"The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!" — Matthew 26:24 (KJV)
The short answer
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, entrusted with the group's money bag. Yet for thirty pieces of silver he betrayed Jesus to the chief priests, identifying Him with a kiss. Overcome with remorse, he returned the money and took his own life. His story is a solemn warning.
Judas Iscariot is one of the most sobering figures in all of Scripture. He was not an outsider or an enemy from a distance; he was a chosen disciple who lived alongside Jesus for years, heard His teaching, and saw His miracles. He was trusted with the common purse. And yet he is remembered as the one who handed the Lord over to His enemies. The Bible does not sensationalize his fall, and neither should we. It records it plainly, as a warning about where sin leads when it is nursed rather than confessed. Below are four passages, quoted exactly from the King James Version, that tell his story truthfully.
Who was Judas among the twelve?
Judas held a position of trust. He carried the money bag for Jesus and the disciples — and the Gospel of John is honest about what was quietly happening in his heart.
"This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein." — John 12:6 (KJV)
Outwardly Judas could sound concerned for the poor; inwardly he was helping himself to what belonged to others. Sin often grows in hidden places long before it shows. The betrayal that shocked the world did not appear from nowhere — it grew from a small, secret love of money that was never brought into the light.
How did Judas betray Jesus?
The turn came when Judas went to the religious leaders and offered to hand Jesus over. Scripture records the transaction with painful simplicity.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 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." — Matthew 26:14-15 (KJV)
"One of the twelve" — the Gospel writers never let us forget how close Judas stood. Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave, a small sum for so great a treachery. And the way he carried it out made it more grievous still: he used a sign of affection to accomplish it.
"Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him." — Matthew 26:48-49 (KJV)
A kiss, a greeting of friendship, became the mark of betrayal. It is a portrait of how sin corrupts even good and tender things, turning nearness into a weapon. Yet Jesus was not taken by surprise; He went knowingly to the cross for the sins of the world.
What happened to Judas in the end?
Judas did feel the weight of what he had done. But his sorrow, though real, did not lead him back to Christ for mercy. It collapsed instead into despair.
"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, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." — Matthew 27:3-5 (KJV)
Judas confessed the truth — "I have sinned" — and even named Jesus as innocent blood. His remorse was genuine. But there is a sorrow that only regrets the consequences and a sorrow that turns to God for forgiveness, and these lead to very different ends. Judas, so near to the Saviour, turned away from Him in his darkest hour rather than toward Him. Herein lies the solemn warning of his life.
What can we learn from Judas Iscariot?
Judas is not a monster set apart from the rest of us; he is a caution to us all. His story asks each reader a searching question, and answers it with hope for those who will turn to Christ.
Nearness to Jesus is not the same as surrender to Him. Judas heard every sermon and witnessed every wonder, yet let an unconfessed sin grow until it mastered him. The warning is to guard the heart, to bring hidden things into the light, and never to let small compromises settle in. And where Judas despaired, the gospel offers a better way. Peter also failed the Lord that same night, denying Him three times — but Peter wept, returned, and was restored. The difference was not the size of the sin but the direction of the sorrow. No failure is beyond the mercy of Christ for those who turn back to Him.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Judas Iscariot betray Jesus?
Scripture points to greed at the root. Judas went to the chief priests and asked, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? and they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15, KJV). John also notes that Judas kept the disciples' money bag and was a thief (John 12:6, KJV). The love of money helped open the door to his betrayal.
What happened to Judas after he betrayed Jesus?
Judas was overcome with remorse. When he saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented himself, brought back the silver, and confessed, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood (Matthew 27:3-4, KJV). The priests refused him, and he cast down the money, departed, and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5, KJV). His grief was real, but it drove him to despair rather than to seek forgiveness.
"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." — 2 Corinthians 7:10 (KJV)
Take it deeper
Judas appears throughout the Passion narratives, and reading his story in context guards us from easy judgment and points us to Christ. FlickerFaith is a Scripture-first study companion — open it to read Matthew 26 and 27 in full, compare Judas with Peter's restoration, and ask honest questions about sin, repentance, and the mercy of God. It keeps you close to the Word, not away from it.
Keep reading
The One Judas betrayed offers mercy to all who turn to Him — read who is Jesus Christ? Meet others in the Gospel story: Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and John the Baptist. You can also browse Bible topics, explore AI Bible study, or return home.