In the twenty-first century, the name Judas evokes treachery and betrayal; it's not a name given to newborns. However, during Christ's time, it was an honorable name. One of the twelve tribes of Israel was called Judah, and King David came from that tribe. Perhaps Judas was named after Judas Maccabeus, an Israelite who led the Jews to victory over the Seleucid Empire more than 175 years earlier, when Antiochus Epiphanes tried to destroy the Jewish faith, culture, and language. His surname, Iscariot, indicates the town Judas came from—ish (“man”) of Kerioth, a small village in southern Judea.
Judas had perfected the art of hypocrisy and deception so well that, when Jesus told the twelve during the Last Supper that one among them would betray Him, none of the eleven knew who the betrayer was.
20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." 22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" (Matthew 26:20-22).
Judas was still trying to hide his betrayal from the others when he said to Jesus, "'Surely not I, Rabbi?'" Jesus answered, 'Yes, it is you." (Matthew 26:25). He was likely sitting at the table in the spot of honor to Jesus' left, trying to conceal his plans. We know this because the Lord was within easy reach of Judas, who received a piece of bread that Jesus had dipped into the dish. The apostle John provides us with more details here.
21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." 22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." 25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him (John 13:21-27).
The seating or reclining arrangement around the table was such that John reclined to the right of Jesus, with his head against Jesus' chest. Although we cannot be certain, some believe Peter was to John's right because Peter asked John to ask Jesus a question ("Ask Him which one He means" (v. 24)). Judas was thought to be on the left side of Jesus, one of the two honored positions beside the Messiah.
How did Judas arrive at the other seat of honor on Jesus' left? Luke describes a dispute at the Last Supper over who was considered the greatest (Luke 22:24). It’s possible that Peter was upset about receiving a lower position at the table because Judas positioned himself next to Jesus on the left. Their desire for the best seat might have stemmed from the belief that Jesus would soon use human power to overthrow Roman rule, which was a mistaken idea of what the Kingdom of God truly is. Genuine believers in Christ must root out the desire for a higher status from their hearts. We are servants and should be eager to accept the lowest seat with a cheerful and willing heart. We will discuss Judas’ betrayal further tomorrow. Keith Thomas
Taken from the series on the Gospel of Luke. Click on Study 58. The Betrayal of Jesus.