Judas’ Kiss

With one kiss, Judas sealed his fate, and marked himself in history. This whole occurrence was an outward rejection of the truth. His real betrayal and denial was not that he betrayed Jesus, but the rejection of any personal thought that the Father had sent His only begotten Son into the world to seek and to save the lost. This is what Judas was guilty of; this was his great sin against God; this was his guilt, for him there remained no sacrifice, or propitiation with an angry God.

In all my years, I have never met anyone named Judas, or have I ever heard of any parents naming a child Judas. Why, because in any Christian nation, or setting, Judas was the betrayer of Jesus Christ. For three years, he ate, walked, partook, and witnessed Jesus wonderful works, yet he chose to deliver him over to be crucified.

John 7:71, 13:2, We read, when the “Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him (Jesus.)” Compare with,

Luke 22:3, “Then entered Satan into Judas.” This pretty much said it all, “Satan entered him,”

Jesus said in John 7:70, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

What does it mean to betray, or to deliver over to. The Greek is, paradidomi. It means to give, or deliver over, or up into the possession, and power of others. As a transitive verb which expresses an action that passes from the agent, in this case (Judas,) to the object (Jesus.) It speaks of persons delivered over with evil intentions into the power, or authority of others for trial, to be condemned. This same word is found in,

Luke 24:20, “The chief priests and our rulers DELIVERED him (Jesus) to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.” This also was Judas guilty of.

John 13:2126, Jesus reveals to the apostles, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall BETRAY me.” Ver.26, “He it is whom I shall give a sop (piece of bread) when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.” Judas was now exposed as a traitor to the other apostles.

John 6:64, “Jesus said, “But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should BETRAY him.”

There is an O.T. prophesy from both Zechariah, and Jeremiah, in chapter 17, and 18. Both connected to, and speaking of this same future event.

Zechariah 11:12, God prophesied, “I said unto them (the Jews leaders) If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear (refrain.) So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

Verse 13, “And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized (a price valued by them.) “And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”

The Lord was looking to his people for love, and obedience. Not only did they refuse, and reject him, but added insult to injury by selling Him out for the price of a bond- servant, 30 pieces of silver. Ex.21:32.

The betrayal money was given over to the temple potter. Who was the temple potter? The temple potter’s trade was at the valley of Hinnom the trash pits, the dumping grounds for waste. The clay was rich in that valley, and he made money from it. Jeremiah prophesied of this valley in chapters 18-19. He called Hinnom the “Valley of slaughter.”

After his Judas kiss, there came upon him the recollection of Jesus sinless righteousness: he had wronged his Master. He felt remorse, became hateful of all that had tempted him. He goes into the temple, hurls the money at the feet of the priests who then refused to take.

There no longer was any way for Judas to receive propitiation (the favor of God,) nor was their any longer a sacrifice for his sin.

Judas was the treasurer for 3 years, witness to all the Lord had accomplished. What other evidence of trust could Judas have been given? This was his Savior. What other thing could have made Judas pull back from this crime of betrayal?” Nothing!

Luke 22:3, “Then ENTERED Satan into Judas.” This pretty much said it all.

The Greek word enter speaks of demons, or Satan himself entering into a person, as in,

Mark 9:25, Jesus rebukes a foul spirit, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I (Jesus) charge thee, come out of him, and ENTER no more.”

Luke 8:30, “There was a man possessed of a devils, Jesus asked him, “What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because man devils were ENTERED into him.”

Verse 31, “They (the devils) besought (begged) him that He would not command them to go into the deep,” — so Jesus commanded them to ENTER into the swine, and like Judas, the swine committed suicide by running into the water and drowning.

Matthew 27:3, Judas “Saw that he was condemned, repented himself.”

Judas felt remorse for his crime. But was he truly repentant? Was his repentance due to the fact that he had been exposed by Jesus as one having a devil. To the chief priests he confessed that he had betrayed innocent blood, but they said to him, “What is that to us.” No place to go, no place to hide, no friends to call upon.

Was his the same remorse Peter showed? No! Peter was forgiven. Matthew writes, 27:3, that Judas new he was condemned. Condemned by his own words, and actions. He had no faith in God, and no good works, His covetousness followed him to the end of his days.

He understood what the consequences of his crime would be. Exposed as the traitor, rejected even by those who had paid him for his treachery, and knowing that the other apostles knew of his crime.

There may have been another fear he may have come face to face with. The fear of angry people who followed Jesus, may have been seeking revenge. His sorrow, was that of any criminal when caught in the commission of a crime.

2 Corinthians 7:7:10, “The sorrow of the world worketh death.”

Matthew 27:5, “He (Judas) departed, and went and hanged himself.” He committed the crime of murder, and under Jewish law was punishable by death, guilty of the blood of Jesus, now guilty of taking his own life. By his own hand would he perish!

Galatians 3:13, “It is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

Acts 1:18-20, Judas, “Purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” — Ver.20, “It is written in the book of Psalms, Let his (Judas) habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric (office of overseer) let another take.”

Acts 1:26, “They (the apostles) gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”

“His bowels gushed out,” bowelling was a part of the punishment for traitors. The field Judas purchased now went to bury strangers. He died shamefully, Matt.25:5, He throws down 30 pieces of silver, departs from the temple, and hanged himself from a tree. His reward followed his deed.

John 17:12, Jesus said, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy (his Father’s) name: — and now of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Judas, “the son of perdition.”

Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com