The Event of Betrayal and Condemnation refers to the pivotal moments in the New Testament when Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and subsequently condemned by the religious authorities, leading to His crucifixion. These events are central to the Passion narrative and are recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Betrayal by Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, played a crucial role in the betrayal of Jesus. Motivated by greed and possibly disillusionment, Judas agreed to betray Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver. This act of treachery was prophesied in the Old Testament, as seen in Psalm 41:9, "Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me."

The betrayal took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus often went to pray. Judas identified Jesus to the arresting soldiers by giving Him a kiss, a prearranged signal. In Matthew 26:48-49 , it is written, "Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: 'The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.' Going directly to Jesus, he said, 'Greetings, Rabbi,' and kissed Him."

Condemnation by Religious Authorities

Following His arrest, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, where He faced false accusations and was subjected to an illegal trial. The chief priests and elders sought to find evidence against Jesus to justify putting Him to death, but they struggled to find consistent testimony. Eventually, they accused Him of blasphemy based on His affirmation of being the Son of God.

In Mark 14:61-64 , the high priest asked Jesus, "'Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus, 'and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.' At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, 'Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?' And they all condemned Him as deserving of death."

Roman Trial and Sentencing

After the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus, they handed Him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, as they lacked the authority to execute Him. Pilate, recognizing the lack of evidence for a capital crime, was initially reluctant to sentence Jesus to death. However, under pressure from the crowd and fearing a riot, Pilate capitulated and sentenced Jesus to be crucified.

In John 19:12-16 , it is recorded, "From then on, Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jews kept shouting, 'If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who declares himself a king is defying Caesar.' When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, in Aramaic, Gabbatha. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews, 'Here is your King!' At this, they shouted, 'Away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him!' 'Shall I crucify your King?' Pilate asked. 'We have no king but Caesar,' replied the chief priests. Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the soldiers took Him away."

These events set the stage for the crucifixion of Jesus, fulfilling the divine plan of redemption through His sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection.