Why Judas Betrayed Jesus

Those favouring the unusual stance that Judas was a hero try to soften the harsh betrayal of Judas by explaining his actions completely away from the Bible’s simple view that his weakness (love for money) allowed Satan to enter him. They therefore advance various reasons to make their case.

 These people assert that it was Judas's political expectations that were his downfall. He, like many Jews of that era, expected the coming Messiah to re-establish a literal kingdom that would remove the hated Roman yolk. Under Roman occupation at the time where the Jewish people were under oppression and hardship and were being murdered including children by the Romans without trial or mercy, the Jewish people believed that the Messiah will come and lead the Jewish people to a great victory by being a great military leader. *

Therefore, when there was so much tension under Roman occupation and Jesus was preaching forgiveness, it's not hard to understand that Judas was disillusioned with Jesus practicing the opposite to what the Jewish people expected him to be doing.# With sayings like "Forgive them all", “and the lion will lie down for the lamb" and "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"#, Jesus appeared to be a direct opposite to the messiah the Jews were expecting. They had very high and wrong expectations of the Messiah at that moment.

Despite all that Jesus said to tell them how wrong they were (consider the parable of the mustard seed as an example - inauspicious and almost unseen beginnings of the kingdom), the disciples were slow to understand that Jesus' kingdom was not of this world*, and importantly, it was not yet time for the kingdom of the world to be restored to the Messiah and to the Israelites.

Consequently, it might seem Judas was trying to force Jesus' hand - to get him to present himself as the Messiah in a political way.* He might have thought Jesus would employ his miraculous powers to resist the oppression of the Roman authority and to some extent the hypocritical religious leaders of the day if he is forced to do so.

Others also reason that Judas believed in his cause and would probably have thought like most Jews do today that Jesus was not the messiah. But he was not the only one to lose his faith either.  The other disciples as well as Judas himself might not fathom how the Messiah could die the death of a common criminal? Only on Jesus' resurrection did they believe again. But then, Judas had already taken his life. #

 So, would Judas be forgiven?

Jesus could have forgiven him. He was certainly sorry for what he had done. The man committed suicide in his grief. And Jesus forgave the men who drove the spikes into Him, didn't He? **

Peter denied Christ but repented later and "wept bitterly".  Peter had the faith that Jesus would forgive him for his lack of confidence. Judas did repent. But instead of putting his faith in Jesus' mercy and His power to forgive, he passed his own judgment on himself by hanging.*  

However the gravity of the offence committed in these two sharply different scenarios remains in serious dispute though they all involve an unquestionable act of betrayal.

Judas could have asked for forgiveness instead of dooming himself by hanging. It was his betrayal that was condemned not his life. Jesus understands and would still want him saved since people, nay, sinners like Judas was one of the reasons He came down. But instead, he hanged himself and that made him twice the betrayer he already was. Not very heroic.#

What If Judas Had Not Betrayed Jesus.....

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