Prophecies about Jesus: He would be betrayed

In February 2024, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation revealed that a former politician was cultivated by foreign spies. The person had agreed to share knowledge from inside Parliament in exchange for payment. The implication was that they may have betrayed their country.

Did you know that the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot was not an accident, as it was predicted in Old Testament times?

After David had reigned for about 30 years, his son Absalom conspired to become king. So David and his men left Jerusalem for the Jordan valley. David’s counsellor Ahithophel betrayed him by joining the conspiracy (2 Sam. 15:12, 31; 16:15). Ahithophel’s advice was considered to come from God (2 Sam. 16:23). He advised Absalom to attack David “tonight” while he is resting (2 Sam. 17:1-4). But when Absalom also consulted Hushai he was advised to gather warriors from all the tribes of Israel before attacking David and his men (2 Sam. 17:5-13).

Then the Bible says, “When Ahithophel saw that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He put his house in order and then hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father’s tomb” (2 Sam. 17:23NIV). He was convinced that the rebellion would fail and that he would be found guilty of treason.

David may have been thinking of this betrayal when he said, “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me” (Ps. 41:9). Jesus applied the second part of this verse to Judas Iscariot when He predicted the betrayal by Judas before it happened and said that when it occurred it would convince His disciples that He was the Messiah (Jn. 13:18-27).

So Ahithophel betrayed king David and then suicided, just like Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and then suicided. It was a pattern prophecy (topology) given 1,000 years beforehand that was only evident in hindsight. They didn’t know that the pattern would be repeated in the betrayal of Christ.

What else does the Old Testament say about the betrayal?

When Zechariah’s leadership of Judah was rejected, he asked for wages and was paid 30 pieces of silver (Zech. 11:2-13). Then he threw the money away to the potter at the temple. This was the redemption price of a slave who had been gored to death by an ox (Ex. 21:32). That’s what Judas accepted to betray Jesus – the wages for 120 days (4 months) work (Mt. 26:14-16). He valued Jesus as much as a slave! When Judas realised his mistake, he threw the money to the priests in the temple like Zechariah did 500 years beforehand (Mt. 27:5).

When enemies tried to remove king David, he prayed that God would remove them (Ps. 69:25). After the ascension of Christ, Peter applied this verse to Judas – God had removed him when he suicided (Acts 1:20).

In another prayer against his enemies David, prayed “may his days be few; may another take his place of leadership” (Ps. 109:8). Peter applied this when he said they must choose another apostle and Matthais replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:20).

Judas didn’t know it, but his betrayal fulfilled these four pattern prophecies given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. This shows that nothing happens by accident. Everything fits into God’s plan. Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail.

Judas is an example of how God can use evil for His own good purposes. God allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. The betrayal was the precursor or trigger of a series of events that lead to the first Easter.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you that in all things you work for the good of those who love you. You used the sin of Judas Iscariot to bring salvation to humanity. The betrayal lead to the arrest, which lead to the trial, which lead to the conviction, which lead to the penalty, which was Christ’s death on the cross. This lead to the grave. But we rejoice that this wasn’t the end. On the third day, this lead to the resurrection, and this lead to the ascension to heaven 40 days later.

The details of the betrayal show us that everything fits into your plan. You control both the means and the ends. Every event in the universe comes under your sovereignty. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Acknowledgement

This post was inspired by a sermon by Ray Pritchard