Reasons for Judas' betrayal of Jesus. The legend of the betrayal of Judas. Testimony of the Gospel of Luke

This biblical character became famous for being a traitor to his teacher, Jesus Christ.

Lately, many people have been interested in the question of who Judas is in the Bible. Domestic and foreign researchers are trying to rationally explain the reasons for the treacherous act of the Savior’s disciple. They want to know why a man with high spiritual qualities (at first glance) sold his mentor for 30 pieces of silver.

Image of Judas in the Bible

The image of Judas Iscariot is shrouded in great mystery, despite his well-known role in the drama that occurred on Holy Wednesday. Evangelists are extremely skimpy in describing the life of the traitor of Christ. John writes about the motives of spiritual sedition, and the Apostle Matthew writes about repentance and suicide.

Judas Iscariot

On a note! The name Judah was widespread throughout Ancient Judea. This state received its name thanks to the “first” mentioned Judah, the forefather of the Israeli people. There are 14 characters with this name in all books of the Bible. The nickname Iscariot is interpreted ambiguously: there are several different versions of its origin.

He was one of the twelve apostles. The difference in his characteristics is that he was born not in Galilee (northern Palestine), but in Judea. The father of Judas Iscariot was Simon, about whom the Gospel contains no information at all, which is surprising, because the Bible talks about significant people in detail.

Prayers to the holy apostles:

• When listing the disciples of Christ in the scriptures, this apostle is always mentioned at the very end of the list. The emphasis is placed extremely expressively on the very fact of spiritual betrayal.
• Judas Iscariot was chosen by the Lord Himself to preach the apostolic teaching. He pledged to inspire faith in the future Heavenly Kingdom, where the Savior would be the head. The traitor had powers that were observed in other disciples: Judas carried good news, healed the sick from serious illnesses, resurrected the deceased and drove away evil spirits from their bodies.
• Iscariot was distinguished by his ability to conduct economic affairs. He was the treasurer of the community that formed around Jesus. This apostle carried with him a small ark and stored there the finances donated by faithful Christians.
• The Traitor of Christ was born on the first of April. In some beliefs, this date is considered unfavorable. The Tale of Jerome tells about his early life. It says that Judah's parents threw the lonely baby into the sea because they saw omens of disaster coming from their son. A few decades later, Iscariot returns to his native island, kills his father and enters into a relationship with his mother.
• Jesus accepted him into his own community when Judas repented of his crime, committing ascetic acts for a long time.
• Often, some scholars present the traitor as a necessary instrument in the hands of the Almighty. Jesus calls Iscariot the most unfortunate man, because salvation is possible without betrayal.
• It is impossible to accurately indicate whether Judas tasted the body and blood of the Son of God and whether he was established in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (union with God). The Orthodox view insists that the traitor did not enter the Kingdom of the Lord, but pretended to be false and condemned the Messiah.

Interesting! Iscariot considers the only Jew among all the disciples of Christ. There was an unpleasant enmity between the inhabitants of Judea and Galilee. The former considered the latter ignorant of the Law of the Mosaic religion and rejected them as fellow tribesmen. The Jews could not recognize the fact of the coming of the Messiah from the territory of Galilee.

Various versions of motivation for betrayal

The most authoritative apostles (Matthew, Mark and Luke) report nothing at all about the existence of the traitor. Only Saint John draws attention to the fact that Iscariot suffered from the love of money. The main question of betrayal is interpreted in different ways.

Luke. Kiss of Judas

• Among the writers, there are some who want to justify this act. From a religious point of view, such a position looks blasphemous. It is as follows: Judas knew about the true essence of the Messiah and committed his crime because he felt hope for the miraculous salvation of Christ and his resurrection.
• Another exculpatory assumption is that Judas sincerely desired to see the speedy rise of the Son of God in his own glory, so he deceived one who trusted.
• Closer to the truth is the point of view that considers Iscariot as a religious fanatic who was disillusioned with the truth of the reign of the Messiah. Judas considered Christ a false defender of the people and moral foundations of the Holy Land. Not finding confirmation of his desires, Iscariot did not recognize Jesus as the real Messiah and decided to give “legitimate” punishment at the hands of the state and popular structure.
• Evangelists accurately point out: the motivation for spiritual sedition was the boundless love of money. No other interpretation has such authority. Iscariot managed the treasury of the Christ community, and the amount offered to him tempted him to carry out a disgusting plan. With this money it was possible to purchase a plot of land.
• Selfishness covers the image of a traitor with a dark veil. The love of money made Judas a crude materialist, unlike the rest of the apostles, who loved the Savior and the Church of Christ. The traitor turned out to be completely deaf to the religious instructions of the teacher. It symbolized the rejection of Christianity by the entire people of Judea. In the soul of Iscariot lurked a demon of false messianism, which did not allow a pure heart to look at the deeds of the Son of God. His materialistic mind gave rise to self-interest, which destroyed spiritual sensitivity.

On a note! Christ, knowing about the presence of the devil among his disciples, was in no hurry to reveal the secret to the apostles. He only limited himself to some hints.

Worldly scholars assume that the Messiah did not know this for sure, but the evangelists claim that God's plan proceeded according to a predetermined plan. Five months later, at the Last Supper, Jesus revealed the name of the traitor to Saint John.

About the other apostles of Christ:

The fate of the unfortunate apostle

This issue is also difficult and controversial. Matthew states: Iscariot repented of his deed and threw away the cursed pieces of silver in the temple when he could not return them to the high priests.

However, Judas’s regret about his own crime arose not from sincere faith in the Savior, but from ordinary remorse. Matthew concludes that after repenting, the traitor left and hanged himself.

After all the events, the disciples of Christ intended to choose a new apostle instead of Iscariot. This person had to be present in the community all the time that the Son of God preached knowledge, from Baptism to death on the cross. The lot was cast between two names, Joseph and Matthias. The latter became the new apostle and pledged to carry Christian teaching in the area.

On a note! The name of Judas has become a household name and means betrayal, and his kiss is a symbolic designation of the highest deceit. Despite the fact that this spiritual seditious cast out demons, healed the sick and performed signs, he forever lost the Kingdom of Heaven, since in his soul he was and remained a robber and an insidious thief seeking profit.

Images in painting

The biblical story of the betrayal of the Messiah has always aroused great interest and controversy.

Creative people inspired by this drama have created many individual works.

• In European art, Judas is presented as the spiritual and physical antagonist of Christ. In the frescoes of Giotto and Angelico he is depicted with a black halo.
• In Byzantine and Russian iconography, it is customary to turn the image in profile so that the viewer does not meet the eyes of the insidious devil.
• In Christian painting, Iscariot is a dark-haired young man with dark skin, without a beard. Often presented as a negative double of John the Evangelist. A striking example of this position is the scene of the Last Supper.
• In the icon called “The Last Judgment,” Judas is depicted sitting on Satan’s lap.
• In the art of the Middle Ages, there are paintings where a demon manipulating consciousness is located on the shoulder of an insidious traitor.
• Suicide has been a common motif since the Renaissance. The traitor is often depicted hanging with his intestinal entrails spilling out.

Important! Judas Iscariot is one of the 12 apostles carrying the teachings of the Messiah. He sold the Son of God to the high priests for 30 pieces of silver, and then repented and hanged himself on a tree.

Among researchers of biblical stories, disputes arise about the motives of his criminal act and his future fate. It is not possible to achieve a single point of view, but the one described by the evangelists is always considered the most authoritative.

Archpriest Andrei Tkachev about Judas Iscariot

Judas versus Jesus?

Long after midnight, Judas leads a large group of soldiers, senior priests, Pharisees, and others into the Garden of Gethsemane. The priests conspired to pay Judas 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus.

Was 30 pieces of silver a lot or a little at that time?

30 pieces of silver are:

The cost of a slave at that time. But this is optional. Prices and wages were more or less stable, because money is a precious metal. Fluctuations are caused by force majeure - crop failure, natural disaster. But slaves are not a stable “commodity”. It depends on gender, age, healthy teeth, etc.

Nobody wanted to buy Jews, because such slaves, even under pain of death, did not work on the Sabbath, and who needs a slave with a day off? Maybe they should also get paid leave and pension contributions and trade unions?

When Rome destroyed Jerusalem, they sold all the Jews (except those who escaped - these were mostly Christians) into slavery. But then the price dropped to zero and they were simply given away for free. Thus the Jews were scattered throughout the whole earth.

The minimum subsistence level for a family at that time was 2 denarii per week. That is, they will not die of hunger.

One person could live normally for six months.

It's like a high salary for a month and a half.

Today it is difficult to say how much it is. Maybe like 50,000 rubles.

The canonical version considers the amount sufficient for betrayal, since it could be used to purchase a plot of land within the city.

A shekel (a piece of silver) is equal to 4 denarii. A denarius is the daily wages of a worker in a vineyard (Matt. 20:2) or the cost of a quinix of wheat (a man's daily ration) (Rev. 6:6).

You need to work in the vineyard for about 4 months to get thirty pieces of silver. Again, the ointment with which Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus (Mark 14:5) cost 300 denarii, which is equal to 75 pieces of silver or a little less than a year of work in the vineyard.

Before this, when Judas was released from the Passover supper, he apparently went straight to the senior priests. They immediately gathered their servants and also a detachment of soldiers. Perhaps Judas led them first to the place where Jesus celebrated the Passover with His apostles. Finding that they were gone, a large group carrying weapons, lanterns, and lamps followed Judah out of Jerusalem and through the Kidron Valley.

Leading the procession to the Mount of Olives, Judas is confident that he knows where to find Jesus. During the past week, Jesus and the apostles, while traveling between Bethany and Jerusalem, often stopped in the Garden of Gethsemane to rest and talk. But how will the soldiers recognize Jesus now that He may have hidden in the darkness under the olive trees? They may have never seen Him before. Therefore Judas provides a sign, saying: "Whomever I kiss, he is the same; take Him and lead him carefully."

A kiss was a common greeting in those days (1 Thess. 5:26) and a sign of friendship. Therefore, it is incompatible with betrayal and evil. It is a sign of friendship and trust, just like eating together. But Judas used the kiss for his own treacherous purposes!

Judas leads a large crowd into the garden, sees Jesus with His apostles, and goes straight to Him. "Rejoice, Rabbi!" - he says and kisses Him tenderly.

"Friend, why have you come?" - Jesus asks sharply. Answering his own question, He then says: “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” But enough has been said about His traitor! Jesus steps forward into the light of burning lanterns and lamps and asks: “Whom are you looking for?”

“It is I,” Jesus answers and stands boldly before them all. Amazed at His courage and not knowing what to expect, the men step back and fall to the ground.

“I said that it is I,” Jesus continues calmly. “So, if you are looking for Me, leave them, let them go.” Even at this critical moment, Jesus continues to care for His disciples!

Not long before, in the upper room, Jesus had told His Heavenly Father in prayer that He had kept His faithful apostles and not one of them was lost, “except the son of perdition.” He, therefore, asks His followers to fulfill His word.

Jesus deliberately wanted to allow Himself to be arrested and suffer. He made no attempt to avoid what was about to happen.

The high priests, taking the pieces of silver, said: it is not permissible to put them in the church treasury, because this is the price of blood. Having held a meeting, they bought a potter's land with them for the burial of strangers; Therefore, that land is called the “land of blood” to this day. (Matt.27:6-8)

"Land of Blood" controversy

Of all the evangelical weather forecasters, only Matthew voices the amount of thirty pieces of silver, and he also reports on the purchase of “land of blood” (Akeldam) by the high priests: “Having held a meeting, they bought with them a potter’s land for the burial of strangers...” (Matthew 27:7 ). Perhaps Matthew gleaned a clue to the betrayal from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah: “And I will say to them: if it pleases you, then give Me My wages; if not, don’t give it; and they will weigh out thirty pieces of silver as payment to Me. And the Lord said to me: throw them into the church storehouse - the high price at which they valued Me! And I took thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter” (Zech. 11:12-13).

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Judas “acquired the land with unjust wages...” (Acts 1:18).

The Lutheran Heritage Foundation explains the contradiction this way: the high priests bought the land, but because they did it with Judas's money (and possibly on his behalf), the purchase is attributed to Judas himself.

Serious difficulties still arise when trying to explain the difference in spelling:

1. The word “field” (Ancient Greek agros) comes after the verb agorazo - “to buy on the open market” (from agora - “marketplace”) (Matt. 27:7);
2. The word “plot” (Ancient Greek chorion - land ownership or small farm) comes after the verb ktaomai - “to take possession of” (Acts 1:18).

When the soldiers regain their composure and stand up and begin to tie Jesus up, the apostles realize what's going on. "Lord! Shouldn't we strike with a sword?" - they ask. Even before Jesus answers, Peter, holding in his hands one of the two swords that the apostles brought with them, attacks Malchus, the servant of the high priest. Peter's blow misses the ready slave, but cuts off his right ear.

By the way, many on the Internet are asking the question: “On what day of the week did Judas betray Jesus?”

I answer: From Wednesday to Thursday the betrayal by Judas took place, and on Friday Jesus was crucified.

The motivation for betrayal is also perceived ambiguously

The canonical motives for the betrayal of Judas are considered to be: love of money and the participation of Satan. But theologians do not have a common opinion:

1. Matthew considers the motive for betrayal to be the love of money: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the high priests and said: What will you give me, and I will betray Him to you? They offered him thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:14-15);
2. Mark also insists on the sole and dominant role of the love of money: “And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. When they heard it, they rejoiced and promised to give him pieces of silver” (Mark 14:10-11);
3. Luke combines, considering the motive for betrayal both the love of money and the participation of Satan: “But Satan entered into Judas” (Luke 22:3), “... and he went and spoke with the high priests and rulers, how to betray Him to them. They rejoiced and agreed to give him money” (Luke 22:4-5);
4. John is silent about money and insists on the participation of Satan: “And after this piece Satan entered into him” (John 13:27).

M. D. Muretov in the article “Judas the Traitor” cites five arguments against in order to consider the love of money “the main and guiding motive in the action of Iscariot”:

1. The evangelists themselves “do not attach primary importance to Judas’s love of money if they directly and clearly point to Satan as the main culprit”;
2. From the stories of the evangelists, “it is not clear that the traitor put silver pieces in the foreground”;
3. Judas was content with only thirty pieces of silver;
4. Judas easily parted with the money;
5. Would a “pathetic worshiper of a golden idol” have ventured to make a deal, believing in the divinity of Jesus?

In the same article M.D. Muretov calls three contradictions that “Satan controlled Judas without the latter’s free self-determination”:

1. Not knowing what he was doing, Judas could not repent heavily;
2. Before the Sanhedrin, Judas blames himself, not Satan;
3. Jesus predicts that he will be betrayed by man, not Satan.

The inconclusiveness and contradictions of the testimony of the evangelists gave rise to different interpretations and interpretations of the motivation for betrayal. Since the end of the 19th century, many non-canonical versions have been put forward trying to explain the motives for Judas’ betrayal:

1. Organizing a rebellion against Roman oppression;
2. Disappointment in the teachings of Jesus;
3. Self-sacrifice;
4. God's will;
5. Judas is a secret agent of Rome or the Sanhedrin;
6. Judas fulfills Jesus' request

The apparent inconsistency in the understanding of Judas and his actions led to inconsistency in the perception of Judas Iscariot. Some Christians came to the defense of Judas Iscariot, while others rejected him. Books and articles are written about him, songs are composed, films are staged, monuments are erected, paintings are painted.

Criticism of the non-canonical perception of Judas Iscariot

According to supporters of the non-canonical version of betrayal, Judas' motivation does not seem ridiculous at all, since every person has free will. Judas could well have been a money-loving man, as can be seen from the Gospel: “Mary, taking a pound of pure precious ointment of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the world. Then one of his disciples, Judas Simon Iscariot, who wanted to betray him, said: “Why not sell this ointment for three hundred denarii and give it to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was thief. He had a money box with him and carried what was put in it"; “And as Judas had a box, some thought that Jesus was saying to him: buy what we need for the holiday, or to give something to the poor.”

In any case, exchanging God-man for money is not Christian, not human, and not legal. And from this position, Judas is a negative person who evokes only negative emotions.

Based on materials from the Bible, Wikipedia and the book "The Most Famous Man Who Ever Lived."

Judas is one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, who basely betrayed his teacher. He subsequently repented of his actions and hanged himself from a tree. According to established opinion, this happened even before the execution of the Savior. However, is this really so?

Death of Judas

According to the Bible, Judas had a special position among the other apostles: he was in charge of money. Perhaps it was this position that marked the beginning of his greed. After all, Judas gave the location of Jesus to the high priests not for free, but in exchange for a fairly decent sum of 30 pieces of silver.

Be that as it may, after the verdict according to which Jesus Christ was found guilty and subject to crucifixion, Judas suddenly had an epiphany. He came to the temple to the same high priests and declared that he had committed a great sin when he doomed an innocent man to death. But the high priests were indifferent to Judas’ words. Then the apostle threw 30 pieces of silver on the floor and left. Tormented by shame and despair, Judas hanged himself.

Thus, it follows that Judas committed suicide before Christ was executed. However, if we put together all the information from all versions of the Gospel, the timing of Judas' death leaves more questions than answers.

Resurrection of Christ

In the Bible, all the apostles are often referred to simply as “the twelve.” According to the Gospel of Luke, the group of men close to Jesus has an unchanged composition: “... he called disciples and chose twelve of them” and called them apostles. The apostles included: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon, Judas Jacob and Judas Iscariot.

Thus, if Judas had died before the crucifixion of Christ, then Jesus, resurrected after execution, would have appeared before a total of 11 apostles. And indeed in another Gospel, from Mark, it is said: “He appeared to the 11th (at the supper).” However, everyone knows that Thomas was not present at the supper. This fact is clearly stated in the Gospel of John: “Thomas was not with them when Jesus came.” It turns out that Judas was still alive when this miraculous phenomenon occurred.

However, some believe that the 11th apostle mentioned in the Gospel of John is not Judas at all, but Matthew. It was Matthew who, after the suicide of the traitor, took his place, thanks to the lot cast by the other disciples.

But this version does not stand up to criticism either. The fact is that, according to the book “The Acts of the Apostles,” Matthew officially joined the group of disciples after the Ascension of the Lord.

Gospel of Judas

The official church recognizes that 4 versions of the Gospel: Luke, Matthew, John and Mark are indeed the creations of the apostles. However, relatively recently, in 1978, a manuscript was discovered in Egypt, which contained the 5th Gospel of Jude. If we assume that the traitor actually committed suicide before the death of his mentor Jesus Christ, then the question arises: when did Judas manage to write his Gospel? Or was the author of this text someone else?

Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.

Who was he really, and what was he like?
The Bible says little about Judas Iscariot. But by his actions one can judge him as an active and purposeful person.

Being close to Jesus, he sat next to his other disciples and listened, observed, and drew conclusions. He was not open and simple, he was not straightforward and good-natured. Such characteristics of Judas cannot be found in the Bible.

It is written that he carried a box of offerings (the only valuable thing in this group of simple and poor people: fishermen, carpenters and shepherds), and was a thief.
“Judas Simon Iscariot, who wanted to betray Him, said: “Why not sell this ointment for three hundred denarii and give it to the poor?” He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He had he had a cash drawer with him and carried what they put in it” (John 12:5-6).
Was this money really necessary for the Son of God? Jesus fed thousands of people with five loaves of bread, and his disciples saw it. Why was Judas so worried? Nowhere are there any conversations between him and Jesus about faith, about the people of Israel, and about other important things.
So what brought Judas Iscariot to the prophet of Nazareth?

One day Judas heard about a man who could perform miracles: heal the blind, the paralytic, cast out demons, stop bleeding, raise cripples to their feet, cure many diseases without money or medicine, turn plain water into wine. Who could have such power over diseases, dark forces, over the elements of nature? What kind of person was this?

Thousands of people sought a meeting with Him. Both in those distant times and today, people are ready to give a fortune to extend the lives of themselves and their loved ones for another year, a month, or at least one day.
It is not difficult to imagine what a stream of money will pour into the account of a modern healer for healing from diseases such as cancer, cerebral palsy, AIDS, blindness, paralysis, etc.
Centurions, merchants, city governors and other rich people turned to Jesus who were ready to pay for their healing, or the healing of their children, relatives and friends. It is possible that they even brought gifts for Jesus and showed him their treasures. And He said: “Do not store up treasures on earth... Sell your possessions and give to the poor... Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s...” The only valuable item was Jesus' clothing, for which the guards cast lots after nailing him to the cross. “And they that crucified Him divided His garments, casting lots” (Matthew 27:35). And nothing more.

To be a disciple of a person like Jesus (to learn to heal, to work miracles) is a real chance to become a famous and wealthy person, to gain power. Some argue that Judas had a good goal: to drive out the oppressors from his native land, to help his people gain freedom. But then why did he repent of betraying innocent blood?

Judas heard that the Messiah (Savior) would come and He would become the King not only of Judea, but also of other states, and would liberate the Jewish people.
"And unto Him was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all nations, nations, and languages ​​should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14).

Jesus said that he was the Son of God, the Messiah, and addressed sinners with words about the forgiveness of sins. Who could say such words? Only the future Tsar. And to be one of the Tsar’s close associates is a great honor.
But it's not easy to be around a teacher like Jesus. His disciples had to accompany him on long, exhausting campaigns. They didn't stop anywhere for long. They moved from city to city, from village to village, through valleys, lakes, rivers. They often spent the night in the field, on bare ground, and sometimes suffered from hunger and thirst.

For three long years, Judas waited for Jesus to begin to rally the Israeli people around himself to overthrow the government and begin to take steps towards gaining real, state power. But time passed, and the teacher did not assume his royal rights, and most importantly, did not intend to do so. Three years wasted. Judas' dreams could not come true. Could he truly love Jesus for his disappointment?
When Jesus told his disciples that He came to earth in order to suffer torment and be killed, Judas made the final decision.

Having come to the supper as a faithful disciple, Judas already knew the terms of the agreement, and knew the amount of betrayal - thirty silver coins. He only needed to decide on the day and place where the priests and guards could come to arrest the “King of the Jews.”
The Bible states that Jesus knew who his disciples were and knew that Judas Iscariot was capable of betraying. Addressing his disciples, he once said: “You are pure, but not all of them.”
At the last supper before his execution, knowing the thoughts and plans of the “disciple,” Jesus, in order to fulfill the prophecy, said to Judas: “Whatever you do, do it quickly.”

There is no evidence that Jesus forced Judas to commit treason. Judas made this choice on his own. Otherwise, the entire teaching of Christ could be called into question, and He himself could be called a villain who deliberately plunged a person into mortal sin, inclining him to betrayal and suicide.
In this case, all of Jesus’ statements about the love of God, his Sermon on the Mount, the very teachings of Christ, are lies. This is what those who justify Judas achieve.

It is written that Judas “went and hanged himself,” and before that he repented. What happened?
After his betrayal, Judas comes to the temple to return the money, but even the priests who arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane have now turned their backs on Judas. They did not take the money, saying that this money was the price of blood. But what does blood have to do with it? The blood of enemies did not bother the priests, and they did not accept the blood of Christ. Seeing how Jesus courageously accepted suffering and death on the cross, many (both priests and residents of the city) subsequently believed that he was innocent of the crimes of which he was accused. His blood became innocent to them.

What does this mean? Jesus courageously accepted his death, accepted it as a King, as a conqueror, as the Son of God. Judas was sure that Jesus was a liar, and on the cross everyone would see the real him - weak, cowardly, deceitful. Then all the people will understand that Judas is the real leader, hero, King whom everyone is waiting for. Only the thirst for glory, power, and wealth were the reason for Judas’ betrayal. There are many examples in history when unimportant individuals gained worldwide fame only because they committed an assassination attempt on famous, famous people. Judas really perpetuated his name, but not with glory, but with shame.

A large crowd of sympathizers gathered at the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Judas saw how tortured and tormented the body of Jesus was, and this sight frightened him. He realized that Jesus was not acting like a coward and a traitor. Jesus won, Judas lost. Did Judas gain recognition among the disciples? No I did not receive it. Did he gain recognition among the priests, Pharisees and scribes? No I did not receive it. And even among the people he was a stranger, lonely, despised by everyone. His unfortunate soul saw only one way of liberation from shame and disappointment.

There is another version.
All people sin; there are no sinless people on earth. And we do not immediately see the consequences of our actions, and often do not understand what we are doing. (“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”). But the truth about Christ was revealed to Judas, he saw the consequences of his action. He saw and repented of what he had done. It follows from this that God forgave Judas and revealed the truth to him, but Judas did not accept it. To atone for the sin of betrayal, Judas had to follow the path of the apostles of Christ. And this path is narrow and thorny, it is full of suffering and hardship.
Judas did not accept God's forgiveness because he did not love God, did not love His commandments, and could not accept His forgiveness. In response to the revelation given to him, he went and hanged himself.

There is a statement that Judas was a patriot of his people. Knowing the popularity of Jesus, Judas Iscariot tried with the death of Christ to cause unrest and rebellion among the Jews in order to overthrow Roman oppression. But how many real patriots take money for the death of an innocent person? Crucifixion is an execution that would make any normal person shudder at the sight of it. The very methods of achieving the goal in this case are questionable.

There is also an opposite version (let’s call it the “high priests’ version”): “Then the high priests and Pharisees gathered a council and said: what should we do? This Man does many miracles. If we leave Him like this, then everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over and our place and people. One of them, a certain Caiaphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: you know nothing, and you will not think that it is better for us that one man should die for the people, than that the whole people should perish" ( John 11:47-50).
It is possible that Judas accepted the position of the high priests, and decided that it was better for one person to die than for the entire people to die at the hands of the Romans. But this version raises serious doubts. A person for whom the main thing is the freedom and well-being of his compatriots will not look for an excuse in despair and will not commit suicide.

Over the course of 20 centuries, humanity in its general political development has moved forward through trial and error. And the price of these “mistakes” is very high, it amounts to millions of lost human lives. Today, most countries in the world have a democratic model of government. But can we say with confidence that the democratic system is the best of all existing ones? Only time is the determining factor.

Was Judas Iscariot a member of a political organization? The Bible is silent about this. It is known that a well-organized political organization carefully prepares the ground for the overthrow of the existing government. There are two main ways: the path of political reforms and the overthrow of the existing government by force: with the help of weapons, soldiers, and the army.
The terrorists act in the most brutal way: they take a bomb and blow up the royal carriage. They act purposefully. In their understanding, all evil lies in the head of state and his henchmen. And this evil must be destroyed once and for all.
But at the moment when a person risks his own life to liberate his own people, he will not think about hard money. It is not logical to stock up on material goods in the face of death, because only the living need money.

In the dead of night, Judas hurries to the Pharisees and priests. He goes, surrounded by a militant crowd, into the forest of Gethsemane, and approaches his teacher, his spiritual mentor. Judas approaches Jesus and kisses him, signaling to the guards.

Quite strange behavior for the liberator of his country from evil and injustice. He is not surrounded by ideological comrades, he is alone everywhere. No one supports him, and no one holds his hand. Why was he left alone? Where were his like-minded people? Why didn't he see any other way out for himself other than suicide? After all, high goals give a person spiritual strength, his life acquires a high price.

Another counter-argument to Judah being the leader of a group of patriots is that the money should have gone into a "general treasury" for purposeful use. In this case, the money was taken by Judas himself for himself, for his own enrichment. Otherwise, why did Judas want to return this money to the high priests? Why didn’t he give it to the poor, as he did before, being among the disciples of Jesus Christ?

And today there are many questions surrounding the personality of Judas Iscariot that do not have a sufficiently complete answer. One thing is certain - Judas’s act does not inspire respect. The outcome of his life was predetermined (infamy and suicide). Jesus Christ knew the essence of this man: “When I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name; those whom You gave Me I kept, and not one of them perished, except the son of perdition” (John 17:12) .

The claim of Judas Iscariot's supporters that he was a beloved disciple of Jesus Christ, so his teacher assigned him to carry out the traitor's mission, seems to me to be incorrect.
Yes, Judas did not initially plot betrayal: “And Judas Iscariot, who THEN became a traitor” (Luke 6:16). And Jesus himself treated him the same way as he treated his other disciples. But judging by the way Jesus speaks about the person who betrays him, we can say with confidence that the Savior bitterly mourns his fate, predicting that the future of such a person is death and Hell.
“However, the Son of Man comes, as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to have been born. At this, Judas, who betrayed Him, said: Was it not I, Rabbi? Jesus said to him: You said" (Matthew 26:24-25, Mark 14:21, Luke 22:22).
From this it follows that Jesus saw the heart of Judas Iscariot, and knew that there was lies and betrayal in it.

The result of these discussions are the prophetic words of the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians chapter 13):

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then I am a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing.

And if I give away all my property and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good.”

Judas is an example of how, without love, any person, including a believer, can follow the path of betrayal and lies, and this will not be of any benefit to him.

But why and for what purpose are attempts being made to justify the act of Judas Iscariot? What makes defenders of Judas Iscariot reject the simple and understandable presentation of information about the traitor of Jesus Christ given in the Bible?

Any teaching that contradicts the Bible calls into question the veracity of the information given in the Holy Scriptures.
The first thing the Serpent did in the Garden of Eden to cause the first people to sin was to sow doubt in the heart of Eve about the veracity of God's warnings regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “And the Serpent said to the woman (Eve), “Has God truly spoken?...” (Genesis 3:1)

The basis of any Christian false teaching was the Bible, and the false prophets were Jesus Christ. Something else, or someone, is always added to the Bible, or to Jesus Christ.

Bible + additional teaching,
or
Christ + a new (modern) Messiah, a prophet of a later century, or someone close to Jesus Christ, for example Judas Iscariot.

The result of such “additions” is always a fundamental distortion of the foundations of Christian teaching. Subtle and competent, sometimes almost imperceptibly, but everything is turned upside down. The new figure (Judas Iscariot or the New “Messiah”) is placed on the same level as Jesus Christ, and most often, above the Savior himself.

The main goal of false teachings and false prophets is to make people doubt the Word of God and reject the saving sacrifice of the Son of God - Jesus Christ. The Bible gives hope to every person: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:1-16).

Jesus Christ warns all people on earth: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish...” (Luke 13:3).

He spoke, addressing the Jews who surrounded Him in the temple, Solomon's porch:
“If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, then if you do not believe Me, then believe My WORKS” (John 10:37-38).

Even if you don’t believe the words, then believe the deeds! Simple and understandable words that explain a very important aspect of faith in God and love for Him. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).
What were the deeds of Judas Iscariot?
What about our affairs? What are they?