Volume 11 · Chapter 70

JUDAS BEFORE THE HIGH COUNCIL JUDAS listened also but could by that still not be liberated from his wrong ideas. On the contrary, he only became more convinced that if someone would appear after Me as Messiah to save the world he would not so easily succeed to unify the power of God with himself. He therefore considered it only praiseworthy and rejoiced in his ambitious ideas that he could be the one to prepare, in his opinion, the last necessary step that would force Me to, according to his wishes, make use of the power that was given to Me. He thought of himself to be some kind of savior and thought in his blindness to work through Me. Once the idea that he could force Me was awakened in him and his firm conviction remained that I could defy and also overcome every danger, everything that could contribute to execute this plan seemed all right to him.

[GGJ.11_70,2] Therefore, on the second day of our stay at the Jordan, he proposed to Me to go to Jerusalem without being recognized, in order to find out how the mood was towards Me and if the people had become restless after My disappearing.

[GGJ.11_70,3] I told him that he could do as he thought, and the others, as they were glad to be rid of him, agreed with his proposal.

[GGJ.11_70,4] He asked Me where he could find Me, and I told him that I will remain on this spot till the following day around noon time.

[GGJ.11_70,5] Then Judas left us and went to Jerusalem. Soon he came to know that everyone was surprised about My sudden disappearance. Nothing was left of the great excitement that was caused by My entrance, and generally the people thought that I had fled before the might of the temple. The temple itself was heavily guarded by the temple guards and the soldiers of Herod. Moreover, Roman soldiers walked daily through the city in order to drive away possible gatherings. The temple sought already protection with the governor Pontius Pilate against a possible uprising and accused Me of being an agitator of the people.

[GGJ.11_70,6] So also Pilate started an investigation by which it appeared that the people did not show any hostility but only a great enthusiasm for the miraculous Savior who was certainly not unknown to Pontius Pilate for a long time. So he did not attach more importance to it, but in order to maintain the order he regularly let groups of soldiers walk through the city. By these measures the people were greatly intimidated for they knew all too well that the power and severity of Rome had to be feared in case of riots.

[GGJ.11_70,7] The temple had now again really an advantage and they thought that the time was ripe to strike a destructive blow against Me, that is if they only knew where and how they could catch Me without danger, because they often enough had experienced that this also was not so easy.

[GGJ.11_70,8] In a secret Council, one time these and then again other ways and means were deliberated but the templers could not agree. Then they were notified that someone wanted to inform the High Council as to where the Nazarene was.

[GGJ.11_70,9] Caiaphas, overly rejoiced, let this man, who was Judas Iscariot, come to him and brought him to the High Council. There Judas told the Council that he was able to deliver the wanted Jesus from Nazareth into the hands of the temple guard if by that the necessary precautions were taken.

[GGJ.11_70,10] When asked how he wanted to do that, Judas answered: “I have been near Him for quite some time and so I know the habits of Him and His adherers. There was even a time when I thought to see in Him the expected Messiah of the Jews, but now I convinced myself that He wants to overthrow the ancient honorable statutes and laws which stand under the sacred protection of the temple without being able to replace them with something more powerful and better. So He is dangerous, and as an honest Jew who has to do his best to uphold the respect of the Law of Moses, I offer my services to make an end to these dangerous activities. I do not know yet if it will succeed but where so many wise men are gathered it will certainly succeed to find the right means by which this Wonder Savior can be caught.”

[GGJ.11_70,11] Caiaphas asked him: “Do you know where He is now?”

[GGJ.11_70,12] Judas said: “No, because I cannot know if He already left that place. But I know that He, as always, will also this year want to eat the Passover lamb among His adherers and that this will happen nowhere else than in the neighborhood of the city.”

[GGJ.11_70,13] One of the Pharisees, who after the awakening of Lazarus had been badly served, shouted: “Most of all let no one try to capture Him in Bethany! It would be useless there, because His devilish power would again appear there. It would be best to capture Him at night, on the one hand because of the people that strongly adhere to Him, and then I heard that the power of such magicians is weaker at night. At a certain hour even the worst magician would be as weak as any other human being so that he cannot resist anyone. Speak, you must know since you were near Him. Does this Man also have His weak hour? What does He do at night?”

[GGJ.11_70,14] “He sleeps like any other human being”, answered Judas. “I believe I know the hour when He is weakest.”

[GGJ.11_70,15] In triumph the Pharisee turned to the others and thought that this hour should be exploited.

[GGJ.11_70,16] Bad-tempered, Caiaphas did not want to hear about it because he was sure that the Nazarene did not possess any other supernatural powers than the Essenes who were sufficiently known for that, but he also was of the opinion that it was better to grab Him at night to avoid raising any sensation.

[GGJ.11_70,17] Therefore, they agreed with Judas that on the day of the Passover lamb he was to come to the temple at night where he would meet the servants of justice whom he would then lead to the Nazarene.

[GGJ.11_70,18] Now Caiaphas asked him what he wanted for this service.

[GGJ.11_70,19] Judas, who rejoiced internally because the High Council, as he thought, fell into the trap that he set up for them, rejoiced now even more because his plan would now even let him obtain a profit in money – which was not his intention in the beginning – and he asked for the 30 silver coins, which they also promised to pay him if he would come on the evening on which it had to happen.

[GGJ.11_70,20] Leaving the temple, Judas hurried now through the city and listened everywhere to come to know how the people of Jerusalem and also the big number of strangers were disposed towards Me. He found great amazement everywhere because of My apparent weakness, but amongst the people he did not find anyone who was not convinced of My power that had been proven many times and also clearly the last time. He clearly saw that later on I would succeed again to draw the whole people to Me as soon as an heroic deed would be performed by Me – and the people, although puzzled, had not really left Me.

[GGJ.11_70,21] It rejoiced him to know this and this strengthened him even more in his plan to bring Me into a situation that would force Me to resist My attackers and maybe to destroy them, or at least to make them harmless in such a way that everyone would clearly see that no one on Earth could resist Me if I just wanted it. When he thought to be thoroughly sure about everything and without involving Herod at that time – whom he apparently did not need anymore for his purposes because he thought that he also could manage without him – he went again on his way to the Jordan to look for Me and to report about what he came to know.

[GGJ.11_70,22] He still met us on the same spot and reported now in detail about the mood in Jerusalem and how the people was still waiting for Me as the Savior. I quietly listened to all this and did not reply to anything, by which Judas was more convinced that his words made deep impression on Me. He had enough insight in human character not to insist with Me because he thought that his words had to ripe in Me. He was remarkable quiet but one could see that he was glad in himself and observant.