Bible Decoded:
The Last Supper- True Story
The new testament repeatedly calls Judas Iscariot a betrayer of Jesus. But, was Judas really a betrayer? Or, was it Jesus who deceived Judas?
The Last Supper’ (such as the final gathering of Jesus and his disciples, a day before his crucifixion, in a Jewish Passover ritual come to be called), is viewed with special fascination by Christians. Being no more than the mind’s distraction by farce – ultimately brutal, but coarse farce, nonetheless – this fascination can be dispelled by revealing the sub-plot: a betrayal of an individual man, as well as a group of men, and ultimately of humankind, by the greatest of deceivers.
Let us examine the account in the book of John* Chapter 13.
“Jesus…said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.’ Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.” the book of John 13:21 and 22
Firstly, it is clear from the above verse that none of the disciples had the intention of ‘betraying’ Jesus at the time he levied this accusation, sowing suspicion among them. They were ‘perplexed’, and did not know who Jesus was talking about.
The passage continues:
“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples (No.2), whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter (No.3) therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.’ And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot (No.1), the son of Simon. “Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What you do, do quickly.’ But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, ‘Buy those things we need for the feast,’ or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.”” (the book of John 13: 23-30) Peter attempt to find out through his friend John, cause he saw him sitting near Jesus, who it is that Jesus is speaking of, Jesus’ answer to John – ‘It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it,’ – was heard only by John (‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’), If Judas been aware that taking the bread signified that he was to deceive Jesus, he would not have taken it. If the other disciples had heard what Jesus told to John then when Judas departed they would have understood that it has to do something with the betrayal of Jesus.
However, The sudden departure of Judas is (strangely) accounted for in the minds of the disciples by their surmising that Judas was either shopping at night for the feast (which was already well underway) or giving money to the poor (another unlikely scenario given it was late at night).
But the Bible says Judas acted as he did because he became possessed by Satan himself when Jesus gave him the bread – not a ‘demon’ for a mere demon could not have possessed one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, according to the book of Luke 9:1 “And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons”.
When Jesus came to Judas with a piece of bread, Judas must have thought about Jesus’ words in the book of John 6:51 “The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live.” But Jesus gave the bread to Judas to possess him and to make him act according to his designs. On the other hand, John would only think that the reason Jesus gives the bread to Judas is to show him whom he was talking about. So, by giving the bread to Judas, Jesus was betraying both Judas and John, and the rest of the disciples who were present at the table Jesus knew when and where he would be arrested: “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered” the book of John 18:1 Judas, however, having already left the house where the dinner was held, could not have known where Jesus and the disciples had gone in spite of the following statement in the Bible that this was an often-frequented location for Jesus and the disciples of which Judas was aware: .”And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.” (the book of John 18:2)
This cannot be the case since Jesus and his disciples spent most of their time in Galilee.
Jesus and his disciples were from Galilee and Jesus had always been preaching in the towns of Galilee. Here is the sequence of events: Jesus was brought up in Nazareth of Galilee. He went to the river Jordan to be baptised by John the Baptist, and then after this “When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he went to Galilee. But instead of staying in Nazareth, Jesus moved to Capernaum. This town was beside Lake Galilee in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” (the book of Matthew 4:12-13) It is in Galilee he finds his first disciples “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.” (the book of Matthew 4:18) After this, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom” (the book of Matt. 4:23) and the book of Mark 1: 38-39 “Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he travelled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” After this preaching and driving out demons were over he said to the twelve: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. (the book of Matthew 16:21)
“Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. (the book of Matthew 20:18-19)
Thereupon Jesus came to Jerusalem with his disciples and was arrested at Gethsemane. It is clear from these verses that Jesus and his disciples were not used to meet in Gethsemane/Jerusalem. Therefore, it must be concluded that in order for Judas to lead the authorities to Gethsemane, he was possessed by a fellow demon that was under the command of Jesus the Devil Supreme.
Every christian believe that Jesus died for the sin of the world. The bible backs up this belief: “He (jesus) died in our place to take away our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of all people.” (1John 2:2) According to bible it was the will of jesus’ supposed father that he must die for the sin of the world, here see jesus speaking: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (the book of Luke 22:42) Jesus’ death is subsequent to his arrest and the arrest is because of Judas. If Judas was possessed by Satan, as bible states, and if it was jesus’ father’s will that jesus be arrested and killed why should Satan ‘The adversary of God’ help jesus to get arrested?
According to bible Satan is a stumbling block on jesus’ way, see here: “Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me”. The term ‘stumbling-block’ is defined (Merriam Webster’s) as ‘an obstacle to progress’. When Judas left to bring the police jesus is gleeful than ever: “He (Judas) then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.” If Judas was possessed by Satan who is a stumbling block to jesus, he would not have done anything that brings glorification to his adversary.
Further, it was when Jesus predicted (the book of Matthew 16:21) what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem Peter tried to be a stumbling-block on jesus’ way and that’s why jesus called him ‘Satan’. It doesn’t say in the text that Satan possessed Peter. But then, if Peter wasn’t possessed why should jesus call him ‘Satan’? The ‘Satan’ who possessed Peter doesn’t want Jesus to die. But the Satan, which possessed Judas, wanted that jesus to be arrested and killed. This indicates that the ‘Satan’, which possessed Peter, and the ‘Satan’ that entered Judas are not the same. Former being a hindrance on jesus’ path and the latter. paves path for jesus. They are two entirely different entities.
If you wonder why Judas was singled out and portrayed as the betrayer of Jesus this would be the explanation. Judas was the weakest in faith the most doubtful and thinking man among the twelve. Here is the proof:
The book of Mark 10:17-21 concerns a meeting between Jesus and a certain man who wanted to know how he could get “eternal life” from Jesus. Jesus tells him: “Go home and sell all that belongs to you; give it to the poor.” But later when a certain woman comes to Jesus with precious oil, he does not observe the rule himself. The book of John 12:3-6: “And a feast was made for him there. Mary brought in a pound of pure spikenard ointment, which was very precious, and poured it over Jesus’ feet. One of his disciples, the same Judas Iscariot who was to betray him, said when he saw it, why should not this ointment have been sold? It would have fetched three hundred silver pieces, and this might have been given to the poor.” Judas sensed the inconsistency between Jesus’ words at the earlier occasion and now his failure to make use of an opportunity that came his way to earn a large sum for the poor. For this reason, he approached the high priest and offered to show them where Jesus was. It is no betrayal. His conduct would correspond with the expected norms of individual response when a hero is found to be an impostor.
Judas never committed suicide as made out. Nor did he ever feel remorseful over his conduct. The two accounts in the new testament of his death go against each other. According to the book of Matthew 27:5, he hanged himself in remorse after throwing away in the temple the money he got for his act. The priests used it to buy a burial ground. But according to The Acts 1:18, Judas honestly bought a piece of land with the money and died later in accident.
* The references to the books in the bible as ‘book of John, ”book of Matthew,’ etc. is to make clear that a bible author is referred to, and not a biblical character of the same name.