Judas at The Last Supper, Betrayal and Death

The story of Judas Iscariot has somewhat remained a mystery in Christianity. When one gets the opportunity to read about him in the Bible, different questions pop up. Why did he decide to give Jesus up like that? What was his initial motivation? Couldn’t he get the money he needed from another source?

Betraying the Savior with a kiss only to hang himself later in deep regret for his actions might be an indication of demonic possession or his lack of foresight as to what will happen at the end. Regardless of what the world thinks, Judas betrayed Jesus, but this led to our benefit. You’ll see how as you continue to read.

This article offers a deep explanation of the whole story behind Judas at the last supper, betrayal, Jesus’ death, and everything in between.

Who was Judas Iscariot? 

Judas is mostly known as the disciple that betrayed Jesus. But before he betrayed Jesus, he was much more than the backstabber that is despised now. 

In those days, Judas was a common name amongst the people of Israel. Jesus had a half-brother named Judas. (Mark 6:3). And the Bible records that another disciple of Jesus bore the same name Judas (John 14:22). However, the Bible does not give a detailed account of Judas’ personality and background story, including how he was called to be among the disciples. The only scene pertaining to Judas before his betrayal can be found in John 12, where Judas protested against Jesus’ actions. He was clearly against the Lord letting Mary pour an expensive bottle of oil on his feet as a form of sacrifice. According to Judas, it would have been better if he sold the oil and donated the money to the poor. 

But the writer knowing Judas well said this: “This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” (John 12:6 NKJV). As the treasurer in Jesus’ ministry, Judas had access to all the funds. Holding that much money gave rise to an unholy love for money within him.

Judas was never significantly mentioned again until it was time to betray Jesus. 

Biblical Context of Judas’ Betrayal

As the feast of the Passover approached, the chief priest and the scribes sought ways to seize Jesus without the knowledge of the people, for fear of the crowd turning against them. Judas went ahead to strike a deal with them, promising to personally hand Jesus over. (Matthew 26:14–16, Mark 14:10–11, and Luke 22:1–6)

Subsequently, the disciples and Jesus gathered in the upper room where the Lord’s Supper was instituted. There, Jesus broke bread and shared wine, blessing them as a representative of His body and blood. Knowing the future even before it came to pass, the Lord also revealed the betrayal from among them. “But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” (Luke 22:21‭-‬22 NKJV)

All the disciples were confused about who it was and asked Jesus if they were the disloyal one or the betrayer. “Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.” (Luke 22:23 NKJV). Judas also asked. Apparently, he did this not to stick out among the disciples. But from all four Gospels in the Bible, Judas was the only one Jesus responded to. “Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus told him, “You have said it.” (Matthew 26:25 NLT)

After that, Judas left to direct the elders and the temple guards to the garden of Gethsemane where he knew Jesus would be. The disciples tried to fight for Jesus, but He reprimanded them and allowed Himself to be arrested, knowing the plan and will of God was about to be fulfilled.

At this point, it is important to note that the Betrayal of Jesus had already been prophesied. Judas only presented himself as a fulfillment of the scripture. Someone had to betray Jesus for the crucifixion, death, and resurrection to follow. Ironically, without Judas’ Betrayal, none of this would have happened and the main reason for Jesus’ arrival on earth would not have been fulfilled.

Judas at the Last Supper 

Judas, like every other disciple, sat at the table with Jesus to enjoy the feast of the Passover with Him. Little did everyone else, except Jesus, know that Judas had something fishy he was planning.

After Jesus broke bread and washed the feet of his disciples as an act of service, he made mention of the betrayal of one of them. All the apostles asked to find out if they were going to betray Jesus, including Judas. 

As accounted by Matthew, Jesus responded to Judas’ question only, signifying his prior knowledge of Judas’ actions. The gospel of John gave a more vivid description of this scene:

“Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.”

(John 13:26‭-‬30 NLT)

What Did Judas Do After The Last Supper? 

After the last supper, Jesus proceeded to pray at the garden of Gethsemane accompanied by a few disciples. Judas led the guards to where Jesus was and kissed him as a form of identification (Luke 22:47).

Peter attempted a fight by cutting off one of the soldier’s ears with a knife, but Jesus healed him and reprimanded the disciples from fighting again. Jesus was eventually captured and led out of the garden. This was the beginning of Jesus’ trials.

Why Did Judas Betray Jesus?

There’s no clear-cut reason on why Judas betrayed Jesus, but here are a few pointers to his rationale behind his betrayal:

• Money: In the Bible, Judas was described as a lover of money. His love for money made him dip into the purse of Jesus’ ministry and sell Jesus as well. Thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money in those days, but it was enough motivation for him to trade Jesus.

• The influence of Satan: In the gospels of John and Luke, Judas was purely influenced by Satan himself. It is said that he gave enough room and will to be possessed by the devil. This is another tangible reason for the betrayal.

However, it would not be wrong to assume that Judas betrayed Jesus because of money under the influence of Satan.

Was Judas Forgiven For His Betrayal? 

To receive forgiveness, one would have to ask for it. Judas never asked the disciples of Jesus himself for forgiveness. However, Judas showed considerable remorse for what he had done. He went to the elders to give them back the money he sold Jesus for. 

“When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” Matthew 27:3‭-‬4 NLT

Instead of requesting for forgiveness, he committed suicide. Apparently, he couldn’t bear the brunt of his atrocity. 

“Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.” Matthew 27:5 NLT

Final Thoughts

Judas only fulfilled the scripture but he still had a choice to make. If he had chosen to be loyal to Jesus and His ministry, he wouldn’t have fulfilled the prophecies of the old. No matter what has been said about us, our actions define our endpoint. This includes the promises of God.

God always gives us the liberty of choosing and making our decisions. He gave us the will to decide what we make of our lives. If our actions do not lead us toward the manifestation of His word, they will not be a reality in our lives. Hence, always remember this, “you are first your own prophet”.