While dozens of people followed Jesus during his ministry, most of us remember that he favored 12 followers above all others. 

These hand-selected followers would make up the 12 disciples of Jesus. One of the most infamous of these disciples was Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, who turned Jesus over to religious leaders to be tried and eventually crucified.

In the Last Supper, Jesus gave his famous speech in which a betrayal against him was first mentioned. The Last Supper took place on the first day of Passover, also known as the Unleavened Bread Festival. 

Passover commemorates the release of Israel from slavery in Egypt and specifically when the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites that displayed lamb's blood on their doors.

As the disciples reclined and ate dinner with Jesus, he explained to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me” (Matthew 26:21). Each disciple vehemently denied that it would be them who betrayed Jesus, including Judas. Jesus responded that the person who betrays him will have a terrible fate and that, indeed, it was Judas who would betray him at the Garden of Gethsemane.

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However, Scripture and the Gospel of Judas offer two very different explanations for Judas's death.

In Matthew's Gospel, Judas regrets betraying Jesus and returns the pieces of silver that he received from the Roman soldiers.

In Matthew 27:3-5, Judas tells the chief priests and elders, "'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.' So Judas threw the money bag into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

A plot of land was then purchased with the silver to be used as a burial ground for foreigners, later called the Field of Blood.

Judas's story is told differently in the Acts of the Apostles, claiming that he bought a field in which he later died a gruesome death. 

"With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, “Field of Blood" (Acts 1:18-19).

Whatever interpretation you believe, the question remains: Why did Judas actually betray Jesus?

Although we may not know why Judas betrayed Jesus, there are some things we do know. Though Judas was one of the 12, all evidence in the Bible points to the fact that he didn’t believe Jesus was the son of God and King of the Jews. 

Jesus was never referred to as "Lord" by Judas, but rather as "Rabbi," which only acknowledged Jesus as a teacher. Other disciples have proclaimed their faith and loyalty to the Lord at various times (John 6:68, John 11:16), but Judas had never done so in Scripture.

Depending on how you view Judas, the Bible paints him in one of two ways. 

He's seen by many as money-hungry and greedy. Judas's life eventually began to suffer from the deadly sin of greed.

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It's written about him: “Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money-box; and he used to take what was put in it (John 12:4-6).

Satan may have played a role in Judas's betrayal and fed into his greedy nature. However, Judas is also shown to be a scared and weak man. It’s no secret that a plot was afoot to capture Jesus and have him brought before Pilate in Luke 22 and Mark 14. 

In addition to Judas, Jesus also prophesied that another disciple would betray him. When Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers asked Peter if he knew Jesus, and three times he denied it. But Peter still has respect from Christianity, while Judas remains a hated Biblical figure.

It's unlikely that we'll ever know whether Judas truly resented Jesus or if he was simply doing what was always meant to happen all along. 

After all, Judas wasn’t the only one who turned on the High Priest. Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem with palm branches and cheers, but they began calling for his death a week later.

Although Judas's actions may seem evil, they played an important role in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the Old Testament, Judas was prophesied to betray Jesus. And his betrayal in the New Testament caused Jesus to die for our sins.

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One of Jesus's last moments with Judas is especially important to remember. Though Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, he washed his feet before the Last Supper. It was an act of service to Judas and showed that despite everything that was going to transpire, Jesus forgave him.

Judas is often derided when we read what he did. As disgusting as Judas's actions might seem, Jesus understood that they served a higher purpose. The Lord could have railed against Judas and cast him aside. Instead, he chose to calmly forgive him. 

Matthew 6:14 states, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” 

We all make mistakes at some point. Even if they are premeditated disobedience, we cannot let them keep us away from God's presence. Jesus is most needed when we are at our worst. The lesson we learn from Judas's betrayal is to always let our failures drive us into Jesus's forgiving arms.

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen” (Psalm 41:13).

Judas's lack of faith in Jesus was the foundation of his betrayal. 

This is also true for us. By failing to recognize Jesus as God incarnate, we'll fail to receive forgiveness for our sins and the eternal salvation that comes with it. For when we turn away from Jesus Christ, we’re guilty of betrayal as well.

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For more about the betrayal of Jesus, download the Pray.com app in the iOS App Store or Google Play. 

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