Why Judas betrayed Jesus

DOMINUS VOBISCUM!

To fully comprehend and appreciate the Biblical answers apart from the extra-Scriptural answers on why Judas Iscariot betrayed the Rabbi, a comparative analysis of two Biblical narratives of betrayal must be presented. The two short stories of betrayal revolve around orders or commands of GOD. Lest forgotten, the word, command or order of GOD whether defied or complied with has omnipotent transforming effect.

At the initiation of Creation, GOD commanded:"Let there be light." Light lighted the deep darkness in a flash. In contrast the command of a human person does not have such power. The best that it can command is: "Switch on the lights." Its words will not light the darkness. Somebody else will perform the switching for lighting to come about. Such is the big difference between the word of GOD and the word of a human person.

Upon the visitation of GOD in the divine Person of the Son of Man at the conclusion of His three-year teaching ministry, He uttered to the mummified and rotting corpse of Lazarus: "Lazarus come out!" The corpse in a flash came alive. Such is the transforming power of the word that He highlighted to His apostles. The transforming omnipotence of the word of GOD is the same at the Creation and upon His Visitation.

The first story of betrayal directly committed by a male person against GOD happened in the Garden of Eden, a place of bliss also known as heaven or Paradise. The male person was later known by the name of Adam. GOD created him divine, that is, Adam's image and likeness was patterned after GOD and He was also immortal like GOD. The only gift lacking in Adam was the creative power or the omnipotent transforming asset of the word of GOD. As a creature of the Creator, Adam was ordered not to eat the forbidden fruit or else he will die. However, Adam listened to the woman GOD gave him, the woman who bit the provocation of the ancient serpent that they may become like GOD knowing good and evil. Adam also ate the fruit of death. Such was the first narrative of betrayal committed by a male person. It was betrayal of divine trust in connivance with the enemy of GOD. The penalty was harsh and unimaginable. Adam lost his immortality. He lost his divine status and his right to Paradise. He was expelled from heaven and was cursed and sentenced to suffer and die a natural death in a place outside Paradise known as the earth. Defiance of a simple order led to a not so simple predicament. He became human that all persons after him inherited and still applies up to this present age.

The other story of betrayal directly committed by a male person against GOD happened on this earth in a garden in a place called Gethsemani. The male person was an apostle named Judas Iscariot. GOD chose him from among a chosen twelve. He was human, a descendant of Adam. As such, he can act the way Adam did. In fact, like Adam, Judas Iscariot listened to a woman. The woman Judas Iscariot listened too was chosen by GOD as the "blessed among women". The only order uttered by such woman throughout the duration of the teaching ministry of the Rabbi was, "Do whatever He tells you." Judas Iscariot followed and obeyed the mind-boggling order given him by his Master. Upon completion of the order, GOD in the divine Person of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST addressed him, "Friend". There was compliance of divine trust by obedience to the order of betrayal. Judas Iscariot ignored Satan who was allowed entry into his heart. Satan's role is to entice Judas Iscariot not to obey the order of betrayal in much the same way that it enticed Adam and Eve not to comply with the order of GOD in the Paradise.

The betrayal by Judas Iscariot was with the consent of GOD. There were encouragements and commands of betrayal. The first was verbalized face-to-face at the Last Supper: "Be quick in what you are to do!" There was no such encouragement uttered to Adam. The final order and encouragement of betrayal was vocalized in the Garden of Gethsemani after the kiss and the embrace: "Friend, do what you are here for!" By any language, the two utterances verbally issued frontally to Judas Iscariot by the Rabbi were imperative sentences. Hence, they were commands. Even grade school pupils know that. The Son of Man did not curse Judas Iscariot unlike Adam who was cursed for his betrayal of divine trust. He called him "Friend" all because He followed a mind-boggling command in fulfillment of the Scriptures that his comrade Peter vigorously and vehemently opposed. Peter was addressed "Satan" because of his opposition. It is very clear from Scriptures that the betrayal by Adam was divinely condemnable. In extreme contrast, the betrayal by Judas Iscariot was divinely commendable. However the reverse is true in this terrestrial world. Most Christians from generation to generation look down upon Judas Iscariot as the wretched one and acknowledge Adam and embrace the satanic standards that he handed down. With their perpetual bashing of the betrayer of the Son of Man, they are consistently following the lead of their revered ancestor, Adam. It was a very steep plunge for Adam from Heaven to this earth. While for his descendants who consciously or not follow his cue, it will be from the frying pan to the fire which is a lot steeper descent.

Judas Iscariot, together with the other chosen eleven, was with the Rabbi throughout the duration of His teaching ministry. He witnessed the changing of the gallons of water to gallons of finest wine in an effortless blitz. He witnessed the inexplicably awesome multiplication of the loaves and the fishes after a simple prayer. He witnessed how the Son of Man walked on a body of stormy seas as swift as a sail. He witnessed how a fruitless fig tree withered instantly after the Rabbi cursed it. He witnessed how a decomposing corpse got back the life that was already lost just by a mere utterance. No human person in its proper senses and a disciple at that would betray such kind of Person without His consent. It will be a double whammy! It is like a human person picking up a stone and bashing its own skull with it till it dies. Adam and Eve did exactly just that in heaven. They double-crossed and back-stabbed the Person who gave them eternal and inconsumable life. They not only lost the precious gifts of divinity and immortality that was bestowed on a silver patter. They lost their sanity too. Imagine back-stabbing and betraying their GOD in exchange for a monster inferior to themselves. The harsh penalty they got; the human persons inherited. The human persons savor it to their heart's content while spitting upon the divinely commendable and silent saintly deed of Judas Iscariot. Anyway, as OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST aptly declared: "Time will prove where wisdom lies." It always lies with the word of GOD than with the word of the mortal human persons who are as crazy if not crazier than its ancestors.

If there was no authentic betrayal in heaven, the fall will not come about. Likewise, if there was no blessed betrayal on earth, the much awaited salvation will not push through. If there is no betrayal, there is no salvation. Such is the universal equation for redemption. Bashing Judas Iscariot is bashing his "Friend" and for Christians doing so the final verdict is perpetual bashing in the infinite furnace where there will be gnashing of the teeth.

The consented and authorized betrayal by Judas Iscariot of the Rabbi is the ransom of the heinous and unauthorized treasonous betrayal by Adam of his Creator who gave him eternal life that he sold for the forbidden fruit to the "father of lies". Such is the Scriptural reason why Judas betrayed Jesus with the latter's divine imprimatur.

Peace to everyone!

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Article Source: FaithWriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com and FaithReaders.com http://www.faithreaders.com