Judas, chosen and trained by Jesus to share in the work of His Kingdom mission; a member of the Twelve who had left home and occupation to travel with Jesus; a trusted member and Treasurer of the Twelve; a committed disciple and an active missionary of Jesus’ gospel, sent out by Jesus to preach, teach and heal.
Judas, an intimate friend of Jesus, who had eaten meals with Jesus, traveled with Jesus, listened to Jesus, talked with Jesus, and slept with Jesus. How could this same Judas, become a traitor and sell his friend, Jesus, to the enemy and to death. Why would he do such an act?
A whole series of explanations have been given. Some say he was predestined to be a traitor, for the purpose of securing Jesus’ sacrificial death. God arranged all of it. I emphatically disagree with this thinking!
I question how anyone familiar with the Scriptures could invent such a scheme in which men are simply puppets and events happen as God manipulates the strings. There are no puppets in the Bible, only individuals acting in freedom and personal responsibility.
Judas was a man of flesh and blood with “human” motives for what he did. What God made out of his evil deed when it was done is another matter. God is sovereign! Had Judas not acted as he did, the religious and political authorities would have found another way to put an end to Jesus’ mission.
Some say that Judas was totally depraved, and still others that he was an incarnation of Satan. This would make Judas a puppet of Satan, no longer driven by “human” motives, and thus removed from our human world of thoughts and feelings.
For the story to have any authentic meaning and impact in our lives, Judas must remain responsible for what he did. He must remain as one of us humans or his story loses all meaning for us. We must remember that Judas never began as a traitor, he became one.
As to what motivated Judas, I disagree with those who say it was his love for MONEY? Yes, whatever motivated Judas’ act of betrayal, the deal would involve money. Judas viewed money as the means by which he could get what he most desired. He would have agreed with Gottfried Reinhardt saying, “Money is good for bribing yourself through the inconveniences of life.”
It was this corrupted view of money that enabled Judas to make the fatal mistake of betraying his friend, Jesus. No, he never “sold” Jesus, for he never had him to sell. But he did try to “buy” Jesus. For 30 shekels Judas tried to force Jesus into doing what he wished would happen toward fulfilling his own political aspirations.
Judas showed that “love of money” was not his motivation when he threw down the 30 shekels on the hard, stone floor of the temple. The sound of coins thrown in anger and rattling across a stone floor needs little description. Their clatter echoes Judas’ despair and desolation. He lost everything! The hopes he had for Jesus and himself are now shattered. His efforts had all gone terribly wrong.
Thus, we can conclude that the primary motivation for Judas’ in betraying his friend, Jesus, was POLICTICAL, very much akin to our contemporary reality of divisive politics. And we should learn from Judas’s story that such motivations can destroy us.
Judas believed that Jesus, as Messiah, would bring a new governance reality in which he could fulfill his own personal political dreams. It was exciting to be a disciple of this Galilean. His words were revolutionary. His works proved He possessed unusual powers, which all seemed necessary for the messiah Judas had in mind.
But Jesus kept stalling and always seems to discourage the crowds loyalties. All the disciples are bewildered, and Judas’ patience runs out. Now was the time to force the issue. Surely Jesus would exercise His power and authority if the right situation were created.
Myron Augsburger suggests this in (The Communicators Commentary) – It can be surmised that Judas had never intended to betray Jesus to death, but to betray Him into the hands of His enemies as a strategy to force Him to demonstrate His power as the messianic King.”
Like we sometimes do, Judas attempts to manipulate Jesus, to get Jesus to be and do what he, Judas, thought would enhance both his and Jesus’ status and power in the world. This was Judas’ real sin. And it has been a common sin through the centuries of Christendom.
The name, Jesus, has sponsored a thousand causes, namely, imperialism, anarchism, fascism, capitalism, and others. His cross has been emblazoned on battle flags, and Christians never doubted the side Jesus was on during their slaughterous crusades.
But Jesus will never be a rubber-stamp for any person or institution. He will not give exclusive support to any church, denomination, or religious organization. Offer what you will, you can neither “buy” Jesus nor “employ” him. Jesus will never be manipulated or coerced. He is subject to no one!
It is never too late to examine our attitudes and actions regarding Jesus’ Lordship. Do you hear any sound of clattering coins? If so, acknowledge, repent, and restore your walk with Jesus as Lord.
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – March 30, 2022
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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