The story of Judas
QUESTION: Masters, with
Easter fast approaching, I have a question concerning the story of Jesus. I’ve
heard the Bible’s New Testament was written 40-70 years after Jesus’ death. My
concern is that of the telling of Judas’ betrayal. I have a difficult time
believing that Judas, the Disciples’ treasurer, could have truly betrayed
someone he loved so much, but rather, was asked to do the betrayal as both the
treasurer of receiving the pieces of silver, and to fulfill the prophecy of the
Old Testament of a Savior’s coming, death and resurrection. I realize that
Judas couldn’t live with himself after turning Jesus in to the Romans, thus the
suicide, but what is the real truth of Judas? It seems like there is much more
to know and understand about the
entire story. ~Cathy, USA
ANSWER: Your understanding about his time in Earth’s history comes from the collection of writings done long after the fact – not by people who observed the events, but by those who compiled the stories that were told to them. The recordation you repeat is the one that ties up all the necessary requirements for presenting the betrayal, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
All the followers of Jesus, as remembered in the later writings, were given certain tasks to have fulfilled in order to be teachers for those who came after in forming religious principles. The tales start with the last supper so that the players could be delineated. Each could then be worked into stories of dedication, martyrdom, faithfulness, awareness, and loyalty. All forms of Christianity use the Bible as their basis of faith.
While the Bible was written initially a short period after the events depicted, it was also “edited” a number of times by leaders of various religious groups, mainly those elected as Popes, to provide the doctrines they felt were “best” for the organization’s continued existence and strength.
Judas’s place in history was to be the betrayer who later understood, and could not live with, what he had done. To bring about the crucifixion, there had to be someone who would get the Romans into a position of capturing Jesus when he had previously been continually surrounded by his disciples.
Judas was asked to be this instigator and, in his dedication to Jesus, he agreed. But even though he had been asked and merely fulfilled the desires of his master, he could not live with the aftermath. Had he not played his part, the death and resurrection would have been carried out without the fanfare that made it so noted by so many people.
The Romans wanted him out of their hair, but a public ridicule was designed to weaken the hold his beliefs had upon his followers. The resurrection, into the light, was what was needed to show the connection between the physical and the nonphysical soul. None of this could happen without a betrayal, which the authorities hoped would show Jesus’ teachings as having no real credibility within the supporters. Judas did his master’s bidding.