- [Narrator] 12 Facts About Judas Iscariot
That Many Do Not Know.
Judas is easily one of the most notorious figures
in the Bible.
Many of us don't take the time to look
at what the Bible says about Judas,
despite the fact that over the course of centuries,
a great deal of folklore and idle speculation
have developed about him.
Number one.
He was the only disciple from a different location.
Most of Jesus' followers were exclusively northerners,
the only native southerner being Judas Iscariot.
If the theories about the origin
of the name Iscariot are correct,
then he would've been from Southern Judah.
This would mean that he was
the only one of the 12 disciples who was from Judea.
The others were from Galilee.
Number two.
Another Judas on the team.
Jude was the second youngest brother of Jesus.
His real name is Judas, shortened to Jude,
to distinguish him from the apostle who betrayed Jesus.
You may be surprised to learn that the name Judas
was not as rare as you had thought.
Because of the famous figure Judas Maccabeus,
the name Judas was very popular as a given name
in the historical time period
and region where Jesus lived.
In the year 2001,
only 23 newborn boys were given the name Judas.
One out of every 80,893 baby boys born in 2021
are named Judas.
Number three.
He had three distinct positions.
Judas Iscariot is the only person mentioned
in the New Testament
who served in all three roles simultaneously.
He was an apostle, an overseer, and a deacon.
If you read Acts 1 very carefully,
you'll notice that Peter said,
"We'll have to replace Judas.
We'll have to find another apostle/overseer/deacon
to replace him.
Number four.
His last name probably tells us where he was from.
The word Iscariot sounds odd and harsh
to an English-speaking audience.
Because the gospels don't mention any second or last name
for the other apostles,
and because we associate Judas with evil,
you might immediately assume that this name
has some sinister significance.
Convicted thief, for example.
The vast majority of scholars agree that the name derives
from the Judean town of Kerioth,
and means "man of Kerioth."
Number five.
Jesus gave him spiritual authority.
According to Matthew 10,
Jesus endowed each of His 12 apostles
with spiritual authority,
which enabled them to exorcize demons and perform miracles.
They also preached,
and the fact that James and John
offered to call down fire from heaven
suggests that some of the apostles
gained other spiritual abilities
on top of these gifts and callings.
Mark 3:14.
"And He appointed 12 disciples,
so that they would be with Him for instruction,
and so that He could send them out
to preach the gospel as apostles that is,
as His special messengers,
personally chosen representatives."
Luke 9:54.
"When His disciples James and John saw this, they said,
'Lord, do You want us to command fire
to come down from heaven and destroy them?'"
Number six.
He was in charge of finances.
The book of John states that Judas was in charge
of the money belonging to the disciples,
which suggests the group carried a communal bag
that they used to pay for their expenses.
John 12:4-6/Amplified Bible.
"But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples,
the one who was going to betray Him, said,
'Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denari,
and the money given to the poor?'
Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor,
for he had never cared about them,
but because he was a thief,
and since he had the money box,
serving as treasurer for the 12 disciples,
he used to pilfer what was put into it.
John 12 also notes that Judas misappropriated money
from that collective bag.
Given that Matthew was a tax collector,
a trade associated with theft and extortion,
it's ironic that someone other than Matthew
turned out to be shifty with finances.
Number seven.
The other disciples didn't suspect him.
Even though the book of John says that Judas stole
from the money that was entrusted to him,
it is important to remember that all of the apostles
were taken aback when Jesus told them at the Last Supper,
that one of them would betray Him.
They each asked Jesus, "Am I the one?", Mark 14:19,
meaning Judas didn't have a reputation
that immediately made them think,
"Oh, I know who he's talking about."
Mark 14:10-20.
"Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the 12 disciples,
went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
When they heard this they were delighted,
and promised to give him money.
And he began looking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.
On the first day of the festival of Unleavened Bread,
when, as was customary, they sacrificed the Passover lamb,
His disciples asked Him,
'Where did You want us to go
and prepare for You to eat the Passover?'
And He sent two of His disciples, saying to them,
'Go into the city,
and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you, follow him,
and say to the owner of the house he enters,
The Teacher asks,
where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover
with My disciples?
He will show you a large upstairs room,
furnished and ready with carpets and dining couches,
prepare the supper for us there.'
The disciples left and went to the city,
and found everything just as He had told them,
and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, He came with the 12 disciples.
While they were reclining at the table, Jesus said,
'I assure you and most solemnly say to you
that one of you will betray Me,
one who is eating with Me.'
They began to be grieved and deeply distressed,
and to say to Him one by one, 'Surely not I?'
And He replied,
'It is one of the 12 disciples,
one who is dipping bread in the bowl with Me.'"
Number eight.
He was replaced.
Acts 1:12-26/Amplified Bible.
"Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, Olive Grove,
which is near Jerusalem,
only a Sabbath day's journey, less than one mile away.
When they had entered the city,
they went upstairs to the upper room
where they were staying indefinitely,
that is, Peter, and John and his brother James,
and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas,
Bartholomew, Nathanael, and Daniel,
James the son of Alphaeus,
and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas Thaddaeus the son of James.
All these with one mind and one purpose
were continually devoting themselves to prayer,
waiting together along with the woman,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
Now on one of these days,
Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters,
a gathering of about 120 believers was there, and he said,
'Brothers and sisters,
it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled,
which the Holy Spirit foretold
by the lips of David, king of Israel,
about Judas Iscariot,
who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.
For he, Judas, was counted among us,
and received his share
by divine allotment in His ministry.'
Now Judas Iscariot acquired a piece of land indirectly
with the money paid him as a reward for his treachery,
and falling headlong, his body burst open in the middle,
and all his intestines poured out.
All the people in Jerusalem learned about this,
so in their own dialect, Aramaic,
they called the piece of land Hakeldama,
that is, Field of Blood.
For in the Book of Psalms it is written,
'Let his place of residence become desolate,
and let there be no one to live in it.
And again, let another take his position as overseer.'
So of the men who have accompanied us
during all the time that the Lord Jesus spent with us,
beginning with the baptism by John
at the outset of Jesus' ministry,
until the day when He was taken up from us,
one of these men must become a witness with us,
to testify of His resurrection.'
And they put forward two men,
Joseph, the one called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus,
and Matthias.
They prayed and said,
'You, Lord, who know all hearts,
their thoughts, motives, desires,
show us which of these two You have chosen
to occupy this ministry and apostleship,
which Judas left to go to his own place of evil.'
And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias,
and he was added to the 11 apostles."