Best friends, admired leaders, trusted relatives—and even the disciples of Jesus—are all guilty of betraying others.
If someone has ever betrayed you, you’re not alone. One of the closest people in Jesus’ life betrayed Him. It was the kind of betrayal that led to His crucifixion.
The Bible contains the accounts of many villains. Judas Iscariot is among them. And his betrayal of the Messiah makes him stand out as the worst apostle ever.
So who was Judas? After all, the Gospels don’t mention Judas much.
An Apostle
Jesus chose a dozen men to teach for most of His ministry. There was nothing special about them before being called—Matthew was a tax collector, and James and John were fishermen brothers. But that all changed when Jesus called for them.
The twelve men soon became immersed in traveling with Jesus, listening to His heartfelt sermons, decoding His parables, watching Him change lives, and becoming evangelists.
They weren’t perfect—Peter, for example, suggested building temples for the Messiah, Elijah, and Moses as if the three were equal (Matthew 17:4) and denied Christ at a pivotal moment. And Judas? Well. . .
A Thief
John 12:6 tells us that Judas was in charge of the disciples’ money bag. Being treasurer put him in the perfect position to nick some cash from the accounts.
Does that seem odd to you? Judas followed Jesus, brought His word to the Jews (Matthew 10:1–15), and listened to His teachings, yet stole from the men closest to him. God Himself poured into the wayward apostle daily, and Judas still gave in to his love of money (1 Timothy 6:10).
His actions beg the question: What desire was his priority? His love for money or Jesus?
A Lover of Money
We discover Judas’s first love in Matthew 26:14–16 when he arranges to hand over the Messiah.
When Jesus announces His upcoming betrayal during the Last Supper, many of the disciples seem shocked. Who could it possibly be? They had faithfully followed Him; who would dare hand Him over to die?
But Judas remains silent.
A Betrayer
“What you do, do quickly,” Jesus says (John 13:27).
Judas meets with the enemy and takes them to the Garden of Gethsemane. He exchanges a death kiss for chunks of metal.
He chose worldly treasure over the treasure of eternity.
Later, the chief priests purchased a graveyard with the silver they had given Judas, while Jesus bought eternal life (Matthew 27:6–8).
Jesus’ Response
Jesus might have noticed Judas skimming the funds. Maybe He knew Judas would betray Him before even calling the man.
But Jesus didn’t turn his back on the lost man. He embraces him.
Has anyone ever betrayed you? How did you handle the situation—with anger or with grace?
Jesus shows that even when your close friends turn their backs and hand you over to die, you can show mercy.
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