While sitting in a dermatology office filling out a lengthy questionnaire, I was distracted by a boy band on the television at the end of the reception area. Obviously brothers by their strong resemblance to one another and that perfect blend that comes easily to a group of family singers, their choreography was lively and entertaining. The audience was appreciative and the host gushing with praise as he questioned them afterwards. “Is there one of you who is difficult to work with?” he probed.
As if cued, they pivoted and all four older brothers pointed to the youngest brother who shrugged his shoulders and agreed sheepishly. “I can be a real pain in the butt sometimes!”
Once again I was reminded - that is not what happened when Jesus told them at that last Passover dinner shared that one of them would betray Him. No one pointed to Judas Iscariot. Rather, they each pointed to themselves in dismay and asked if they were the betrayer.
If they could have known what their actions and reactions would be in the next 12 hours, they would have been convinced that they indeed were all betrayers.
Jesus clearly indicated before He handed the dipped bread to Judas Iscariot that He knew which of them was the betrayer. Even then the other disciples could not comprehend but assumed as treasurer Judas was being sent on some Passover errand as he left.
I realized I had never thought through what it actually meant that Judas betrayed Jesus. My conclusion? Judas betrayed the location of Jesus after dark in a private place with His disciples. The religious leaders had tried every maneuver to get Jesus previously but couldn’t risk inciting the crowd during daylight hours. Many people loved and adored Jesus. Because it was not yet His time to be trapped, He continually evaded and eluded them.
The betrayer would also need to suspect that Jesus would not fight back. Only a member of His intimate circle could be aware of His mindset. Someone invited to share that last supper with Jesus and hear Him say again, as He had many times before, that He would soon die. He even gave them a new covenant and how to celebrate it in remembrance of Him.
Still wondering years later, I came across a copy of Fulton Oursler’s 1949 book, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Subtitled “a tale of the greatest life ever lived - a reverent and faithful retelling of the ever-new, ever-lasting story of Jesus, written with powerful simplicity.” Oursler used words to flesh out the events in the Bible as filmmakers today do with productions such as The Chosen.
His narration around these events finally made me see an alternative explanation that also made sense. The Bible is very transparent when it explains that people act as people always have and always will. Maybe Judas went to the religious leaders as an act of protecting Jesus. How could He think dying was what the Messiah must do? Thousands of years of religious reinforcement had instructed the Hebrew people that the Messiah would be an overcoming, triumphant, overthrower of those who oppressed His people. Maybe Jesus needed some remedial instruction, private counseling from the religious leaders.
Wouldn’t you go to your religious leaders if you thought someone you loved was willing to die for a wrong belief?
All this wondering happened over the decades since I read the book. An avid reader, I couldn’t remember the title. I own hundreds of books and have read and passed on thousands of others. Yet it still remained the most plausible explanation that didn’t contradict Scripture. What was the title? I didn’t want to not credit the author. These were not original thoughts to me. How could I write about it?
Wednesday we treated ourselves to a trip to a favorite farmer’s market/flea market in DeLand. It was a welcome respite from abundant yard trimming, a result of our recent record freeze. The strawberries were ripe, fragrant, and hawked as last of the season, fresh from Plant City. Also found showstopper begonias in an array of vibrant colors to decorate tables for Easter. One young man had a folding table covered in books from the 40s and 50s. There it was. Could it be the book I read so long ago? . There was another lens to look at Judas through.
I hesitated to buy it even though it was only five dollars and had a dust jacket in good condition. What if it wasn’t the book I had been seeking? God is a frequent user of “coincidence” in my life. I knew He was helping me obey Him by writing about what I have been pondering for a very long time.
Oursler’s version has Judas getting assurance from the elders that Jesus would not come to any harm but would be put under protective arrest.The information would be paid for with thirty pieces of silver because the religious elite were very transactional and didn’t want Judas returning for compensation later.
How could Judas have known how it would turn out?
For that matter, how could the elders be sure that Jesus would die?
The ultimate rule keeping, rule making men broke so many laws during the night trial of Jesus. Trials for capital offenses were never on a Sabbath, at night, in the High Priest’s palace. The unanimous guilty vote was suspicious and was cause for dismissal of the case. The witnesses were inconsistent and a 24-hour delay should have been given to evaluate the evidence. Jesus’ proclamation that He was the Messiah could not be grounds for conviction, it was self-incriminating.
And yet, it all unfolded as Jesus and His Father planned that it would, as Jesus had been preparing them beforehand. But they could not see beyond centuries of traditions, religious traditions, even when confronted with The Truth.
It is overwhelming to be loved with such an outrageous love as Jesus shows. It is hard to look closely at traditions that I cling to that are wrong in the light of The Truth. There is much we all have to still learn.
Tonight when you are remembering the events that took place on that first Maundy Thursday, think of Judas who got so much wrong despite seeing with his own eyes the things we can only read about. Judas whose remorse was so great at helping the death of an innocent man. that he returned the silver and ended his own life. He trusted the wrong men.
The betrayer was also betrayed.
Author’s Note
Recently while preparing for a children’s lesson I read Mark 14:3-10 in The New English Bible. It says:
Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. As he sat at table, a woman came in carrying a small bottle of very costly perfume, pure oil of nard. She broke it open and poured the oil over his head. Some of those present said to one another angrily, ‘Why this waste? The perfume might have been sold for thirty pounds and the money given to the poor’; and they turned upon her with fury. But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. Why must you make trouble for her? It is a fine thing she has done for me.You have the poor among you always, and you can help them whenever you like; but you will not always have me. She has done what lay in her power; she is beforehand anointing my body for burial. I tell you this: wherever in all the world the Gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told as her memorial.’
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray him to them.
* * * * *
I believe this is the moment Judas felt he must intervene. Jesus believed He was about to die. The woman believed Jesus was about to die. He could not handle what he could not understand.
It comforts me to think the fragrance from the perfume lingered on His bloodied head as He hung on the cross. Someone heard and understood.
