THE PERSON OF JUDAS ISCARIOT.

JUDAS ISCARIOT.

Judas was Simon's son, surnamed Iscariot. He was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. The origin of the name Iscariot is uncertain. In all probability it designated the place of his birth, the town of Kerioth. His childhood home was perhaps Kerioth of Moab, east of the Jordan (Jeremiah 48:24; Amos 2:2), or Kerioth-hezron of southern Judah, also known as Hazor (Joshua 15:25).

Judas Iscariot's name appears last in the list of disciples in Matthew 10:4, Mark 3:19, and Luke 6:16, perhaps indicating his disgrace in the minds of later believers and writers rather than his original importance among the Twelve. During Jesus' public ministry, Judas managed the treasury of the group (John 13:29), from which he was known to embezzle money (John 12:4). As a betrayer, Judas contracted to turn Jesus over to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. He accomplished this act of treachery by singling out Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:2-5).

Various suggestions have been offered to explain Judas's traitorous deed:

1. In keeping with his patriotic zeal, Judas turned Jesus over to the authorities after realizing that his Master did not intend to overthrow the Roman order and establish a Jewish state.

2. Judas believed Jesus to be the Messiah and planned his arrest in hope of urging Jesus to usher in his kingdom.

3. Judas was a scoundrel who had plotted wickedness since the start of Jesus' public ministry.

4. Prompted by a satanic impulse, Judas betrayed Jesus; however, after recognizing that he was deceived, out of remorse he took his own life.

5. With damaged pride and humiliated ego from Jesus' caustic rebukes, Judas, originally a loyal disciple, turned against him.

6. Judas, moved by his own greed, yielded to his selfish instincts, not realizing that Jesus would consequently be tried and killed; upon learning the outcome of his betrayal, he repented in despair and committed suicide.

Whatever the reason for his betrayal of Jesus, when Judas became despondent over his act, he went out and hung himself in a field bought with his thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10). Acts 1:18 gruesomely adds that his body burst open, spilling out his intestines; for this reason the field was called the "Field of Blood" (Acts 1:19). Matthias later took Judas Iscariot's place among the Twelve (Acts 1:26).