One possible motive behind Judas’ betrayal can be understood in political terms, especially when we consider the historical context of first-century Judea.

1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Many Jews at the time were hoping for a Messiah who would be a political liberator, a figure who would overthrow Roman oppression and restore the kingdom of Israel. Within this expectation, it is possible that Judas, like others, initially followed Jesus with the hope that He would become such a revolutionary leader. However, Matthew’s Gospel presents Jesus in a very different light: a Messiah who speaks of humility, suffering, and surrender rather than political uprising (cf. Matthew 16:21; 20:25–28).

II. PSYCHOLOGICAL SPEAKING

Psychologically, this mismatch between expectation and reality can create deep cognitive dissonance. Judas may have experienced growing disappointment as Jesus refused to act as a political Messiah. When Jesus chose the path of suffering “the Son of Man must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things” (Matthew 16:21), this could have felt, to Judas, like a failure or even a betrayal of national hope.

From this perspective, Judas’ act: “What will you give me if I deliver him to you?” (Matthew 26:15), may not have been driven by greed alone, but also by disillusionment and frustration. Some scholars even suggest that Judas might have intended to force Jesus’ hand, hoping that arrest would trigger a decisive display of power. Instead, Jesus submits freely, revealing a kingdom “not of this world” in its method.

III. THEOLOGICAL SPEAKING

Theologically, this adds another layer to Matthew’s message: the danger of projecting our own expectations onto God. When God does not act according to our plans, we may be tempted to reject Him. Judas thus represents not only betrayal through weakness, but also betrayal born from misunderstood hope.

For us today, this becomes a challenging question:
Do we follow Christ for who He truly is, or for who we want Him to be?

Part 2: Lessons learned from Judas in the Gospel of Matthew in terms of psychology and theology.

With love,
Liitle-pencil