Mark 3:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

NIV: and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

NASB: and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

CSB: and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

NLT: Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

KJV: And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

NKJV: and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

At this time, Judas is just one of the disciples, but it becomes apparent he never understands who Jesus is. He takes on the role of treasurer, but only so he can steal the group's money (John 12:6). In the future, he will betray Jesus, handing Him to the scribes and priests to be tried and crucified. In return he receives thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15). It appears that Judas doesn't know what the priests and elders have planned for Jesus. When he discovers Jesus is on His way to be tried and executed, Judas returns the money and kills himself (Matthew 27:3–5). Judas' payment and its eventual use to buy a potter's field is prophesied in Zechariah 11:13–14. He is replaced by Matthias, one of Jesus' regular followers, in Acts 1:12–26.

Modern society has come to associate the name "Judas" with everything evil. However, at the time of Christ, this was a common name. Thaddaeus the disciple was also called Judas. Jesus' half-brother Jude's name is a variant of the name Judas. And in the Old Testament, Judah, the name of both the man and the tribe, is basically the same name as Judas.

There are several different theories as to where the name "Iscariot" comes from. It may mean a bandit, a freedom fighter, or a liar, but it probably means "of Kerioth." Kerioth is the name of two different cities, one in south Judea (Joshua 15:25) and one in Moab (Jeremiah 48:24). Judas Iscariot may be the only disciple from outside of Galilee.

The word translated "betrayed" is from the Greek root word paradidomi. Literally, it means to "give over" or "deliver," often with treachery. It is also used in Mark 1:14 to describe John the Baptist's arrest. Later, Paul will use it to describe how he passes on the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Mark 3:13–21 is the third story about the reactions people had to Jesus' ministry. Here, we establish which men Jesus chooses to be in His inner circle. Jesus separates ''the twelve'' for special training so they can be equipped to heal (Matthew 10:1), cast out demons, and spread the gospel. Other than Peter's mother-in-law (Mark 1:30–31), there is no record that Jesus performed miracles of healing for them. But they have witnessed Jesus' power and authority, and are willing to dedicate themselves to His teaching. This is a stark contrast to Jesus' own family. This account is also recorded in Matthew 10:1–4 and Luke 6:12–16.

The bulk of chapter 3 deals with how different people react to Jesus' teaching and His assumption of authority. The Pharisees' confusion transitions into plotting. The crowds that continually follow Jesus for healing become more frenetic and dangerous. Jesus' own family, afraid for His sanity, try to pull Him away. But true followers also show themselves. Twelve join together to become a core group, while a slightly bigger crowd, more interested in Jesus' teaching than miracles, earn the honor of being called His true family.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.