Why do you think Judas decided to betray Jesus?

Answer 1

I think that this is a parable - Judas is someone (or business) that destroys the earth (nature) for profit. By destroying our earth, they are creating their own hell. And destroying themselves. Judas is like a capitalist and nature is God. In the name of Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, the epithet "Iscariot" is read by the majority of scholars as a Hellenized transformation of sicarius. The suffix "-ote" denotes membership or belonging to - in this case to the sicarii. Sicarii (Latin plural of Sicarius 'dagger-' or later contract- killer) is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, (probably) to an extremist splinter group[1] to the Jewish Zealots, (or insurgents) who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea: "When Albinus reached the city of Jerusalem, he bent every effort and made every provision to ensure peace in the land by exterminating most of the Sicarii." �Josephus, Jewish Antiquities (xx.208) The sicarii even resorted to murder to obtain their objective. Under their cloaks they concealed sicae, or small daggers, from which they received their name. At popular assemblies, particularly during the pilgrimage to the Temple Mount, they stabbed their enemies (Romans or Roman sympathizers, Herodians, and wealthy Jews comfortable with Roman rule), lamenting ostentatiously after the deed to blend into the crowd to escape detection. Literally, Sicarii meant "dagger-men". Maybe he felt betrayed that Jesus was not the promised Messiah who will free the Jews from their Occupier (the Romans)
There had to be one of the twelve who was to betray Christ. Christ new the hearts of all of his apostles especially the heart of Judas. He was a greedy conspiring man who was in charge of the finances of the twelve. Remember his complaining about having expensive ointment used to wash and anoint Christ's feet. It could have been sold and the money used to fill the coffers of the twelve. Being an evil man he conspired with the evil priest to betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver. In doing so he unknowingly played his part in the salvation of men through the death of Christ.

Answer 2

Judas was not a true follower of Christ, but was included in the twelve s that God's plan could be carried out. He was treasurer of the twelve. He was dishonest and small minded always thinking of himself, always complaining. He saw the opportunity to make money by betraying Christ to the Jewish religious leaders. It is this writers opinion that he committed suicide so as not to have to face God for his crime.

Answer 3

Another answer from our community:

The Bible in James 1:14 explains why people (or angels for that matter) why they turn bad. "But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire." Thus, Judas developed a bad 'desire'.

This became evident less than a year after he had been made an apostle. Jesus publicly denounced him, though not by name. Some disciples left Jesus, being shocked over his teachings, but Peter said that the 12 would stick with Christ. In response Jesus acknowledged that he had chosen the 12 but said: "One of you is a slanderer." The account explains that the one who already was a slanderer was Judas, who "was going to betray him, although one of the twelve."

I'm not sure if the Bible actually reveals what the wrong 'desire' is. But often it is simply a desire for 'independence'; a desire to do 'one's own thing'. This is what happened with Adam and Eve. Satan tempted them with such when he said: "God knows that you 'will become like him.' " There is no need for us to become 'like God' in the sense of us needing our own independence from Him. God is completely GOOD; and thus would never deprive us of 'good'. That's why the tree represented 'good' and 'evil'. It is an 'evil desire' to seek independence from God; to deciding our own morals of what is 'proper' or 'improper'.

Since Judas is likened to Satan, this may quite possibly be the 'evil desire'.

Answer: Judas Iscariot is one of those dark, mysterious characters, along side prophet Balaam, and king Saul, that are not easy to understand. The most helpful piece of information about Judas is found in John's gospel ch.12:4 "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 a covetous man, always looking for a way to make a quick buck, it appears. But I don't believe he was cruel or callous, his reaction when he found out that Jesus will be put to death suggests that Judas was expecting a different outcome and was caught by surprise. Matthew 27:3-5 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."

So why did Judas do it and what was he expecting to come out of this? - We may never find out, but I think that perhaps Judas saw how that the Lord Jesus always managed to slip out when the Jews tried to take him, and thought it would be just like those other times, so why not make some money on it, right? He took a gamble and he lost, that is a really sad story, and the saddest part of it is that Judas never understood why Jesus had to die, he couldn't see that God loved him, even after all that he has done, the forgiveness was there for the taking, it was still there for Peter who denied him, and for Judas who betrayed him, he just couldn't accept it, but instead he went and took his own life "that he might go to his own place" - Acts 1:25

Answer 4

Greed. Jesus predicted his betrayal in Luke 22:21, Matthew 26:20-21, and Mark 14:10-11. Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would betray Him. Why Judas was chosen is one of the mysteries of God's ways. Judas may have thought that Jesus would use His miraculous powers to save Himself.

Answer 5

All the New Testament gospels make it clear that Judas Iscariot was motivated by money - he was promised thirty pieces of silver. John's gospel goes further, saying that he was an untrustworthy keeper of the money for Jesus and the disciples. On the other hand, there are some gnostic suggestions that he was knowingly fulfilling God's plan.

Another view that has some scholarly support is that Judas Iscariot never really existed: the story was a literary invention. On this view, Judas means 'Jew', and Iscariot is derived from the word 'Iscarii', used by Paul to describe a particular type of Jewish assassin. Thus, an etymology for 'Jewish assassin'. Judas Iscariot first appears in Mark's Gospel and this clue, or flag, is consistent with Mark's use of flags to indicate passages that are possibly not historically true. The thirty pieces of silver certainly come from the Old Testament, with Exodus 21:32 giving 30 pieces of silver as the price of a slave. This means that it was not really Judas who decided to betray Jesus, but the gospel author who decided to have Judas betray Jesus.

Answer 6

Jesus tells Judas( What you do do quickly. As if both new that Judas would betray Jesus, He betrayed for 30 silver coins.

Answer 7

for the money