What is the meaning behind the story of Judas betraying Jesus?

Answer 1

John Shelby Spong describes a structure in which Markdivides the last twenty-four hours before the death of Jesus into eight segments of three hours each, separated by events that form a chiastic structure in themselves[i]. In this, the opening set begins on the evening of the Last Supper and ends with the trial before the high priest and other senior priests and elders. The second set begins with the trial before Pontius Pilate and ends on the evening of the crucifixion.

A The celebration of the Passover Feast, which becomes the Last Supper, beginning "when it was evening" (Mark 14:17), or when the sun went down: approximately 6 pm and the beginning of the day of the Passover by Jewish reckoning. Mark knew that the duration of the Passover meal was three hours and that it concluded with the singing of a hymn. Jesus says, "This is my body," a metaphor that will be reflected in his burial (A').

B When was about 9 p.m. Mark then has Jesus and the disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray. He suffered alone and in agony, asking God that, if possible, he take this cup (his destiny to be crucified) away from Jesus. Meanwhile his disciples, Peter, James and John, were not able to remain awake. "Could you not watch one hour?" Jesus asked. The process was repeated two more times. The disciples could not watch one, two or three hours. It was now midnight.

C The betrayal of Jesus, the darkest deed in human history, came next, occurring at the stroke of midnight. This will be reflected by the darkness at midday.

D At 3:00 a.m., Jesus was led away for a trial before the high priest and other senior priests and elders. We know the time of the first trial because Peter's threefold denial of Jesus followed, once each hour until the cock crowed, marking the watch between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., known as cockcrow.

E "As soon as it was morning", which meant 6 o'clock, Jesus was led by the chief priests, scribes and elders for trial by Pontius Pilate.

D' At 9 o'clock: "It was the third hour when they crucified him."

C' When "the sixth hour had come" (12 noon), darkness covered the whole earth, reflecting the betrayal at 12 midnight.

B' The three hours of darkness, until 3 p.m. mirror the agony in the Garden of Gethsemene. Jesus last words, "My God. My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" reflect the recognition that his prayer in the Garden has not been answered. At 3 o'clock Jesus cried out and gave up the ghost.

A' Joseph of Arimathea then asked Pilate for the body of Jesus, so that he could be buried before the Sabbath began at 6 p.m., when the sun went down.

Notice then that the betrayal occurs at the stroke of midnight and that it forms a pair, in this chiastic structure, with the moment that Jesus died on the cross at midday. This emphasises the author's intention to portray the betrayal as the darkest deed in human history.

[i] John Shelby Spong, Jesus for the NonReligious(HarperColinsPublishers, 2007), 101-4

Answer 2

It means that in every good gathering there could be a bad person. It also means that we should not value material possession like money over human love..