People around Jesus

Who Was Judas Iscariot?

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ twelve chosen disciples, and the one who betrayed him. He kept the group’s money, agreed to hand Jesus over to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver, and identified him with a kiss in the garden. Afterward, overcome with remorse, he took his own life. His name has become a byword for betrayal, yet his story is also a sober window into how close a person can be to Jesus and still turn away.

What the Gospels record

Judas was no distant outsider. He was one of the Twelve, trusted with the common purse, present for the miracles and the teaching. Then he made a bargain with the chief priests.

When he saw that Jesus was condemned, remorse crushed him.

An honest difficulty

The New Testament gives two brief and differently framed accounts of how Judas died: Matthew 27:5 says he hanged himself, while Acts 1:18 describes a fall in the field bought with the money. Christians have long read these as complementary rather than contradictory (a hanging that ended in a fall), but it is fair to say the details are sparse and the accounts differ in emphasis.

Why this matters for you

Judas is a warning, but not only a warning. Set his story beside Peter’s: both failed Jesus badly the same night, one by betrayal and one by denial. The difference was not the size of the sin but the direction they turned afterward. Peter turned back to Jesus and was restored; Judas turned inward to despair. The door of mercy, Christians believe, was open to both. It is open to you.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Judas Iscariot?

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' twelve disciples and the one who betrayed him, handing him over to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver and identifying him with a kiss. Overcome with remorse afterward, he took his own life.

Why did Judas betray Jesus?

The Gospels point to money (John 12:6 notes he stole from the common purse) and to spiritual darkness (Luke 22:3). His exact motives are debated. Scripture presents the betrayal as both his own real choice and something God worked through for redemption.

How did Judas die?

Matthew 27:5 says Judas hanged himself, while Acts 1:18 describes a fall in the field bought with the betrayal money. Christians usually read these as two angles on one event, though the accounts differ in detail and emphasis.