Judas’ Betrayal
One question that often arises concerning Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is: why does Judas need to lead the crowd all the way to Jesus and kiss him so they know who He is (26:47-50)? Couldn’t Judas simply tell those who are arresting Jesus that he’s going to the Mount of Olives, and even specifically that he’d be in the Garden of Gethsemane? Why does he have to betray Jesus face to face?
This problem is compounded by Christian art and movies which portrays the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane as empty and quiet while Jesus is there with his disciples. In reality, the Mount of Olives and Garden would have been packed with other pilgrims, who were essentially camping out for the duration of the Passover festival. This is what made arresting Jesus so difficult; the crowds were so large he could simply melt away in them unless one knew exactly what his followers looked like and where they’d likely be. Because of the overcrowding Judas must perform a face to face betrayal.
Trial before the High Priest
Matthew 26:57-68 details Jesus’ trial before the High Priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. In the trial Jesus is accused of much, but only makes one reply when Caiaphas puts him under oath concerning his identity in 26:62-65:
The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63 But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,
From now on you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of Power
and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.
The question for us then is: what makes Jesus’ statement blasphemous?
Jesus is combining and paraphrasing two Old Testament messianic scriptures: Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14, which is a vision describing God’s servant (one like a son of man) being taken up to God to receive the Kingdom of God:
Psalm 110:1
The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Daniel 7:13-14
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Jesus’ words then mean that he is going to be received at God’s right hand (as King of Israel), and that he will be the one whom the Kingdom of God is handed over to as the everlasting King and the one who will ultimately judge the High Priest and Sanhedrin themselves. That Jesus (a poor Galilean preacher) would equate himself so directly with God’s power and rule is essentially cultural blasphemy and gives the court the evidence they desired to hand him over to Pilate.
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