Listed last in the Bible among the original 12 men that Jesus chose to be Apostles, Judas Iscariot became the Lord’s friend and companion. He later betrayed Jesus by turning Him over to the chief priests and scribes who were trying to kill Him.
Like the other Apostles, Judas followed Jesus during his public ministry with the authority to teach, preach, and heal. He was even present at the Last Supper when Jesus ordained the Apostles to the priesthood.
Neither Sacred Scripture or Sacred Tradition reveals whether Judas received the Eucharist when Jesus instituted it at the Last Supper. Judas was a thief who stole from the group’s money but his sins had not been publicly revealed.
Playing on Judas’ weakness that already existed, Satan entered Him and Judas promised the chief priests that he would turn Jesus over to them for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave.
God did not cause Judas to betray Jesus, but knowing that he would, He permitted Judas’ actions to be part of his divine plan. Judas is responsible for is own sin because he had free will and could have made the choice not to betray Jesus.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas identified Jesus by greeting Him with a kiss. Jesus was then arrested by soldiers who took Him away, leading to his scourging, crucifixion, and death.
Unlike Peter, who had denied that he knew Jesus but was forgiven, Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests but did not seek forgiveness. Instead, he rejected God’s mercy, fell into despair, and committed suicide.
Even though Jesus called him “the son of destruction” and said that he would have been better off if he had never been born, the Catholic Church has never declared that Judas, or any particular person, is in Hell.
Guided by God and under the direction of Peter, the Apostles chose a successor to Judas from among those who had followed Jesus from his Baptism by John until his Ascension into Heaven. They chose a man named Matthias.
Judas was one of the twelve Apostles:
Judas accompanied Jesus with the other Apostles:
Judas was present at the Last Supper:
Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was drawing near, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to put him to death, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered into Judas, the one surnamed Iscariot, who was counted among the Twelve, and he went to the chief priests and temple guards to discuss a plan for handing him over to them. They were pleased and agreed to pay him money. He accepted their offer and sought a favorable opportunity to hand him over to them in the absence of a crowd.
Luke 22: 1-6
Judas betrayed Jesus:
Judas became evil little by little:
Judas became a spy for the chief priests:
It is precisely in the Passion, when the mercy of Christ is about to vanquish it, that sin most clearly manifests its violence and its many forms: unbelief, murderous hatred, shunning and mockery by the leaders and the people, Pilate’s cowardice and the cruelty of the soldiers, Judas’ betrayal – so bitter to Jesus, Peter’s denial and the disciples’ flight. However, at the very hour of darkness, the hour of the prince of this world, the sacrifice of Christ secretly becomes the source from which the forgiveness of our sins will pour forth inexhaustibly.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1851
God did not make Judas betray Jesus:
God’s plan can even use people who choose against his plan:
Why does he betray Jesus? The question raises several theories. Some refer to the fact of his greed for money; others hold to an explanation of a messianic order: Judas would have been disappointed at seeing that Jesus did not fit into his programme for the political-militaristic liberation of his own nation. In fact, the Gospel texts insist on another aspect: John expressly says that “the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him”. Analogously, Luke writes: “Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the Twelve”. In this way, one moves beyond historical motivations and explanations based on the personal responsibility of Judas, who shamefully ceded to a temptation of the Evil One. The betrayal of Judas remains, in any case, a mystery. Jesus treated him as a friend; however, in his invitations to follow Him along the way of the beatitudes, He does not force his will or protect it from the temptations of Satan, respecting human freedom.
Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 18 October 2006
Judas is responsible for his own sins:
Judas lost all hope:
The Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Catholic Church
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