During the time of Jesus, there were two beings that were willing to commit to betray Him: One Human Judas and One Fallen Angel Satan. The two beings had a common agenda. Judas had a love of money, which is the root of all evil. Satan, on the other hand, was fighting against the power of God. These two beings would have to make a decision that would have a huge effect on the lives of the people around them. If these two were to agree to betray Jesus, it would mean that they were both sinning against the Lord.
Matthew 26:14-30 Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14 Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
The Last Supper
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Judas’ love of money is the root of all evil
Several years ago, I asked myself, “How did Judas’ love of money lead him to betray Jesus?” I found that the answer was quite simple: I was dissatisfied with what I was achieving in my Christian life. And I realized that I was missing out on the great things God was able to accomplish in me.
The first thing I realized was that Judas was not the only person who loved money. In fact, many people in history have demonstrated this fact.
The second thing I realized was that the Bible says that money was not the reason Judas betrayed Jesus. He had many other reasons, but the money motive was the most important.
John 12: 1-8 Jesus Call Out Judas
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”
Satan’s rebellion led to Jesus’ betrayal
During the course of God’s plan, Satan’s rebellion led to Jesus’ betrayal. Satan is the enemy of God. He works against God and mankind through indirect means, such as false prophets, failures of saints, and the external push of the world.
The Scriptures reveal that Satan’s perspective is warped. He is envious of Christ. He seeks to undermine faith in God and the power of His love. Satan’s rebellion is directed toward enslaving humanity and corrupting unfallen witnesses in glory. Ultimately, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire forever with all who followed him.
Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him
It is clear that Judas was not a fan of Jesus’ teachings, but it is unclear if he did know that Jesus was the messiah. He may have been following him because of his belief that Jesus was the messiah.
Judas probably wanted to be a disciple. But he was also a thief and a greedy man. He offered to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him at the Last Supper. This was an overstatement, but not by much.
Jesus’ eyes were not on Judas
Whether it was a coincidence or a necessity, Jesus’ eyes were not on Judas when he agreed to betray him. And the fact that he is a major player in Christ’s story is a bit of a puzzle, but the tidbit isn’t entirely skewed by the fact that he was involved in the betrayal.
Judas is a bit younger than the rest of the disciples, though his position in the group indicates a high level of spirituality. He is also a rich man, though not in the way the other disciples were.
Judas was a close follower of Jesus. He had done miracles for him, healed the sick, and had cast out devils. Judas also believed that Jesus was the messiah. But he wasn’t sure if he was the one.
Jesus said His blood was the blood of the NEW covenant
During the Passover meal, Jesus used a very apt symbol when he said His blood was the blood of the new covenant. His words and actions were meant to demonstrate the power and significance of the new covenant. The new covenant was not a new set of laws but a new way of life that brought people into a life under God’s direction.
Jesus’ words were accompanied by the ceremonial act of taking a cup of wine. The contents of the cup represent His blood. When the disciples drank from the cup, it was a reminder of the new covenant.
Jesus’ Message of Love made Enemies in the Temple
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, many people were jealous of His popularity and were fearful of what He was teaching them. So they were plotting to kill Him. They wanted to take the opportunity to kill Him when the common people weren’t around.
Judas’ love of money made him the instrument to betray Jesus.
