Maundy Thursday- the 5th Day of Holy Week - Steps to the Betrayal

Who was Judas Iscariot? What do we know about his character? John the Beloved tells us quite a bit about him. Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, the Leper. Lazarus and his sisters were there.

There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard*, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

* Nard or Spikenard was a very costly oil imported from India.

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas was the treasurer among the Apostles.  Apparently, he stole money regularly from the bag.  John recognized that Judas was a thief at heart.  He didn't care about the poor.  He only cared about not being able to embezzle the 300 pence from the Apostles' treasury. Jesus rebuked Judas.  He recognized that Mary was a true worshipper and Judas was a thief and a liar.

Jesus knew even then that Judas was the one who would betray Him to His enemies, consulting in his death, part of the conspiracy.  Even then, his love for money came into play as Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver (the price of an average slave) to betray his Master.

Later, at the Last Supper, the plot of the betrayal was completed.  In John 13, we read:

For he knew who should betray him; therefore, said he, Ye are not all clean. (v 7)

When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. (v. 21)

The Apostles all asked, "Is it I Lord?" 

Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. (26)

And after the sop Satan entered into [Judas]. Then said Jesus unto him, That [which] you do, do quickly. (v 27)

After Jesus began His atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas completed his vile act by identifying Jesus to His enemies with a kiss.