Judas Iscariot - The Traitor
Judas Iscariot: Here was a man who drew as close to the Savior as it is humanly possible to be. He enjoyed every privilege Christ affords. He spent three years with Jesus Christ, and he was intimately familiar with everything Jesus taught. Yet, he remained in unbelief and went into a hopeless eternity.
The Prophecies
Judas’ role of betrayal of Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world and even prophesied in the Old Testament.
"And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).
God ordained the events by which Christ would die, and yet Judas carried out his evil deed by his own choice.
Psalm 41:9
9Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.
The Lord Jesus quoted verse 9 in connection with Judas.
One of the disciples who had lived with the Lord Jesus, traveled with Him, saw His miracles, heard His incomparable teaching, and witnessed the miracle of a sinless life—one whom Jesus could call “my familiar friend … who ate my bread”
Knowing in advance that Judas would betray Him, the Lord had never trusted him, so He simply said, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me” (John 13:18).
Zechariah 11:12
12 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.
Zechariah carried on the drama by symbolically picturing Jesus asking those He came to shepherd what they felt He was worth to them. In a mocking response, the leaders offered 30 silver pieces which was the amount of compensation paid for a slave gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). This is exactly what Judas Iscariot was paid to betray Christ Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16). The Jews of Jesus’ day who offered that amount were saying He was worth no more than a common slave.
Zechariah 11:13
13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.
The prophet further depicts this payment cast to the potter, a prophecy of what Judas would do after his betrayal of the Lord.
The Twelve Apostles
13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons (Mark 3:13-15).
The call of Judas is not recorded in Scripture. However, there was a threefold purpose behind the call of the twelve: (1) that they might be with Him; (2) that He might send them out to preach; and (3) that they might have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.
13 He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15 Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor (Luke 6:13-16).
They had all chosen Jesus, but He chose them first. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you 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).
Judas Iscariot was as common as the rest, without earthly credentials and without any characteristics that made him stand out from the group. While they were increasing in faith as sons of God, he was becoming more and more a child of the Devil.
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