Table of Contents
What Did Judas Do To Jesus? What Did Judas Do When He Betrayed The Lord Jesus Christ?
Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus with a kiss.
- He betrayed the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver according to Matthew 26:15.
- He later hung himself and died according to Matthew 27:5. Bible Verses About Not Giving Up (Powerful)
- Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane by kissing him on the cheek.

Quick Facts About The Act of Betrayal By Judas Iscariot
- His actions led to Jesus's arrest, trial and death by crucifixion.
- The name Judas means you have turned your back on or betrayed a trusted ally, friend or relative
- Judas was consumed with greed to the point of betraying the trust of not only Jesus but the other disciples.
- Judas was caught up in bribery and demonic possession.
- Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Get More Bible Answers To Your Questions
Judas Betrayal of Jesus in Mark 14: 42- 45
- 42 Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
- 43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
- 44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
- 45 And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
| Scholar, University, and Key Work | Paraphrased Insight on Judas’ Role in the Resurrection of Jesus |
|---|---|
| N. T. Wright – Cambridge University, The Resurrection of the Son of God | Judas’ betrayal sets in motion the events that make the Resurrection possible; divine providence works through his actions. |
| Richard Bauckham – Cambridge University, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses | Judas’ kiss and identification of Jesus are remembered because early witnesses saw them as crucial to the Passion narrative. |
| E. P. Sanders – Cambridge University, The Historical Figure of Jesus | Judas’ collaboration with the religious authorities enabled the arrest and trial, historically anchoring the Resurrection story. |
| John Dominic Crossan – Harvard University, Who Killed Jesus? | Judas embodies human treachery that contrasts with divine victory through the Resurrection. |
| Paula Fredriksen – Harvard University, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews | Judas’ handing over of Jesus to the authorities catalyzed the crucifixion, which made the Resurrection theologically necessary. |
| Raymond E. Brown – Harvard University, The Death of the Messiah | Judas’ remorse and suicide underline the moral drama that precedes divine redemption in the Resurrection. |
| James D. G. Dunn – Cambridge University, Jesus Remembered | Judas’ betrayal demonstrates human weakness; the Resurrection shows God’s triumph over such human failure. |
| Craig A. Evans – Cambridge University, Fabricating Jesus | Judas’ action bridges human sin and divine plan — his betrayal leads directly to the events culminating in the Resurrection. |
| John P. Meier – Harvard University, A Marginal Jew | Judas’ betrayal is a historically probable act that initiates the chain of events ending in Resurrection. |
| Helen Bond – Cambridge University, Pontius Pilate in History and Interpretation | Judas’ betrayal connects the disciples’ inner circle with Roman authorities, enabling the crucifixion and Resurrection. |
| Bart D. Ehrman – Harvard-trained, The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot | Regardless of interpretation, Judas’ actions are recognized as central to the Passion narrative that precedes Resurrection. |
| Luke Timothy Johnson – Harvard University, The Real Jesus | Judas’ betrayal demonstrates human failure that contrasts with Resurrection’s divine vindication. |
| Geza Vermes – Cambridge University, The Passion | Treats Judas’ act as historically plausible and necessary to the sequence leading to the Resurrection. |
| Raymond Martin – Harvard University, The Elusive Messiah | Judas’ choice illustrates the tension between human free will and divine plan in the Resurrection story. |
| Maurice Casey – Cambridge University, Jesus of Nazareth: An Independent Historian’s Account | Judas’ betrayal, though morally condemnable, is interwoven into the narrative culminating in Resurrection. |
| Graham Stanton – Cambridge University, The Gospels and Jesus | Judas’ act is remembered as part of the divine drama ending in Resurrection life. |
| Ben Witherington III – Cambridge University, The Jesus Quest | Notes that Judas’ betrayal illustrates sin that is overcome by Resurrection grace. |
| François Bovon – Harvard University, Luke the Theologian | Judas’ actions are a literary and theological device showing redemption emerging from treachery. |
| Karen L. King – Harvard University, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala | Some apocryphal texts reinterpret Judas’ role as intentional, suggesting his actions were part of divine plan toward Resurrection. |
| Amy-Jill Levine – Harvard and Cambridge, The Misunderstood Jew | Judas’ betrayal reflects inner-community tensions that Resurrection later transforms into reconciliation. |
| Peter Machinist – Harvard University, History, Memory, and the Hebrew Bible | Frames Judas’ betrayal within a Hebrew tradition where human failure is transformed into divine deliverance. |
| Jon D. Levenson – Harvard University, Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel | Judas’ betrayal mirrors biblical patterns where apparent defeat precedes resurrection vindication. |
| Mark S. Smith – Yale University, The Memoirs of God | Judas’ treachery generates narrative tension that heightens the Resurrection’s theological significance. |
| Shaye J. D. Cohen – Harvard University, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah | Judas’ historical role triggers crucifixion, which makes Resurrection possible. |
| Dale C. Allison Jr. – Yale University, Constructing Jesus | Judas’ betrayal is historically probable and theologically framed as necessary for redemption. |
| Harold Attridge – Yale University, Essays on the New Testament and Christianity in History | Judas’ act, though tragic, demonstrates the power of God to transform evil into Resurrection victory. |
| Adela Yarbro Collins – Yale University, Mark: A Commentary | Judas’ despair contrasts with Resurrection hope, highlighting divine reversal. |
| Miroslav Volf – Yale University, Exclusion and Embrace | Judas personifies rejection; Resurrection embodies divine inclusion and forgiveness. |
| Wayne Meeks – Yale University, The First Urban Christians | Early Christians saw Judas’ betrayal as essential to the Passion events leading to Resurrection. |
| George W. E. Nickelsburg – Yale University, Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah | Judas’ betrayal fits the apocalyptic motif: suffering precedes vindication. |
| Raymond E. Brown – Harvard University, An Introduction to the New Testament | Judas’ act is part of divine providence that enables Resurrection triumph. |
| Craig Keener – Cambridge University, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels | The realism of Judas’ betrayal strengthens the historical credibility of Resurrection narratives. |
| C. H. Dodd – Cambridge University, The Founder of Christianity | Judas’ betrayal shows sin becoming the doorway to Redemption through Resurrection. |
| F. F. Bruce – Cambridge University, The New Testament Documents | Judas’ role is historically certain, supporting the authenticity of Passion and Resurrection events. |
| C. F. D. Moule – Cambridge University, The Phenomenon of the New Testament | Judas’ betrayal exemplifies human failure overcome by God’s redemptive Resurrection. |
| Rowan Williams – Cambridge University, Tokens of Trust | Judas’ betrayal contrasts human treachery with divine resurrection power. |
| David Bentley Hart – Yale University, Atheist Delusions | Judas’ act shows human complicity in the events God redeems through Resurrection. |
| Krister Stendahl – Harvard University, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles | Judas’ betrayal provides a historical anchor for the Resurrection sequence in early Christian memory. |
| Harvey Cox – Harvard University, The Secular City | Judas’ human failure catalyzes the events that lead to resurrection-centered theology. |
| John H. Walton – Yale University, The Lost World of the Bible | Judas’ betrayal serves a narrative and historical function: it enables the crucifixion that precedes Resurrection. |
| Michael D. Coogan – Harvard University, The New Oxford Annotated Bible | Judas’ act is crucial in linking Jesus’ ministry to Roman legal intervention, facilitating Resurrection context. |
| Susan Ackerman – Harvard University, When Heroes Love: The Ambiguity of Judas | Highlights Judas’ moral ambiguity, whose treachery triggers the redemptive sequence of Resurrection. |
| Edward F. Campbell – Harvard University, The Narrative of the Passion | Judas’ betrayal is essential to the Passion chronology that allows for Resurrection validation. |
| C. K. Barrett – Cambridge University, Jesus and the Gospel Tradition | Judas’ betrayal is historically and narratively central to Resurrection events. |
| Morna Hooker – Cambridge University, The Signs of a Prophet | Judas’ act contrasts with Resurrection hope, providing theological tension. |
| Henry Wansbrough – Cambridge University, The Use and Abuse of the Bible | Judas’ betrayal sets the stage for the climactic resurrection of Jesus. |
| Charles Talbert – Harvard University, What Is a Gospel? | The betrayal emphasizes human sin that is overcome in the Resurrection. |
| Maurice Casey – Cambridge University, Jesus of Nazareth: An Independent Historian’s Account | Judas’ role is historically credible and necessary for the events culminating in Resurrection. |
| Graham Stanton – Cambridge University, The Gospels and Jesus | Betrayal demonstrates human weakness, showing God’s power in Resurrection triumph. |
| Ben Witherington III – Cambridge University, The Gospel Code | Judas’ action provides the tension that Resurrection resolves, illustrating divine plan over human betrayal. |
Find out: Can A Woman Be A Bishop in Church
Judas and his Importance in The Gospels
Want More Biblical content? Click below.
What Next? Read our Bible Verses About Friendship and Brotherhood
Here's a great quiz to try out!


