Who betrayed Jesus, and why?

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles, betrayed Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16), identifying him to the arresting soldiers in Gethsemane with a kiss (Matthew 26:47-49). Scripture gives Satan's influence (Luke 22:3, John 13:2) and greed (John 12:6) as contributing motives.

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's twelve chosen apostles and the group's treasurer (John 13:29), went to the chief priests and agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16) - an amount that echoes the price of a slave in Exodus 21:32 and fulfills Zechariah 11:12-13. At the Last Supper, Jesus foretold the betrayal directly (Matthew 26:21-25, John 13:21-30). Later that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas led an armed crowd to Jesus and identified him with a kiss - a prearranged signal (Matthew 26:47-49). Scripture points to more than one factor behind the betrayal: John 12:6 describes Judas as a thief who used to help himself from the disciples' money bag, suggesting greed played a role; Luke 22:3 and John 13:2, 13:27 state that "Satan entered into" Judas, pointing to a deeper spiritual dimension behind the act. Matthew 27:3-5 records that Judas, seized with remorse after seeing Jesus condemned, returned the silver, confessed "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood," and hanged himself.

Key Passages

Thirty pieces of silver

Matthew 26:14-16

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

The kiss in Gethsemane

Matthew 26:47-49

⁴⁷ And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. ⁴⁹ And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

Judas's remorse

Matthew 27:3-5

³ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. ⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.