Biblical Betrayal

There are so many stories of betrayal recorded in the bible. The most popular betrayal being that of Jesus by His disciple Judas.

Oftentimes we consider betrayal as being a spur of the moment decision, and in some instances, it probably is but more than likely the seed of betrayal is planted long before the betrayal actually occurs.

When Joseph’s brothers, consumed by envy, betrayed him by selling him into slavery, that stemmed from a pre-meditated plan to kill him (see Genesis 37:18-36).

So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt. (v 28 NLT)

Delilah’s decision to betray Samson, did not start on the night she lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then…called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. (Judges 16:19 NLT) No, that plan was hatched long before that night,

…Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” (Judges 16:4-5 NLT)

And Judas’ 3-year devotion to Jesus as one of His disciples, belied the evil intent brewing in his heart.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 7:9 NLT)

The desperately wicked condition of Judas’s heart made him an easy target for demonic possession.

Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. (Luke 22:3-4 NLT)

Judas was not suddenly lured into this ultimate act of betrayal by the chief priests and the teachers of religious law who were already looking for some way to get rid of Jesus (see Luke 22:2). He voluntarily provided them with the solution to their Jesus problem.

They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around (Luke 22:5-6 NLT)

Because of the deceitfulness of Judas’ heart, betrayal was second nature to him.

You see, Judas also had a problem with Jesus. In his eyes, Jesus was a failed messiah, not the real deal, a masquerader.

The Jews, long subjugated by the Romans were desperate for a Messiah, someone who would ride into town on a stallion, brandishing a weapon of mas destruction to annihilate the entire Roman Empire in one fell swoop but the rivalry they’d imagined between the prophesied Messiah and Rome never materialised.

Judas was not unlike his countrymen and what he thought the deliverance would be like and what it actually was did not correlate. This Messiah to whom he had devoted three years of his life, was just a wimpy kid, not at all the fierce, battle-ready warrior he had envisioned.

All this time that Judas knew Jesus, he never knew Jesus, and like several of his fellow disciples, during his walk with Jesus, he never truly understood who Jesus was until the day of His crucifixion. Before then, he did not grasp the bigger picture (see Luke 9:43-45).

The belief is that Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was driven by greed but perhaps the driving force behind his actions was intense anger and a deep-rooted disillusionment with Jesus’ mission. it was not about the money, the 30 pieces of silver, the betrayal was afoot way before there was any financial negotiations.

Judas had spent three years with Jesus, he had seen the miracles, heard the sermons, listened to the teachings, experienced the love and the friendship but it wasn’t enough to counteract his extreme disappointment. His kiss usually a sign of deep affection signalled his betrayal.

Delilah coddling Samson’s head in her lap, normally a display of deep affection became a signal of betrayal.

Joseph, excited to be with his older brothers, searches for them but when he finally finds them, they don't welcome him, they betray him.

Betrayal cuts deep; physical injuries heal over time but the wounds from shattered trust fester, leaving scars that last forever.

Many more betrayal stories can be found in the bible, Cain and Abel, Saul and David, David and Uriah, to name a few. All of which carry a heavy price, but the three highlighted today are the only ones where silver was exchanged for betrayal to emphasize the profound consequences of betrayal.

Betrayal is certainly not confined to first century biblical history, it is rampant in this modern era; betrayal happens every day in homes, workplaces, schools, churches and governments.

The envy, the jealousy, the resentment, the financial greed, the divided loyalties, the ambition, the disappointment, the fear, the angst, and the moral weakness that influenced Joseph’s brothers, Delilah and Judas are the exact same things that influence people to commit acts of betrayal today.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)

This is the human condition that still exists to this day. Nothing has changed, the human heart remains deceitful above of all things, is desperately sick and God knows how bad our hearts are. He sees the contrast between our outward appearance and our inward intentions.

Beloved, these accounts of biblical betrayal aren’t for your reading pleasure, they are necessary lessons on how deception, distrust, disillusionment, resentment, jealousy, envy, misplaced hope, doubt, disappointment, vain ambition, fear, misinformation and immense greed negatively impact your life if left to take root.

These stories of betrayal are meant to resonate with all of us; every one of them compels you to confront uncomfortable truths about yourself and the choices you make that have lasting effects on your life and the lives of others.

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “Biblical Betrayal” ©2026 June 13, 2026