The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot (8 page)

1.
The celebration of the Passover was at hand, and many Jews had travelled from all the regions of Israel, some far beyond, so that they could be in the Holy City to celebrate the feast.

2.
Jesus instructed two of his disciples to return to Jerusalem. He said:
Go into the city and you will find a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him, and wherever he goes, say to the owner of that home, my Master says, ‘Where is the guest chamber? For there I shall eat the Passover with my disciples.' He will show you a large room, furnished and prepared, and you will make ready
.

see
Mark 14:12–15;
Matt 26:18;
Luke 22:8–12

3.
A woman entered the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany, where Jesus was resting.

4.
She fell at the feet of Jesus, but did not speak as she broke an alabaster jar open and poured its precious ointment over his feet. She then unbraided her hair and wiped Jesus' feet with it. The whole house was filled with the sweet odour
.

see
John 12:3–4

5.
Judas grew angry, and could not hide his displeasure. Why had this woman been allowed to touch the body of Jesus, thus flouting the finest traditions of Israel?

6.
Judas demanded of the Master:
Why not sell this ointment for three hundred denarii?

John 12:5

7.
Jesus responded:
She did good work, as she performed this act for my burial, and it will be a memorial for her
.

see
Mark 14:9;
Matt 26:10–13

8.
The woman quickly left, but Judas remained racked with doubt.

9.
One or two of the disciples even murmured that Judas wanted to keep the money for himself
.

see
John 12:6

10.
Judas remonstrated with Peter, saying: ‘The common purse holds barely enough for us to survive.'

11.
Peter was unsure of Judas' motives and walked away from him.

12.
The Scribe attended the Sanhedrin and informed the Chief Priest of all that Judas had told him.

[xxxi]

13.
A Pharisee said: ‘What shall we do if Jesus performs many miracles, because then we cannot be seen to oppose him?'

14.
Caiaphas, who was the Chief Priest that year, said:
He must die, but not on a feast day, as it will cause uproar among the people
.

see
John 11:48,
Matt 26:1–5,
Mark 14:1–2,
Luke 22:1

15.
The Scribe said:
But if we let him alone, our nation could be destroyed
.

16.
Caiaphas said:
You do not understand. He must die to save our nation
.

see
John 11:51

17.
Another asked: ‘How will that come about?'

18.
The Scribe answered: ‘Judas will lead us to him and we will then arrest Jesus of Nazareth and bring charges against him of being a sinner and a blasphemer.'

19.
And then the Scribe said: ‘We must let it be known in the Temple that it was one of his disciples who betrayed him.'

20.
From that day, the Sanhedrin made plans to put Jesus to death.

John 11:53

1.
Jesus came down from Bethany and set out on his journey to the Temple.

2.
Vast crowds gathered along the way as Jesus made his slow progress into Jerusalem. By the time he reached the Temple, it was packed with worshippers who had come to hear the great teacher's words and learn from his interpretation of the law.

3.
On the path from Bethany, Jesus had been calm and compassionate with all those who flocked around him, but his mood changed the moment he reached the entrance to the Temple.

4.
The gentiles had set up a market in the courtyard, with stalls from which the Jews could buy small animals and birds that they would later offer as sacrifices in the Temple.

5.
Jesus was unable to hide his anger.

6.
He immediately began to turn over the tables where the money dealers exchanged any Roman coins for those of Tyre that bore no human image.

[xxxii]

7.
Jesus then made a heavy rope of twined cords, and began to drive out the animals from the Temple and release the doves and pigeons from their cages, saying:
Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade
.

John 2:16

8.
Judas did not approve of Jesus' disruption of the daily worship because he knew that devout Jews could only carry out ritual
practices in the Temple if trading was allowed in the courtyard.

9.
Then one of the Elders asked Jesus:
With what authority do you create this chaos?

10.
Jesus answered:
Destroy the Temple and in three days I shall raise it up
.

11.
The Elders responded:
But it has taken forty-six years to build. How can you hope to raise it again in three days?

John 2:18–20

12.
Judas realized that the Master was referring to the promise that after his death, he would rise again in three days; something that he was still unable to accept.

13.
Judas stared at the man he loved, and reflected on John the Baptist's words:
Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?

Matt 11:3;
Luke 7:19

14.
A Sadducee, who could never accept the resurrection as it was against his most cherished beliefs, pressed Jesus to explain what he had meant by this allusion.

15.
Jesus answered:
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is God of the living. Therefore these great patriarchs must still be alive in the resurrection
.

see
Mark 12:24–27;
Matt 22:31–32;
Luke 20:37–38

16.
Another Elder stepped forward, also hoping to get the better of Jesus, and asked:
Great teacher, we know that you are truthful, even to the point of not caring what others may think of you, or whom you might offend, so tell us, is it against the law to pay taxes to a Roman Emperor?

17.
Jesus said,
Bring me a coin
.
The same man handed him a coin that bore the imprint of Caesar. Jesus said:
Whose image is on this coin?

18.
Caesar's
,
answered the Elder.

19.
Jesus mocked him and said:
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and render unto God the things that are God's
.

see
Mark 12:13–17;
Matt 22:15–22;
Luke 20:20–26

20.
Then a Scribe stepped forward.

21.
Judas immediately recognized him as the man who had promised to assist if Jesus were in any danger.

22.
The Scribe asked a question that went to the very heart of Jewish tradition:
Is the Messiah the Son of David?

23.
Jesus responded with the words of David, as recorded in the hymns of Israel:
The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies my footstool.'

see
Psalm 110:1

24.
Jesus then turned his attention to the crowd that surrounded him and declared
If David calls the Messiah ‘my Lord', then the Messiah cannot be David's son
.

see
Mark 12:35–37;
Matt 22:41–46;
Luke 20:40–41

25.
While those around him were overwhelmed by his teaching and interpretation of the law, several of the Elders and the Pharisees immediately left the Temple to sit in the council of the Sanhedrin.

26.
When they met, they confirmed that Jesus must die.

1.
Jesus and his disciples met together in the upper room to which Peter and Andrew had been led so they might celebrate the Passover feast.

2.
When they sat down for supper, the disciples began to whisper among themselves.

3.
They were anxious after what had taken place at the Temple that morning, and even feared that the Master's mood might suddenly change once again.

4.
They admitted one to the other that they no longer knew what would come to pass, either for Jesus or themselves.

5.
When Jesus eventually raised his hands and spoke, they were all taken by surprise by his words:
One of you here present, who eats with me tonight, will betray me
.

see
Mark 14:17–21;
Matt 26:20–25;
Luke 22:14, 21–23

6.
Each of them in turn insisted that it could not be him.

7.
Judas knew that he was innocent of such an accusation, as his only purpose was to save Jesus from an unnecessary death.

8.
Peter was the most vehement in his denial. He protested that it could not be him, for he would be willing to lay down his life for Jesus before he would betray him.

9.
Jesus looked at Peter sadly and said:
I tell you that even this night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times
.

Mark 14:30;
Matt 26:34;
Luke 22:34

10.
Peter responded with even more passion:
I would die with you
before that could take place
.

see
Mark 14:31;
Matt 26:35

11.
Jesus closed his eyes and began to perform the ceremony of the Passover, marked by the symbolic raising of bitter herbs, bread, wine and other symbols, to relive the story of how the Exodus unfolds.

[xxxiii]

12.
The disciples recognized that this re-enactment of the Exodus was no mere gesture, as all Jews believe that God is present at the Passover table.

13.
However, when Jesus opened his eyes and raised the unleavened bread, he did not, as the disciples expected, refer to the gift of manna given during the Exodus.

14.
When he spoke, they were greeted with unfamiliar words:
Take, eat, this is my body, given for you, do this in remembrance of me
.

15.
Each disciple took of the bread and ate it.

16.
Jesus then raised the cup of wine without mentioning the historic moment when God parted the Red Sea, but instead proclaimed:
This is my blood, which is shed for many. Do this in remembrance of me
.

see
Cor I 11:24–25;
Mark 14:22–24;
Matt 26:26–28;
Luke 22:20

17.
The disciples, in turn, drank the wine, even though they feared Jesus was referring to his imminent death.

18.
Judas still believed that not only could he save the Master, but his fellow disciples would rejoice at his bold initiative.

19.
After receiving the morsel of bread, Judas immediately went out and it was night
.

John 13:30

20.
He made his way quickly to the home of the Scribe, who welcomed him.

21.
The Scribe told Judas: ‘I have gathered together many loyal supporters of Jesus, whose single purpose is to save him from an unnecessary death.'

22.
Judas thanked him, and said to the Scribe: ‘After the Passover
feast, Jesus will go to the Mount of Olives, where he and the other disciples may be found at prayer.

23.
‘When you come, I will identify the Master, so that together, we can return to Galilee, and save him from an unnecessary death.'