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The story of Judas Iscariot lays dormant behind most of our conclusions about the man who betrayed Jesus. Our own judgements are invisible to us...how we marginalizing those whose bad behaviors create a scandal. It’s so easy to look down on the villain. Our condemnation obscures our own self-righteousness and then the deeper story is lost from our purview. Jesus is centerpiece of this story and our celebration, but unless we find ourselves written into the life of Judas, Good Friday is out of reach.

The purpose of this post is not sympathy for the devil, it’s awareness toward ourselves and then extending to the world. I’m going to offer a perspective which I hope will move us into a contemplative space…for that is where Good Friday is commemorated.

I’m not going to talk about Judas’ role as holder of the money bag nor how he stole from it, nor how Satan moved upon his Judas heart and mind, nor the thirty pieces of silver, nor the famous kiss. All of this has been covered. Instead I’d like us to explore what might be gleaned between the lines and offer a few portals through which we can recapture that very dark night.

Judas was one of the disciples of Jesus, forever recorded as “the betrayer.” His last name, Iscariot, is a transliteration of the Hebrew words “Ish Kerioth” meaning man from Kerioth which is a town in the land of Judah about 30 miles south of Jerusalem. This is important because the 11 other disciples came from Israel and if you know your Old Testament, then you know Judah was the junior varsity. This affirms that we are products of our environment. Some scholars say Judas was an academic or held political ideals. I think this notion emerges more from movies like “Jesus of Nazareth” than from the Bible. Clearly Judas believed that delivering Jesus to the religious leaders was going to do something other than what happened. As a disciple, Judas probably thought he could arbitrate the Kingdom of God if everyone sat in a room together.

If you think about it, Judas way of thinking is very much like the politics of modern evangelicals who believe our political polarization will usher in the return of Christ. If Judas was under Satan’s deceptive spell, what does that say about Evangelicalism?

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He washed his disciples feet…including Judas‘, knowing full well what was about to transpire. “For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (John 13:11).

Jesus knew the betrayal was coming, but Judas didn’t. Judas was clearly delusional, and assumed his plan was something helpful, not betrayal.

“Judas, who would betray him answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”” (Matthew 26:25).

“So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:26-27)

Was Jesus speaking to Satan, or Judas? Or both? This is the fork in the road where theologies diverge. Some scholars equate Judas to Satan, and see his act of betrayal as an unforgivable sin, consigning him to an eternal Hell. Others, especially those who have read the Gnostic gospels (which I have), particularly the Gospel of Judas, bend toward the idea that Judas played a necessary role in the sovereign plan of God, without which the beauty of Easter struggles to be seen. Outside the Gnostics, even Peter (who also denies Christ) alludes this idea in Acts 1:25: “…to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

Where exactly is this “tòpon ton ìdion” (place of his very self)? Given our study in Romans, I will suggest this has a much bigger ontological trajectory than any commentary I’ve seen. Back to that dark night, Jesus prays a final send off prayer with his disciples that calls out Judas:

“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12)

Interestingly, the words for “lost” (hàpóllumai) is the same root word as “destruction” (hàpóleia), which again from our Romans series, we learned means “cease to exist” or to be “wasted.” A term Paul uses to describe the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In other words, in Jesus’ prayer, He tells the Father, I have guarded the disciples, keeping them in your name (identity, belonging, existence), none have ceased to exist except the son of non-existence. And the justification for Judas’ not being kept, was to fulfill the scripture in Psalm 41:9.

“Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”

It seems clear that Judas isn’t a case of Jesus having “butterfingers.” It’s that Judas delusion was the design, and that opens up a can of worms that only the Reformed tradition enjoys answering. Fidelity to scripture means that we must realize this isn’t a clear cut case of reprobation. Bubbling to the surface in Matthew is the final supper or the first eucharist, the sacred table that was set for all disciples…then and forever:

“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the  covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 25:26-17)

Was Judas included? Before you answer, ask yourself: “What do I want to believe happened here?” Examine any need for virtual because it sets a course for us, not unlike Judas’ own assumptions. It wasn’t just Judas who betrayed Jesus. If we write ourselves into the story, we too are betrayers.

“Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night.” (v. 31)

Shall we forget about Peter’s thrice denial? Or the fact that all the disciples scattered for fear of their own lives? In the garden, after the kiss, prior to arrest Jesus asks Judas:

“Friend, for who are you here?” (v.50)

The word “friend” here is “hétairos” (companion). We must ask ourselves why Jesus said this. Again, what do we hope is true? I see Christ looking into the self deception of Judas and touching that which ceased to exist with a drop of sobriety? Was this an indifferent exchange of biting sarcasm?

Search your heart this dark day, lest we become the Judas we condemn…

“Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:3-4)

…how many of us share the heart of the religious rulers who said to Judas after changing his mind: “What is that to us?”

Judas the betrayer was betrayed. Jesus’ condemnation was an unbearable turn of events. Judas changed his mind (metamelomai), which is similar to (metanoia) but with a deeper regret. Realizing what he had done, Judas hung himself (v.5). Depending on who tells the story, it gets more detailed. Acts 1:18 says Judas fell headlong and his bowels gushed out. Likely the same story observed from a few days later.

Judas and Jesus both died that night...

…Both were betrayed.

…Both surrendered their lives.

…Both died outside of the city.

Was Judas life merely a wasted existence for the purposes of glorifying God and fulfilling scripture? Is Christ’s atoning sacrifice of the Easter weekend big enough to include Judas? Scripture says both so why doesn’t our doctrine? Do we condemn Judas forever, replacing his real existence and name with that of betrayer? Do we not see ourself in his story? Who can say they’re better than Judas? Was Judas act of self-destruction the last act of appeasement to God…or did he just miss the cutoff by dying before Jesus’ final act of appeasement for everyone?

Is Jesus’ command to love our enemies not required on Judas? Jesus didn’t seem to think so. Was Jesus somehow not able to free Judas of Satan’s control after “his pinky” liberated so many? If Judas sins were not hung on Jesus’ cross, then how do any of us celebrate Easter?

How much more good is Good Friday, if Jesus willingly, lovingly, bears the betray of Judas? May the unraveling of our own religion free us into the bigger Easter story.