Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
This verse introduces Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's twelve closest disciples, as he makes his way to the chief priests — the religious leaders in Jerusalem who wanted Jesus arrested. The phrase 'one of the Twelve' is deliberate and stinging: Judas was an insider, a trusted companion who had traveled with Jesus, eaten with him, and witnessed miracle after miracle. The chief priests were looking for a way to seize Jesus quietly without causing a public uproar, and Judas was about to give them their opening. This moment marks a quiet but devastating turn in the final days of Jesus's life.
Lord, the story of Judas unsettles me because I know I'm capable of the same quiet drift. Keep me awake to the small steps I take and where they lead. When I feel myself walking away from you, give me the courage to stop and turn back. Amen.
The most chilling word in this verse might be 'went.' Not 'was tricked into going.' Not 'was forced.' He went. Judas made a choice — and the terrifying part is that he made it after three years of walking with Jesus. He had seen the feeding of five thousand, the healing of the blind, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. He had heard the Sermon on the Mount delivered in person. And still, he went. What makes Judas so uncomfortable to sit with is how ordinary the betrayal looks from the outside. He didn't storm off in a rage or make a dramatic scene. He walked quietly, purposefully, to the chief priests. Betrayal rarely announces itself. It begins in small moments — a resentment not dealt with, a greed fed in secret, a disillusionment allowed to fester — until one day you realize you've been drifting for a long time. Judas holds up an uncomfortable mirror. The question isn't whether you're capable of betrayal. The question is: what are you quietly walking toward that you haven't admitted yet?
The verse specifically calls Judas 'one of the Twelve' — why do you think that detail matters to the story? What does it say about the nature of betrayal that it so often comes from the inside?
Think about a time when you drifted from your values or your faith without fully realizing how far you'd gone. What did the small steps of that drift look like?
Some people argue Judas was destined to betray Jesus and had no real choice in the matter. Does that change how you feel about his responsibility — and what does your answer reveal about how you think about free will?
How do you treat people in your life who have betrayed your trust? What does Judas's story — and Jesus's response to him at the Last Supper — invite you to consider about how you extend or withhold grace?
What is one small habit, attitude, or choice you are currently moving toward that you know, if you're honest, isn't leading somewhere good — and what would it take to turn around?
And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
John 13:2
Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Matthew 26:25
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:15
Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
Acts 1:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew 5:18
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,
Matthew 27:3
Then one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
AMP
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
ESV
Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
NASB
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests
NIV
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
NKJV
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests
NLT
That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests
MSG