31. Judas walked beside him, and began to tell the Scribe of the many good deeds he had witnessed since he had become one of Jesus’ followers.
32. The Scribe listened in silence, but it was some time before he calmed down and even began to accept it was possible that Jesus was a holy man.
33. By the time they stopped to rest for the night, Judas hoped he had convinced the Scribe that he should join them when they entered the Holy City the following day. The Scribe nodded, but remained silent.
34. While they shared supper, Judas’ confidence grew. He confided in the lawyer that he too had misgivings about what might happen when his Master set foot in Jerusalem.
35. Judas admitted that he feared that Jesus might be in danger from his many enemies who would be only too happy to see him stumble in his path, even perish.
36. The Scribe suggested: ‘Perhaps it might be wise for Jesus not to be seen in Jerusalem at the present time, but instead return to Galilee.’
37. Judas said: ‘It is too late for that. The Master has determined his path, and will not countenance turning back. It is the time of the Passover and he believes he is carrying out the will of God.’
38. The Scribe responded: ‘Then you must save him from himself, and to that end, you can rely on my help.’
39. Judas listened intently to the Scribe as he suggested how Jesus might be saved.
40. The Scribe even agreed to come to Judas’ assistance at any time, should he fear that the Master was in danger.
41. Judas slept soundly for the first time in days, confident that if Jesus faced any danger when he entered Jerusalem, he had enlisted an ally to assist him who was in a position of authority.
42. When Judas rose the following morning, he was told that the lawyer had woken earlier and already set out on the road for Jerusalem.
43. Judas went in search of Jesus and found him walking among his followers. The Master was encouraging them as they prepared for the final stretch of the journey that would take them to the Holy City.
44. Although the other disciples, even Peter, appeared to be uncertain of what might happen to them, Judas was now confident that when they reached Jerusalem, Jesus would no longer be in any danger.
Chapter 17
The Lord hath need of him
1. First they heard the horns, followed by the clamour of voices that grew louder and louder.
2. Citizens were pouring out of the city gates and running up the hill to greet Jesus, as rumour spread that the great teacher was on his way from Bethany.
3. As the crowds grew larger, Jesus commanded two of his disciples to go into a nearby village. There they would find a donkey that had I never been ridden, tethered to a barn door.
4. Jesus said: Unleash the animal and bring him to me. Should anyone ask with what authority you do this, you will say, the Lord has need of him, and they will release the beast.
5. The disciples left Jesus and entered the village, where they found a donkey tied to a barn door. When they released him, someone watching said: Why are you unleashing the donkey?
6. The disciples said: The Lord has need of him, and the man did not question them again.
7. They brought the donkey to Jesus, and after a garment had been placed upon its back, Jesus sat upon the beast and continued his journey into Jerusalem
8. Many removed their cloaks and spread them in front of Jesus, while others cut down branches from the trees and laid them in his path.
9. As Jesus approached the city gates, the citizens began waving palms and cried out: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our Father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!
John 12:13
10. Judas watched in dismay as Jesus passed through the gates and entered the Holy City on a donkey.
see
Matt 21:2–10;
Mark 11:2–10;
Luke 19:30–36
[xxix]
11. How could the Master hope to take control of the Temple, and drive out the Romans, astride a donkey, with only an undisciplined group of enthusiastic followers for his army?
12. Judas stared up at the bleak Antonia fortress that overlooked the city, aware that a legion of infantry was billeted inside.
13. At the slightest sign of trouble, the great wooden gates would swing open and a phalanx of Roman soldiers would appear.
14. But the Romans did not even bother to leave their fortress as Jesus made his slow progress towards the Temple, and the crowds, no longer believing that he could possibly be the Messiah, began to dwindle and drift away.
15. Judas had been heartened when blind Bartimaeus had called out to Jesus, Son of David, and the Master had not denied him. But Jesus’ decision to enter Jerusalem on a donkey would not convince even the simple-minded that this was the Messiah who had come in triumph to finally remove the pagans from the Holy City.
16. Judas shared his misgivings with Peter, who simply reminded him of Jesus’ words: Get behind me, Satan; this is the Lord’s way, not the way of man, and we must follow God’s will.
see
Mark 8:33;
Matt 16:23
17. Judas said: ‘But where in our ancient tradition and teaching does it record that the Messiah will enter the Holy City on a donkey?’
18. Peter raised his eyes to heaven and, as if inspired, uttered the words of the Prophet Zechariah:
Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!
Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you!
He comes triumphant and victorious,
but humble and riding on a donkey.
Zech 9:9
19. When Jesus dismounted the donkey, he entered the Temple and prayed.
[xxx]
20. As it was the evening, he returned to Bethany with some of his disciples to spend the night with Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary.
see
John 11:1–4;
Matt 21:17
21. Judas did not accompany his Master to Bethany, but remained in the Temple, where he sought out the Scribe who had befriended him on the road from Jericho.
22. And when Judas found him, he went to the Scribe’s home, broke bread, and they shared wine together.
23. And the Scribe said: ‘What will he do tomorrow?’
24. Judas answered: ‘As it is the Passover, he will return to Jerusalem and go to the Temple. He may perform miracles and cast out demons, and many will believe that he is the Messiah, and for this they will follow him.’
25. The Scribe responded: Your Master is a good and holy man, but if he allows his followers to indulge in false hopes, it will only end in bloodshed, and the Romans will surely destroy the whole nation.
see
John 11:48
26. Judas knew that the Scribe spoke the truth and, fearing for his Master’s safety, decided to put his trust in this powerful interpreter of the law.
27. Judas confessed: ‘I no longer believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but John the Baptist proclaimed that he was a man of God, and therefore we must not let him die at the hands of the Romans.’
see
John 1:32–34,
Mark 1:11
28. The Scribe agreed, and promised to assist Judas with his plans. ‘You must spirit Jesus out of the city and, along with the other disciples, accompany him back to Galilee, where the Romans will not trouble him.’
29. Judas agreed, and before he left, promised the Scribe that when the time and place were right, he would inform him.
see
Mark 14:10;
Matt 26:15;
Luke 22:6
30. Judas left the home of the Scribe to return to Bethany.
31. As he passed the Antonia fortress, he could hear the Roman soldiers shouting ‘Ioudaei sunt porci!’, an insult that they were well aware was offensive to all Jews, especially at the time of the Passover.
32. As he left the city and made his way back up the h
ill to Bethany, Judas felt a great yoke had been lifted from his shoulders, because he alone among the disciples could now save his Master, and with him the fate of Israel.
Chapter 18
He must die to save our nation
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
Chapter 19
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s
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.
Chapter 20
One of you here present will betray me
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 pl
ace 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.
The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot Page 6