Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Horsham 22nd October 2025
We have just seen Mary anointing Jesus with spikenard, a hugely expensive oil. Jesus saw this as a act of huge generosity and kindness, and so must we. To some who were there, this was seen as a hugely wasteful act. The oil could have been sold for a considerable sum and given to the poor.
Judas was the disciple who had responsibility amongst the disciples for looking after the money, so it is likely that he was amongst those who were angered by Mary’s actions.
We can’t be sure exactly when Judas made his decision to betray Jesus to the Jewish authorities. The chronology offered by Mark suggests that for him, this act of kindness by Mary was the last straw. Judas was resolved to put his plan into action.
The text tells us that Judas took the initiative. It was Judas who deliberately sought out one of the senior priests and made the offer to help them arrest Jesus. It was Judas who agreed to accept payment for his betrayal.
The Jewish leaders had been faced with an intractable problem of how to arrest Jesus at a place and time when it would be unnoticed by the crowds in Jerusalem. It was Judas who went out of his way to solve that problem for them.
It was Judas of who Jesus was later to say, ‘it would have been better for that one not to have been born.’
End Piece
We know surprisingly little about him, but the little we do know makes Judas Iscariot an enigmatic and controversial character. We are not told how he met Jesus, or how and when he was called to follow. We do know that he was appointed as one of the twelve by Jesus only after deep prayerful consideration (Luke 6:12-16). We know that he was sent out as one of the twelve with the authority of Christ to serve and minister to the sick, and that he learned the same lessons as his eleven friends at the feet of Jesus. Yet now, he is a changed man. Both Luke (Luke 22:2-4) and John (John 13:27) are clear that Satan entered into Judas, yet whilst his motives are unclear, there is no reason to see him as the victim of anything other than his own decisions..
‘Judas was neither a martyr nor a robot. He was a responsible human being who made his own decisions but, in doing so, fulfilled the word of God.’ (Wiersbe p164)
The story of Judas Iscariot is unique, but we can learn something from his actions. It demonstrates that even the closest followers of Jesus can be led astray. We must never forget that temptations are out there. One unchecked and unrepented bad decision easily leads to another. It demonstrates our need to allow ourselves to be accountable to other Christians, and to constantly uphold one another in prayer.
Keep praying!