, by some miracle, he had known them from before.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you {including Judas Iscariot} that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the FATHER in my name HE may give you. John (15:16)
His followers were a mixed bunch of people who spanned the categories between rich and poor, literate and un-literate. However, none of them could be considered of the Pharisee sect.
The Pharisees had spies all over just like any government today because they felt that they were the big cheese when it came to Judaism and that other sects were indignant complainers and off-beat Jews not in their league. That feeling is not new even in today’s world.
This being the case, one can be very positive that spies were present throughout the land so that the status-quo would not be challenged. That status-quo was the inclusion and hobnobbing around with the disbeliever (Roman law and control by godless Rome).
However, Rome wasn’t godless. They had tons of gods and strange customs. They let the Jews have plenty of freedom as long as they were treated well and made to feel superior to this strange ONE GOD SECT.
Other Jewish types had varying resentments to this from ‘let sleeping dogs lie’ to one day we are going to smash you silly! Meanwhile, the Pharisees could claim a certain sense of joy with the notion of ‘religion set aside’ let’s prosper while the sun shines! In other words, DON’T ROCK THE BOAT AND CAUSE TROUBLE!
Jesus’ Disciples, as stated above, were a mixed bag but they weren’t stupid. They did understand Judaism and their responsibilities in following Jewish Law. And what is very important to note, they were in an era of Jewish expectancy which meant the Jewish Messiah was being looked for which most Jews felt the need of as a way of getting out from under the Roman yoke of suppression.
It is in this atmosphere that we can now pick up the story of Judas Iscariot. There were many ideas about the Jewish redeemer being floated about but one thing was for certain. All of their records revealed that this Messiah-type person would be Jewish, a man only and that ‘foreign influence’ would come crashing down! Various types of kingdoms (earthly and heavenly) could be argued about and just how quickly and efficiently all of this was going to take place.
One thing was for certain! If one was helping ‘their Roman masters’ have a joyful stay in Palestine, then those people were just as slimy as the pagans were and should be thrown in the garbage just for the fun of it. Naturally, the Pharisees would not take kindly to this sentiment and didn’t mind cooperating with their ‘big brother’ to police the area of Palestine against so-called trouble makers.
So, the Pharisees were on the lookout for any disturbances in the society especially from the religious fanatics whom they would call ‘troublemakers’. Troublemakers that would lead a revolution against them and the Romans. This would be a religious uprising and the only one who could pull this off would be a Messiah-type person.
The Disciples stuck to Jesus (pbh) like glue and observed and absorbed his various teachings. They were witnesses to his various stunning-like miracles that could not be explained away by normal means. All of his Disciples, including Judas Iscariot, knew that he was a prophet sent by their GOD BUT WAS HE THE MESSIAH OR KIND OF A FORERUNNER TO A MESSIAH?
The Pharisees were becoming nervous about this man. A prophet among us??? What if he should say something like: ‘In the name of GOD, you are commanded to get rid of this foreign scum’. Here you can see their quandary. Either show the people you don’t care about what GOD thinks or go out and fight your former friends and most probably get all of your collective heads bashed in!
That explains why a lot of attempts were made to make Jesus (pbh) look foolish while denouncing him as a charlatan and even attempts at killing him as reported in the New Testament. The whole idea being don’t upset the apple cart especially when the Pharisees are riding the winning, worldly horse!
All of the Disciples had inklings about Jesus such that HE JUST MIGHT BE THE ONE OUR Jewish RECORDS SPEAK ABOUT!
The Disciples were a close nit bunch and spent lots of time together talking, eating, sleeping, etc. They also were familiar, very familiar with prophecy AND THEY WERE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LEADING RABBI OF THE DAY – JESUS!
O you who believe! Be you helpers of ALLAH: As said Jesus the son of Mary to the Disciples, “Who will be my helpers to (do the work of) ALLAH?” Said the Disciples, “We are ALLAH’s helpers!” then a portion of the Children of Israel believed {in this Jewish Messiah}, and a portion disbelieved {by rejecting him}: But WE gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that {eventually} prevailed {in faith}. Quran (61:14)
The Crime of Judas:
Judas was pro Jew all the way! He knew darn well that Jesus (pbh) was a special prophet and that through his dealings (miracles) that he was probably the Messiah. Either way, this was a man of GOD. No Pharisee could take him down. They tried but failed and failed miserably.
Soon the Land of Palestine would be free from these bloodsucking foreigners and their minions and Jewish greatness could reign once again throughout the world. The Jews would now dictate and NOT be dictated to.
Of course the Messiah would receive the accolades BUT BEHIND ALL OF THAT RA-RA CHEERING would be the exalted and glorious name of the hero and savior of the Jewish Nation – JUDAS ISCARIOT!
How do we know this? Well, it is common sense and what follows will be common sense also.
Judas saw Jesus (pbh) in action numerous times. He also knew about Jewish prophecy OR AT LEAST HE THOUGHT HE DID. Yes, the Messiah will be victorious and will inherit a blessed kingdom blessed by the Jewish GOD.
BUT WHAT WAS JESUS DOING ALL OF THESE MONTHS/YEARS WHILE THE JEWS WERE UNDER THE YOKE OF ROMAN OCCUPATION? WHY WAS JESUS DRAGGING HIS FEET? LET’S GO JESUS, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
So, Judas gets egotistical and full of pride about himself and decides to go and do GOD as well as Jesus a favor! The consensus is that if you go after the Messiah, you will get blown away into extinction. GOD is going to protect HIS chosen one so damn the Romans and their army and especially the traitors that have given them safe harbor and have hobnobbed with them all this time.
Well, the Pharisees were eager to get this ‘trouble maker’ out of their hair because he was gathering strong support especially amongst the poor. They tried lots of times to get him on the sly so as to minimize public damage and outrage. Now, however, they were desperate and needed a way to end this charade once and for all. But how to do it???
Judas had a plan. A simple plan that would embarrass and humiliate the (hated) Pharisees and of course destroy all Roman influence. And of course that would mean that while the Messiah is off busy getting his huge territory ready for blessings, Judas as a great and important official of his Messiah would hold down the fort of honor as a special and worthy Jew in the eyes of the Messiah, God and the Jewish Nation.
All of this makes sense when one actually studies the time period, the New Testament with care and uses common sense. Let’s take a close look at the group of 12 Disciples. Like the Bedouin of old, these companions of Jesus (pbh) hung out together, ate together and had lots of discourse together. They had to remain close to Jesus (pbh) in any case because they were needed for crowd control and other favors called for.
They didn’t belong to a special order demanding silence and so should have communicated with their fellow co-workers as well as the Master himself. They had to be aware of what was going on between peoples as well as offering a buffer zone between him and the rabble. This we see when the non-Jew woman was called out by the Disciples for pestering Jesus.
And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
But he answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Then she came and worshiped him, saying, “lord, help me!”
But he answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
And she said, “Yes, lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew (15:22-28)
The Gospels starting with the earliest one written and ending with the Gospel of John seem, for some reason, to vilify Judas Iscariot more and more as time went by. It’s true that he had an overblown opinion of himself as to his importance but his fatal flaw was to think that the Messiah was going to be a ‘world-beater’ his first time out.
That translates into push the Messiah into a corner with these contemplable Jews supporting Rome and the ‘filthy’ non-believers. GOD’s Chosen will NOT become embarrassed. Prophecy WILL NOT BE WRONG!
However, by rushing into things, he miscalculated. Wait upon the LORD became ‘let’s go and get it done as stated and directed by the star Judas! But all of these good prophecies were NOT so easy to understand!
And even today the Jews can look the Christian in the eye and say that the REAL MESSIAH will accomplish such and such on a grand scale. Jesus (pbh) DID NOT DO THAT! Hence, they can claim or have the excuse that he is not the real Messiah!
The real reason that Jesus did not accomplish the ‘conquering’ is because that grandiose miracle will occur sometime AFTER HIS SECOND COMING!!! So, in this area we can excuse Judas for going off half-cocked without the complete knowledge of prophecy which a vast majority of Jews learned or otherwise did not have.
Still, he had to operate on the sly and not communicate with anyone about his so-called brilliant plan of getting the Messiah all charged up. He also had to figure a way of convincing the powers that be that he really hated Jesus (pbh). Being a loyal employee for so long would be suspicious to those who wanted Jesus executed.
The plan was easy. Sellout Jesus for a laughable sum and hug himself in the knowledge that this laughable sum of 30 pieces of silver would accomplish two important things. One, Judas shows utter contempt for this man Jesus because he isn’t worth much. In reality, his friend now becomes worth a couple of full diners with drink. Just think about it! After all this time, his friend’s life will be practically worthless.
Secondly, these Jews and Roman soldiers and all who would be with them are going to die and die a very horrible death. The Messiah isn’t going to turn on his GOD and let these ‘earthly scum’ live. So, for only the small sum of 30 pieces of silver a whole empire and their lackeys will be overthrown. WHAT A JOKE! Judas gets the last laugh and big credit also.
Flash forward a short time into the future and what do we see? Jesus (pbh) taken and horribly mistreated. The spies of Jesus (pbh) the ‘70’ are reporting back to the Disciples hold up in a secret place and telling them what was going on. It didn’t look good!
Judas is acting strangely now. He is totally despondent! For one who supposedly hated Jesus, the logical thing would be to rejoice in Jesus’ humiliation and death march.
There is no way and no explanation that can logically be given as to Judas’ despondency. Still, where there is life there is hope. Unfortunately, the news was broken by the 70. Jesus was apparently taken to the hill of death and crucified and stuck like a pig with a spear. He, according to witnesses died!
According to Christian believers that was what Judas wanted because he went through all that trouble to have him condemned. No sane person could believe that with all the attempts made on Jesus’ life that he would be rewarded with an ice cream cone. The object of his trial and imprisonment to any sane, rational person would be to put him to death. And Judas knew that because he was no half-wit.
Now Judas becomes morose and inconsolable upon hearing the tragedy that his so-called plan created. He, like a god among gods, thought he had control of the situation and his moronic behavior led to the death of GOD’s protected and chosen one or so he thought.
This means that GOD HIMSELF couldn’t protect HIS beloved. WOW! What power Judas seems to have!!! Here he shows just how egotistical he really was!
In truth, the logical thinking becomes if one hates something so bad that he desires the death of another fellow human, he won’t feel like an empty shell of a man when the GOOD NEWS comes about that man’s death or what he set out to do in the first place! HOWEVER, IF HIS REAL PLAN WAS WHAT WAS DESCRIBED ABOVE, THEN ONE CAN SEE WHY HIS HEART SANK TO THE BOTTOM OF HIS FEET.
As a result of this, Judas became so despondent that he went to a tree and against Jewish Law he hung himself in a feeling of total despair brought on by the failure of his selfish, egotistical, evil plan. He, of the big savior to the Jewish cause, became in his eyes a total failure to his Messiah and his companions. So, in reality what did this total miscreant have to live for? And in taking his own life he further compounds the problem by declaring GOD weak!
The New Testament doesn’t have to be changed for this story. Psychologically it fits the profile of a man who loved himself more than his Master and a man who was willing to think that he could have ‘ruined’ GOD’s Plan for HIS well-beloved servant Jesus the Christ (pbh).
Now compare this story with the current belief and think about a group of close nit people bonded together for a cause. They share meals, ideas and conversation about life: the past, the present and the future.
Judas was not a psychopath but he had a dangerous opinion of himself AND HE, LIKE MOST PEOPLE AT THAT TIME FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THE FULLER AND MORE COMPLETE PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE MESSIAH.
Whoever seeks to save his life {by thinking he is clever and above his station} will lose it, and whoever loses his life {in the knowledge and wisdom of GOD} will preserve it. Luke (17:33)
The greatness of the Messiah would be at the coming of the end of this particular AGE, when he shall return in the company of two angels. And after his GOD will destroy the Gog and Magog, he will be able to reign in peace and create a harmony on Earth called the paradise on Earth whereby truth will reign for a thousand years.