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Author: Stephen Weller
485 words, 3 minutes read time

Judas To Betray Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 26:3-5, 15; Luke 22:2-4, 6

In the previous lesson we established, with some certainty, that two days pointed to Thursday and the start of Passover. In this lesson we will look at plans to arrest and kill Jesus.

^{Mt 26:3} Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵ But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” ^{Lk 22:2} for they feared the people.

The chief priests and the elders of the people are representatives of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body in Jerusalem. The representatives gathered in the palace of the high priest, which was the residence of Caiaphas, who was high priest at the time, and his son-in-law, who was the previous high priest. These representatives came together to determine how they could arrest Jesus and kill him.

This Passover feast was held in Jerusalem and thus attracted thousands of pilgrims annually for the celebration, which was to recall the liberation of their ancestors from bondage in Egypt. This was a time when nationalistic fervor ran high and was thus not the time to openly arrest Jesus because of how the people might react. Because of this the representatives decided not to arrest Jesus during the feast.

^{Lk 22:3} Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. ⁴ He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. ^{Mt 26:15} and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. ^{Lk 22:6} So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

 Satan realizes that these representatives need some help in arresting Jesus, decides to enter one of the disciples of Jesus named Judas. Satan directed him to go and confer with the chief priests and officers (elders in Matthew) and explain to them how he might help them arrest Jesus. He asks them how much they would pay him for his help; they decided on thirty pieces of silver. This was agreeable to Judas, so he went to look for an opportunity when they could arrest Jesus in the absence of a crowd.

Conclusion

Jesus finished his “sayings” Tuesday afternoon which meant that Judas could have met with the representatives of the Sanhedrin late Tuesday afternoon or on Wednesday. Whenever they met a plan was agreed upon for thirty pieces of silver in which Judas would inform them of an opportunity to arrest Jesus when he was away from the people.