Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

Why the hell do people hate this guy so much, especially Christians? I don't really understand that at all. Christ NEEDED to be a martyr for this whole redemption thing to work out--and to be martyred, someone would have to turn him over. Only his apostles really could do that, so it had to be one of them. So why do people use his name as one of contempt?

Maybe this doesn't belong here. Mods, feel free to move it if it doesn't.

B. H. Manners

YOUR Jesus Christ so you tell us!

Judas supposedly had to fulfill prophecy and betray Jesus, however God "working all things according to his will" was able to fulfill the prophecy but still allow Judas his freewill. It may have been "predicted" but Judas chose on his own to betray Jesus.

Sunfair

I agree completely, J.C. It's really odd. Somebody had to do it- so why do folks persist in their hatred of what could arguably referred to as "a necessary evil." I don't know, maybe they just need a bad guy, but an uncrucified Christ is a theological disaster!

Two things came to my mind when I read your post- (okay, actually three if I include how funny it is to see Jesus Christ have a post about Judas).

1. I always got the sneaky suspicion when I read John that "the disciple that Jesus loved" wasn't John- it was Judas. I don't have anything to back this up except for this nagging feeling I get. I mean, why was the name of his most beloved disciple never mentioned? You'd think they would include that part wouldn't you? But seriously, who else would turn their own god in to be killed (as needed) but the most loyal and understanding of all the disciples? It sure wasn't Simon "I don' know nuthin' bout Jesus, Miz Scarlett!" Peter.

2. I always thought the Authurian Legend of the Round Table having one empty seat reserved for Judas was interesting. Perhaps they had the same question I have about the situation- just how do you suppose you can betray somebody when you BOTH know EXACTLY what you're doing?

excreationist

Some things about Judas:

He was possessed by *Satan* (not just any old demon), *twice*. In Luke 22:3-4 it says he was possessed just before he met with the chief priests, and in John 13:27 it says he was possessed as soon as he took the bread that Jesus gave to him.

After Judas betrayed Jesus (while being possessed), he was filled with remorse and threw the coins at the chief priests and elders. They didn't want their money back so Judas threw the money into the temple and hanged himself. The money was used to buy the potter's field(?) as a burial place for foreigners. (Matthew 27:3-10)

But Acts 1:18 says "With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out."

BTW, Judas is pressured by Jesus to do what must be done... after all, the prophet Jeremiah prophecized this (Matthew 27:9-10).

Another thing - I remember a while ago doing a search in <a href="http://www.babynames.com" target="_blank">babynames.com</a> for "Judas"... though they would have many thousands of names - maybe 10,000+ or 100,000+ or something.

From <a href="http://www.20000-names.com/male_j_names.htm" target="_blank">20000-names.com</a>:
From <a href="http://www.parentsplace.com/pregnancy/babynames/name/0,13702,6258,00.html?name=Judas" target="_blank">Parents Place</a>:
I did some google searches about it, and some Christian sites say it just means "praise"... also some sites say how it would be a bad name to give a kid because they'd get teased.

Infinity Lover

The need of a singular scapegoat reflects on our judgemental ways. The Bible's full of mistakes that are preceived to be divine wisdom, so mankind keeps on making them over and over and over... and than the making of those mistakes serve as a motive for turning to the word of God for advice, because appearantly we're still not getting it right.

It's quite clever really

[ August 23, 2002: Message edited by: Absolute Infinity ]</p>

MortalWombat

It's probably not just a coincedence that the name of the betrayer of Jesus was Judas, derived from Judah (Jew). The Gospel of Mark, the earliest source to mention Judas, was very anti-Jewish.

It is also possible that GMk based the betrayal of Jesus by Judas partly on the Old Testament story of the betrayal and selling of Joseph for 20 shekels of silver by his brothers.

Sunfair

So what does Iscariot mean?

And the good Savior didn't bother to cure him of his possession at the Last Supper? How odd.

Yes, but that whole scene is rather odd, also. Verses 26-27 "And when he dipped the sop he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him," Could someone post a better translation for that- my KJV appears to be saying that the "sop" actually was Satan. Somehow I just can't picture His Satanic Majesty taking the form of some soggy bread...

Does anyone have a link to a decent online Bible? This KJV is really cramping my style.

Javaman

Sunfair,

Try <a href="http://bible.gospelcom.net/" target="_blank">This Bible site.</a>

Young's Literal Translation (YLT) does 26-27 like this:

26 Jesus answereth, `That one it is to whom I, having dipped the morsel, shall give it;' and having dipped the morsel, he giveth [it] to Judas of Simon, Iscariot.
27 And after the morsel, then the Adversary entered into that one, Jesus, therefore, saith to him, `What thou dost -- do quickly;

Kosh

"We have every bible, in every tranlslation, in every language every written...."

"How can that be?" (couldn't resist).

<a href="http://www.unboundbible.org" target="_blank">Unbound Bible</a>

excreationist

Kosh:
unboundbible.org has 10 English translations... bible.crosswalk.com has 21 English translations.... and biblegateway.com has 12 English translations, including the NIV.

I don't know what that quote means... unboundbible.org has a lot of ancient texts in their original languages though.