Didn’t
Judas Have to Betray Jesus?
Some assert that if Judas had not
betrayed Christ, the crucifixion would never have happened, implying that his
betrayal was a good thing or at least necessary. This is theologically
incorrect and even perverse, because if that were true, Judas would have been
necessary for, or at least contributed to, our salvation? His betrayal was
neither good nor necessary.
Others say Judas had no free will:
he had to betray Christ since it was prophesied. Saint John Chrysostom explained
the relationship between prophecy and fulfillment. The prophet or his prophecy
is never the cause of the event. The event did not occur because the prophet
foretold it. The prophecy was made because the prophet saw what would happen in
the future. Judas was not forced to betray Christ because a prophecy had been
made. Judas was not a victim of the prophecy or a pawn in the plan of
salvation. He was never deprived of his free will.
It was necessary that anyone
betray Christ in order for him to be crucified, which is why Judas’s betrayal
is particularly tragic. Attempts were made on Christ’s life as early as his first
sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth. In Jerusalem, at least twice after he
spoke in the Temple, some of the Jews attempted to stone him. The Gospels
record many occasions when the Pharisees, scribes, and others plotted to
destroy Jesus. As we have seen, the Jewish leaders had formally resolved to put
Jesus to death at the meeting of the Sanhedrin after the raising of Lazarus
(John 11:47-53). All these attempts took place before Judas had approached the
chief priests.
The only difficulty the chief
priests faced was how to accomplish his arrest and eliminate him in the most
efficient and least disruptive manner. The Jewish authorities were concerned
about creating a disturbance among the people by arresting Jesus publicly
(Matt. 26:3-5). Judas provided inside information concerning Jesus’
whereabouts. He led the guards to Jesus late at night, far from the adoring
crowds. Betrayal by Judas was not necessary; he simply made the arrest of Jesus
much easier. (Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, The Crucifixion of the King of
Glory: The Amazing History and Sublime Mystery of the Passion [Chesterton,
Ind.: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2021], 100-1)