The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot

by Jeffrey Archer

  see

  Mark 3:6

  3. Although the two groups despised each other, they were united in one common purpose: to rid themselves of Jesus.

  4. Judas had friends in Capernaum who warned him that the Pharisees and Herodians were secretly working together to plot the downfall of Jesus.

  5. Judas dismissed these claims, as everyone knew that they were sworn enemies, until he came across two of them whispering in the Synagogue. They parted the moment they saw him.

  6. Judas warned Simon of his fears, and he in turn advised the Master to leave Capernaum until such ill feelings had withered away.

  7. Jesus took Simon’s counsel, and departed that day on the long journey for Nazareth, with only those disciples he had first called – Simon, Andrew, James, John, Judas, Philip, Nathanael and Matthew.

  8. After they had travelled a short distance, Judas became aware that others were following them.

  9. Some simply wished to remain in the presence of Jesus, while others hoped they might witness a new miracle.

  10. As Jesus made his way from village to village, the crowds grew larger and larger.

  11. Whenever he appeared in a town, he would enter the Synagogue and teach those who had assembled to hear him preach.

  12. Jesus would proclaim the good news, preparing them for the forthcoming reign of God in Israel.

  13. He also touched those who were sick, curing them of their infirmities.

  14. Jesus was aware of the injustices the local people were suffering at the hands of a foreign power.

  15. Every town and village was administered by a group of corrupt Jewish leaders who were becoming wealthier by the day, while the Romans remained their paymasters.

  16. Jesus told his disciples that the vast crowds were like sheep without a shepherd.

  see

  Mark 6:34;

  Matt 9:36

  17. When Judas heard these words, he reminded Simon of the prophecy of Ezekiel: God would raise up a shepherd king, to restore the kingdom of the first shepherd king, King David.

  see

  Ezek 34:23–24

  18. On hearing this, Simon responded with the words of the Prophet Isaiah: He took our infirmities, he bore our diseases.

  Isa 53:4

  19. Simon and Judas were among the first followers of Jesus to believe that the promises of Isaiah were being fulfilled.

  20. After Jesus had finished preaching in the Synagogue, he and his followers departed from that town and made their way up into the hills north of the Sea of Galilee and like a flock of sheep, the crowd continued to follow the shepherd.

  21. When Jesus reached the top of the hill, the disciples needed to rest, and one or two of them were so tired that they fell asleep.

  22. Judas sat on the ground and watched as his Master withdrew a short distance.

  23. Jesus fell on his knees and began to pray.

  24. As the sun disappeared behind the mountain, Judas also slept.

  25. When Judas eventually woke, he looked up to find his Master still deep in prayer. It appeared as if his whole mind and body were committed to solitary worship.

  26. As dawn broke, Jesus rose from his knees. He once again joined his followers, and began to walk among them.

  27. Jesus stood on the side of the mountain and addressed those who had waited all through the night to hear his words.

  28. He warned them not to gather simply in the hope of witnessing another miracle, and after leading them in prayer, advised them to return home to their families.

  29. Jesus waited for the crowd to disperse before he gathered around him a small group whom he charged to remain with him while he continued his ministry.

  30. Jesus selected twelve men to be by his side. They were: Simon, whose name he changed to Peter, Andrew his brother, and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John; Philip and Nathanael as well as Thomas, who like Judas had been a follower of John the Baptist. Also added to the number were Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon of Canaan, and finally Judas Iscariot.

  see

  Matt 10:1–4;

  Mark 3:13–19;

  Luke 6:12–16

  [xv]

  31. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, to emphasize to all his followers that he had been chosen to lead the other disciples.

  32. The name Peter comes from the Greek petros, which translated means ‘rock’.

  33. Judas often recalled his Master praising Peter for his wisdom and insight, and on one occasion describing him as the rock upon which he would build his church.

  Matt 16:18

  34. Judas was also one of the favoured disciples, and on several occasions it was he who pressed Jesus for a fuller explanation of his teaching and, when it proved necessary, was willing to take bold actions on behalf of his master.

  35. Having selected his disciples, Jesus told them that from that moment, they would be invested with powers that would allow them to preach in his name, cure the sick and cast out demons.

  see Mark 3:13–15;

  Matt 10:1;

  Luke 9:1–2

  36. As well as these twelve men, Jesus also gathered around him a group of women who had been loyal to him from the beginning of his ministry.

  37. They had also sacrificed everything to follow him.

  38. Among these women were Mary, from the village of Magdala, who came to be known as Mary Magdalene; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward whom she left to serve Jesus, and several others who were willing to support the purpose they all believed in.

  see

  Luke 8:1–3

  39. They gave both of their time and money.

  40. From that moment, until the tragic end of Jesus’ life, the twelve disciples and the faithful women accompanied him everywhere as he went about his wandering ministry among the people.

  Chapter 9

  Whenever you pray, speak these words

  1. Jesus and his disciples came down from the hills and made their way towards the Sea of Galilee.

  2. By the time they reached the plain, word had spread that Jesus and his disciples had been resting in the hills and they were met by a large crowd who had gathered to await them.

  3. Although Jesus had not yet set foot in the holy city of Jerusalem, on hearing the good news of his teaching and the many miracles he had performed, citizens came from that city and all parts of Judea to seek him out.

  4. Others had travelled from the gentile coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon, while some had come from as far afield as the Decapolis on the other side of the Jordan.

  5. Many came to hear him preach, while others, sick with infirmities, hoped to be cured of their ills.

  6. Jesus walked among the vast crowd and made whole several who were troubled by unclean spirits.

  7. Many others waited patiently, hoping simply to touch his robe, as it had become clear for all to see that power and goodness came forth from Jesus and that he transmitted healing and strength to all those with whom he came into contact.

  8. One of those in the crowd was a woman who had been afflicted with a continuous flow of blood for more than twelve years. She believed that if only she could touch his robe, she would be cured. As the crowd surrounded Jesus, she leant forward and touched the hem of his garment. Immediately she was cured of her disease.

  9. Jesus stopped and said: Who touched me? The disciples could not understand what he meant, and reminded Jesus that he was surrounded by people on all sides.

  10. Jesus again said: Who touched me?

  11. The woman stepped forward because she feared Jesus would be angry that she had rendered him impure by her touch.

  12. She fell on her knees, bowed her head and told him that it was she who had touched him.

  13. Jesus said: Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.

  see

  Mark 5:25–34;

  Matt 9:20–22;

  Luke 8:43–48

  14
. This caused even more people to press in on him. When Jesus could no longer move, he gathered his disciples around him and, lifting his eyes to the heavens, began to address the vast multitude that had assembled to hear him preach.

  15. Jesus said to them:

  Blessed are you poor, for yours is the reigning presence of God as King.

  Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be filled.

  Blessed are you who weep, for your time of joy will come.

  Blessed are you who suffer and are exploited, for your reward will be in heaven.

  Luke 6:20–22

  16. As Jesus delivered these promises, a great uproar broke out among the throng, who began to believe that the long-awaited Messiah was among them.

  17. Jesus waited for calm to return. He gazed into the crowd and became aware that a few among them were trying to stir the people into dissent, for they believed that such promises could only be made by God and not by someone they regarded as a sinner and a blasphemer. But they were outnumbered.

  18. When a hush eventually fell over the gathering, Jesus continued to tell them of God’s promises:

  Woe to you who are rich, for you have already enjoyed your consolation.

  Woe to you who have more than enough to eat, for the time is coming when you will experience hunger.

  Woe to you who simply live for pleasure, for you will soon mourn and weep.

  Woe to you of whom everyone must speak well, because this only throws up false prophets.

  [xvi]

  19. These words caused an even greater division among the crowd and Judas watched as several people walked away in protest.

  20. Jesus waited until the clamour had died down before he asked his disciples to gather around him all those who still wished to hear his words.

  21. Jesus sat on the ground and, showing an abundance of compassion and understanding, continued to explain the good news of the forthcoming reign of God in Israel.

  see

  Mark 1:14–15;

  Matt 4:12–17

  22. Judas wept when Jesus told the multitude: It is always easy to love those who love you, but it is far more difficult to bring compassion and unity where there is division. Be merciful, even as your Father in heaven is merciful.

  see

  Luke 6:33–36;

  Matt 5:46–48

  23. Jesus then went on to tell the people that they should never condemn their fellow men, as there was no one among them who was not guilty of some offence: Who are we to set ourselves up to judge others?

  24. As Jesus spoke, Judas repeated his words for he wished to pass them on to those who had not been present to hear the Master. Why do you only see the speck in your brother’s eye, while being unaware of the splinter that is lodged in yours? Beware of hypocrisy. For first you must remove the splinter from your own eye, before you can see clearly enough to assist your brother and sister in removing the speck that is in theirs.

  see

  Luke 6:41;

  Matt 7:3

  25. All those who had remained were visibly moved by such wise and compassionate words, showing how good and full of authority Jesus’ ministry was.

  26. Jesus then spoke another parable: A good tree does not produce corrupt fruit, neither does a corrupt tree produce good fruit. So it is with us. Out of the heart of a good person will come good deeds, while out of the heart of an evil person will come only evil.

  see

  Luke 6:43–45;

  Matt 12:33–35

  27. Judas, on hearing these words, whispered to his fellow disciples: ‘From this man comes only goodness and mercy for those who reach out and touch him. We are fortunate to have found our Rabbi, and Master.’

  28. When Jesus heard Judas’ words, he turned to the other disciples and said: Be wary of calling me Master until you fully understand my purpose and are able to live by its true meaning. Any one of you who fulfils this will be like a man who builds his house on a foundation of rock. When violent storms rage, the house will remain safely in place. But if you call me Master, and do not live by the words I have taught you, then you will be building your house on sand. So that when the storms come, as they surely will, your house will collapse to the ground. Consider carefully the meaning of these words, otherwise your hopes may end in disappointment. Be therefore perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

  see

  Luke 6:46–49;

  Matt 5:48

  29. After Jesus had delivered these words, he stood up and walked among the crowd, blessing those who had remained to hear him, before telling them to disperse and go home.

  30. As they did so, Jesus continued on his journey beside the Sea of Galilee.

  31. Judas, along with the rest of the disciples, followed the Master.

  32. After they had walked a short distance, Judas boldly asked: ‘Who is your Father?’

  33. Jesus answered: My Father is in heaven.

  34. Judas said: ‘Were you speaking to your Father when you were praying in the hills?’

  35. Jesus turned to face Judas, and said: ‘Yes, I was praying to my Father in heaven.’

  see

  Luke 11:1–2

  36. ‘Master, will you therefore teach us to pray as you pray to your Father?’

  37. Jesus smiled and, on turning to the rest of the disciples, said: Whenever you pray, speak these words:

  Father, may your name be made even more holy on this earth.

  May your kingdom soon come into this world.

  Please give us enough bread to sustain us each day.

  Forgive us our sins, as we forgive the sins of others.

  Stand by us and protect us when the final day of reckoning comes.

  see

  Luke 11:1–4

  [xviii]

  38. The disciples repeated these words, hour upon hour, day after day, in order that the prayer taught by Jesus might be passed on from generation to generation.

  Chapter 10

  Give them something to eat

  1. After Jesus had taught his disciples how to pray, they continued on their way to Capernaum.

  2. As the Master entered the city, Judas was surprised and fearful when he saw a centurion standing in his path.

  3. He said: My servant has fallen sick. He is bedridden and unable to move.

  4. Jesus answered: I will come to your home and make him well again.

  5. The centurion said: It will be enough for you to say, your servant is healed, for I am a man used to giving and taking orders. I say to a soldier go, and he goes, and if a superior officer says to me come, I come. So my servant will be healed if you so command.

  6. Jesus said: Return to your home and you will find your servant is well again.

  And at that time, the servant rose from his bed.

  7. Jesus turned to his disciples and said: I have not seen such faith, no, not in the whole of Israel.

  see

  Matt 8:5–13;

  Luke 7:1–10

  8. Although Jesus had instructed the waiting crowd to disperse and go home, wherever he turned, the multitude had increased in numbers.

  9. While those around him were clearly tired and hungry, Jesus continued to walk among the crowd, showing compassion and concern. He turned to Peter and said: Give them something to eat.

  Mark 6:37;

  Matt 14:16;

  Luke 9:13

  10. Judas wanted to tell the Master that they had sufficient food for his immediate followers, and that as they were surrounded on all sides, with only the Sea of Galilee behind them, he should instruct them once again to return home.

  11. Peter also could not understand his Master’s request, and warned Jesus: We only have five loaves and two fishes.

  12. Then Jesus said to his disciples: I feel compassion for these people. They have followed me all day, and I fear that they have had nothing to eat. If I send them away, many will collapse, and some may not even survive the journey. Do not forget that those who have travelled from Tyre, Sid
on and the Decapolis are a long way from their homes.

  see

  Mark 8:1–3;

  Matt 15:32

  13. The celebration of the Passover was at hand, and it was that time of the year when there was much green grass upon the ground.

  14. Jesus instructed his disciples to organize the crowd in the manner Moses had done when he prepared Israel for their march from the slavery of Egypt at the time of the first Passover.

  Exod 18:21–25;

  Num 31:14;

  Deut 1:15

  15. The crowd numbered about five thousand, and they gathered around Jesus to await his instructions.

  16. Judas recalled that the masses awaiting the coming of the Messiah at Khirbet Qumran had been assembled as the chosen people of God into groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty and ten.

  Community Rule

  [1Qs] 2:21–23;

  Rule of the

  Congregation [1QSa]

  1:14–15, 28–29;

  2:1; The War Scroll

  [1QM] 4:1–5,

  16–17

  [xviii]

  17. Judas was aware of the time-honoured custom of the sectarians of Qumran, and began to organize the crowd as Jesus had commanded.

  18. Once the task had been carried out, Jesus picked up the loaves and, raising his eyes to heaven, gave thanks.

  19. He then instructed his disciples to take the loaves and distribute them among the multitude.

  20. As Judas and his fellow disciples passed through the ordered lines, everyone was fed according to their needs, and when they returned to distribute the fish, no one was left hungry.

  21. When they had all eaten, Jesus instructed Peter: Have the disciples gather up the fragments that are left over.

  see

  John 6:12;

  Mark 6:43; 8:8;

  Luke 9:17

  22. The disciples carried out his order, and between them filled twelve baskets.

  23. Judas counted the baskets a second time, because he could not believe they had fed five thousand people and still had so much left over.

  24. While the disciples continued to collect the food, Judas reminded Peter of an ancient promise God had made to Moses: I will raise up a prophet from among you.

  Deut 18:18