Jesus Christ Superstar First Person Series: #3
What do you think when you hear the name Judas? Maybe you think of Judas Maccabeus, the mighty Jewish warrior who led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire in 165 BCE. The annual observance of Hanukah commemorates this historic restoration of Jewish Temple worship.
Or maybe you think of Jesus’ brother. Did you know that Jesus of Nazareth had a brother named Judas? See Mark 6:3. Or maybe you think of Judas, the son of James. That Judas was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, according to Luke 6:16.
My guess is, you think of Judas Iscariot. For two millennia now, when people hear his name, they think traitor. His name is sadly synonymous with betrayal. Nobody today names his or her child Judas! Have you seen a church named Judas United Methodist Church, much less St. Judas Church?
We may think we know Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus chose as a disciple. The fact is, Judas is quite an enigma… his actions are quite a riddle…his motives inexplicable…his death a mystery. At the least, he is a conflicted disciple. In other words, he is like us.
