We tend to think of those who persecuted, prosecuted and punished Jesus to be "bad guys". But they probably weren't any "worse" than most of us. (Are we "bad guys"?)
I imagine Caiaphas was a smiling, dignified, "kindly" fellow, of ancient Jewish stock, a "beloved leader" in religious garb, who dispensed good counsel, even prophesied! (I imagine he was not unlike the popular, respected church leaders of our day.)
These were (by human standards) good men. They had "good reasons" for rejecting Jesus, too.
Judas Iscariot "justified" all he did. Everything was Jesus' fault! Selling out Jesus (for 30 pieces of silver) was the "right" thing for Judas to do.
Jesus was a nut job, an "apostate", a rabble rouser, maybe even a fraud! Judas couldn't explain the miracles, signs and wonders Jesus performed (but he found a way to dismiss them)! Judas probably resented that Jesus wasn't a "peacemaker", neither a "politician". Jesus could have been king! But, instead, He turned the tables in the Temple, pissing off the merchants AND the Jewish hierarchy, getting ALL of them in potential trouble! He could have gotten them all killed! In Judas' estimation, Jesus was NOT the "leader" he imagined Him to be. Unlike Peter, Judas was not grateful that Jesus had given him the words of eternal life. Judas didn't care about eternal life! He didn't care about pleasing or honoring God! He only cared about THIS life and himself, what he (Judas) could get.
According to Judas, Jesus was a "loser". "Better to leave Him now before it's too late! Jesus is going down!" And Judas saw no point in going down with Him.
Judas cut the cord. "Might as well make it official and let everyone know: 'I'm no longer associated with this guy!' Besides, the powers that be will PAY me if I leave and betray Him now! Better I do so before we lose everything! It's not MY fault He's such a jerk! I tried to warn Him! I tried to reason with Him! I tried to save Him! But He wouldn't listen to me! He messed EVERYTHING up! He's just so OFFENSIVE! To EVERYBODY! Nobody I know who's 'important' or 'popular' likes Him! Most people hate Him! I don't want to be associated with Him anymore!"
(Judas ate of the fruit of the Tree of Life, then looked around as if he were ashamed.)
I don't know when the horror and reality of his error overtook him: when he realize he had abandoned his most faithful Friend, his closest Companion, his truest Love? I only know Judas rejected Jesus, betraying him with a kiss, pretending to be his friend.
Judas wasn't Jesus' friend. Judas was antichrist. He didn't have the Lord's spirit in him. He didn't love Jesus or the truth with all his heart. His mind and heart were on the things of THIS world, not on the things of God.
Jesus knew that -- and He loved and served Judas anyway.
To death.
I don't know when the horror and reality of his error overtook him: when he realize he had abandoned his most faithful Friend, his closest Companion, his truest Love? I only know Judas rejected Jesus, betraying him with a kiss, pretending to be his friend.
Judas wasn't Jesus' friend. Judas was antichrist. He didn't have the Lord's spirit in him. He didn't love Jesus or the truth with all his heart. His mind and heart were on the things of THIS world, not on the things of God.
Jesus knew that -- and He loved and served Judas anyway.
To death.
Thanks for this post, Will. It reminds me of something my wife has told me many times (pretty sure she said it again about a week ago, too): "you think you are nice and act nice, but you aren't nice because you do so many things for the wrong reasons, then resent the people you did them for."
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think Judas fully expected Jesus to escape. He had seen the miracles. He had seen Jesus escape from those who had wanted to kill him before. I think that when he saw that Jesus was not going to even try to escape was when he realized, with horror, what he had done. That's when he could not live with himself, tried to return the money, refused to keep it when the priests wouldn't take it back (flung it on the floor), and went out and hung himself.
ReplyDeleteI fully understand the horror of knowing that I have done something (or something has happened) that cannot be reversed. It is a horror like no other.
Toni
I also think it's possible that he wanted the money to pay back what he had stolen from the treasury.