"Why Did Judas Do It?"
Matthew 26:6-16 John 12:4-6 Mathew 26:47-50; 27:3-5
For a prosecutor to win a conviction in court,they must offer a reasonable motive for doing the crime. A jury will want to know why someone did the particular deed. In life, we expect some rational explanation for human behavior.
So too, the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, arranging for his arrest, demands some explanation, a reason for what he did. What was his motive --- and why did he do it?
Judas seems to have had every possible spiritual advantage. He was chosen to be one of the twelve by Jesus. For three years he traveled and lived as a disciple. Judas heard Jesus teach. preach and tell parables, he saw the many healings and other miracles.
He helped pass out food during the feeding of the 5000, he was there to see Jesus raise the dead and he was even in the boat when Jesus calmed the storm at sea.
Imagine what those three years must have been like.
How could Judas do such a thing, after all that he had seen & done? How could he be exposed to Jesus everyday, for all that time, hearing the incredible things Jesus said, seeing the amazing things Jesus did, how could he in the end, betray him? How could he be so unmoved, so little effect on him as to not respond with amazement and gratitude?
Doesn’t it make you wonder, how come and why did Judas do it?
The Bible is quite explicit --- that it was Judas, he had a choice. The text holds him responsible for his decision -- he wasn’t a patsy or a pawn, powerless to do anything else.
On the night of the Last Supper --- there in the Upper Room, he was next to Jesus in the place of honor, and Jesus washed Judas’ feet as an expression of love. I believe that even then, Jesus was holding open a door, a possibility – a desire to Judas to repent, and to not go through with his terrible arrangement. Judas had another option, but he chose to betray his Lord.
Motive for this decision to betray has long fueled attempts to explain his character and reasons. In choral music and stage productions, often Judas is the most interesting part, the most complex and best developed character. Theologians and artists love to speculate about Judas, and suggest justifiable motivations for his betrayal of Jesus.
Most suggest that Judas became disenchanted with Jesus over time. He may have followed Jesus expecting to be on the ground floor, of the coming kingdom where he would rule with Jesus. But when he realized that it wasn’t going to happen, that there would be no fame or fortune, he cut his losses by taking the 30 pieces of silver.
If Judas signed on expecting Jesus to overthrow Roman tyranny, perhaps by having Jesus arrested,he hoped to force Jesus into a rebellion against Rome.
Maybe, wanting Jesus to bring about an earthly kingdom,
Judas meant to make it happen, sooner not later.
Or, maybe as a good Jew, Judas was scandalized when Jesus claimed to be God, and for religious reasons,he had to stop this blaspheming dangerous false teacher.
Some suggest that Judas was tricked by the religious leaders, or maybe they threatened, forcing him to betray Jesus. Maybe Judas was afraid that if Jesus did in fact, cause a rebellion, then the Romans would kill anyone associated with Jesus.
These are all good reasons and understandable motives,
but they don’t match the testimony of Scripture.
The gospel writers do tell us why Judas betrayed Jesus,
quite clearly, that he did it for the money.
Matthew 26:14-16
Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I betray him to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver.
And from that moment
he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
The Greek is quite specific that Judas was negotiating a deal a business arrangement - seeking economic advantage, by getting the best price that he could manage, and so for 30 pieces of silver he sold his relationship with Jesus.
They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began looking for an opportunity to betray him. It seems pretty clear, he did it for the money.
I find it revealing that writers and commentators
search endlessly for a motive other than his greed for money.
I suppose because we are offended by such cold crassness, as ’betrayal for bucks’ or ’The Price is Right" Surely, its not just about the money.
But from my experience in the business world,
when someone says, "its not about the money" generally, it is about the money.
When a complaining customer or disgruntled employee said, "Its not about the money",it was, and that I could solve the dispute with a little cash.
Of course it was about the money, the only question was, how much.
A corrupt love of money is a powerful and terrible motivator. Just think of what people driven by greed will do for money. Consider the impact of money on our political system, the pressure on politicians to vote based on contributions.
Business leaders who go along with immoral & unethical decisions, as driven by greed and a quest for higher profits.
Or consider how once close and caring family members,
will get shredded in battles over disputed inheritances.
Or as if a divorce weren’t agonizing and brutal enough,
the bloodbath of bitterness & greed when dividing the assets.
How about the way love of money corrupts nice people into monsters, such as when lives and relationships destroyed, because some poor sap unfortunate to win a huge lottery.
You would think that suddenly having millions of dollars should make life easier and better – yet it rarely does.
Or those who betray their country, business partners or friends, those who steal and exploit the weak and powerless; our prisons packed for decisions driven by love of money.
Greed and the love of money can bring out the very worst in people; it brought out the worst in Judas, to betray his Lord, and that ought to get our attention and it ought to concern us very much.
In Leonardo de Vichy’s famous painting, "The Last Supper" he first drew Judas with the face of his worst enemy and critic; but then unable to sleep and feeling guilty, he redrew it to portray some of his own features.
An interesting insight, recognizing that the capacity to betray lies within us all Judas did it for the money, and that ought to awaken us and frighten us;
because we too share that same motivation, we too struggle with greed & the love of money in our lives.
Since Judas did betray Jesus for the love of money,
despite walking with Jesus everyday for those three years, and since we too struggle with the issue of money & greed, then we need to know and understand how and why it caused him to do such a terrible thing.
What was the process --- how did Judas fall? … and what can we learn from his failure and sin?
We read, John 12:6
He (Judas) was a thief;
he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it
Jesus spoke against the destructive danger of greed and materialism more than any other topic in the NT.
(which suggests that it might be somewhat important)
Judas heard all that, he was exposed to every word,
and yet he still embezzled funds from the group, he stole from the money they all shared.
As a businessman, I had some experience with employees who steal – embezzle; and I observed some common patterns among them.
First; it was always a gradual process – never all at once. It began with a seemingly insignificant theft --- just a minor compromise with integrity and truth.
But then with growing momentum, they always took more and more, until it had life of its own -- and they were unable to stop. As greed and avarice became an ever-more demanding master, no matter how much they had, it was never enough.
Judas was probably a good and faithful treasurer, at first; but then along the way he began to compromise,
which grew into full blown greed and love of money,
… which yielded the terrible fruit of betrayal.
How much of a pull does money have on you?
Does ’love of money’ keep you from doing the right thing?
Another common characteristic was an intense focus on self, being unmoved with no regard for how they impacted others. I knew of people who almost lost their whole business, other employees who had to be laid off, losing their jobs; because the embezzler’s theft stripped the business bare.
A corrupt love of money blocks even normal compassion,
the needs of others, just don’t matter to the greedy.
Judas really didn’t care about what happened to the others.
A sure sign of greed and avarice in our lives, is the capacity to turn aside from those in need, the ability to ignore and reject just pleas for help.
The one who loves money best, develops a cold & uncaring heart.
The most surprising thing was that the greedy lover of money, perceived of themselves as being the injured party; and so claimed to be justified in their betrayal of trust. Because they weren’t given what they deserved, they took it.
There was one time when I couldn’t afford to give any raises, because my business just wasn’t making enough profit, which turned out to be because an employee was stealing; who complained when I caught her, that she was stealing because I hadn’t given her a raise.
Does that make any sense to you? (20 years later, I still don’t get it)
Judas hadn’t gotten what he expected for having stayed &traveled with Jesus for those three years, so to cut his losses – to salvage what he could, he betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver, getting the best deal that he could arrange.
By letting money and greed become his master, Judas made his relationship with Jesus a fraud; preventing openness and authenticity with his Lord. And so increasingly untouched, unmoved by the love of Christ,
money came to mean more to Judas than his friendship with Jesus/.
As his desire for more and more money soared, the authenticity & integrity of his life plummeted to nothing, and that is the danger, that is what greed can do to us.
I take seriously what the Bible reveals about Judas, as a warning: - that just being a disciple wasn’t immunity from corruption. - that even proximity to Jesus, won’t necessarily shield us from the power of greed.
Judas chose to love and value money more than he loved Jesus, and so too I am in danger, I am at risk for the same.
Is my trust in the Lord, or is it in my stuff, my possessions?
How anxious and worried do you get over money?
Does a downturn on Wall Street take away all your joy?
Has love of money and greed led to a stingy tight attitude, or has it ever caused you to do an underhanded secret misdeed?
In the end, will all your dealings with finance and possessions, withstand the scrutiny and ’integrity-test’ of God?
We are fools and naive if we suppose that our attitude toward money and wealth doesn’t matter or that God will buy our phony excuses & justifications.
Our spiritual well being and our faith walk with God
has a lot to do with our attitude toward wealth,
and we will answer for how we have used God’s blessings
The difference between a healthy view of money and possessions, and the greedy love of money that infected Judas, is wonderfully illustrated by Mary’s extravagant anointing of Jesus, in stark contrast to the harshness of Judas, complaining about the high mis-spent cost.
John 12:3-6b
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair.
The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,
"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief;.)
To Mary,
her finest and best went to express her devotion, such extravagance was appropriate for her gratitude. Money was meant to be used for such a grand and giving purpose.
To Judas,
such an outpouring of love was a waste, he was appalled at the cost, Jesus wasn’t worth it … He was offended to see it used for the pleasure of another, not to mention using that way, reduced the amount available for him to steal.
Mary & Judas could not have seen that same money more differently.
To one, it was a way to touch and express love for God, and for the other, it was a cold hard barrier that kept him from God.
Do you see that it is not the money itself, but its the attitude, the heart that made all the difference.
The material blessings – the rich abundance from our Lord, can either strengthen our faith walk and trust in God, can be the means of serving, pleasing, glorifying God, can be used to accomplish great things for God ---
OR
our wealth or lack of possessions can eat at our souls,
and so consume all that is of value within us, and thereby prevent our spiritual growth.
Our material things in this life, will either help or hinder, enrich or destroy --- and our attitude toward money and possessions most clearly reflects our relationship with God.
It matters how I respond to the financial blessings God gives me.
1 Timothy 6:6-10
… for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; …
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
For the love of money is a root of all evil
Why did Judas betray Jesus?
He did it for the money,
he loved his money, more than he loved, Jesus his Lord.
The money itself can’t hurt us, but a corrupt love of money will kill
For the love of money is a root of all evil
