Mark 14:10-11

Judas Acts Out Jesus’ Prediction of Betrayal

Mark 14:10-11 – Judas Betrays Jesus

¹⁰ Judas Iscariot, himself one of the twelve,

went off to the chief priests to hand him over to them.

¹¹ They were overjoyed, and promised to give him money.

So he began to seek how he could betray him

at an appropriate moment.

Mark deliberately placed this event immediately after the previous one by way of contrast: the insightful woman disciple, the disillusioned member of the twelve.

Judas’ defection was not perhaps surprising. Mark had given sufficient indication of growing stresses within the body of disciples (9:32, 33-34; 10:14, 32, 41), leading even to criticism of the actions and attitudes of Jesus. Jesus’ recent direct confrontation with the Jewish establishment had been obviously dangerous. Perhaps some of the disciples may even have thought that Jesus’ attitude to the temple and to the priests had been not only surprising but asking for trouble. They had been open to change, even enthusiastic about it, so much so as to surrender all their possessions and to follow him, but perhaps not this far, not to the lengths that Jesus seemed to be taking them. Judas was possibly not alone in his reaction.

No wonder the chief priests were greatly pleased. Judas’ inside knowledge of Jesus’ movements gave them the perfect opportunity to arrest him secretly and to dispose of him at their discretion. They felt back in control.

Next >> Mark 14:12-26