A friend betrays Jesus

These were dangerous times. The religious authorities considered Jesus like a criminal. Because of their jealousy, they had been waiting for a long time to arrest him and kill him. But they feared how popular he was with the crowds. So they were extremely happy when Judas came to them and offered to betray Jesus. As one of Jesus’ followers with responsibility for the little group’s money, Judas knew that Jesus often went at night into the Garden of Gethsemane. And so they could capture him there without a riot.

Why did Judas do it?

Judas had deliberately allowed the Devil to enter his heart. The religious leaders said ‘Very good! We’ll pay you for this.’ Why did Judas do it? There have been endless guesses. Was it just for the money? Was he disappointed that Jesus was not going to save them from the Romans? We shall never know. But the message is loud and clear.

A serious warning to us

You can be a follower of Jesus, enjoy his company, have his help during troubles, go to church and read the Bible for years, as Judas had done – and still decide to go away from him. A tragedy, but it happens. Judas’ story is a serious warning. Jesus’ followers are called to stay loyal to him through good times and bad times.