The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot

[viii]

17. When Jesus heard them discussing these things, he warned them against saying that he was the Messiah.

see

Mark 8:30;

Matt 16:20;

Luke 9:21

18. Jesus turned to the leper and forbade him to tell anyone the name of the man who had cured him.

Mark 1:40–45;

Luke 5:12–16

19. But the leper could not hold his tongue, and ran into the town and shouted from the rooftops that it was Jesus of Nazareth who had made him whole.

20. Being heralded by such news made it difficult for Jesus to enter that place because the local people came out of their homes and surrounded him as he made his way to the Synagogue.

see

Mark 1:45;

Luke 5:15

21. Jesus’ reputation as a great teacher had already spread throughout Galilee, so the leader of the Synagogue invited him to select a passage from the Torah and explain it to those who had assembled to hear him.

22. Jesus chose a passage from the Prophet Isaiah where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim the release of captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

Isa 61:1

23. Jesus looked up to find that all those present were staring at him in silence. Some had been told of the curing of the man possessed of demons, while others had heard about the healing of the sick woman, and even more had learned about the cleansing of the leper.

24. The leader of the Synagogue asked Jesus to explain the passage he had just read. Jesus’ response was simple: Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

Luke 4:21

25. One or two of the Pharisees murmured among themselves: Is this not Joseph’s son?

26. Jesus answered: A prophet is never without fame, except in his own country.

see

Luke 4:22–24;

Matt 13:57;

Mark 6:4

27. Others, who still wanted to believe, continued to ask: Who is this man?

Chapter 5

Are you he who is to come?

1. Jesus came to the river Jordan to be baptized by John, who had prophesied: I myself did not know who he would be, and for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.