The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
Page 12
See
Dan 1:1–16;
Mark 1:6;
Matt 3:4
11. Jesus did not hesitate with his reply: Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Mark 2:19;
Matt 9:15;
Luke 5:34
12. Judas was aware that the prophets, as well as the poets, had throughout Israel’s history, often described Israel as a bride, waiting for the coming of the bridegroom.
see
Hos 2:19–20;
Song of Solomon
/> 13. On hearing these words, Judas, along with Simon, Andrew, Philip and Nathanael, began to believe that Jesus might be the God-given Messiah, who had come to take possession of his bride, Israel.
see
John 3:29
14. They did not voice this view openly as they knew it would further anger the Pharisees and might even place Jesus’ life in danger.
15. The Pharisees continued to let it be known that they considered Jesus to be a sinner, a blasphemer and a man who broke the laws of the Torah. After all, had he not ignored the fine tradition of fasting, and now he seemed to be adding to his sins by claiming that he was the messianic bridegroom.
16. The Pharisees hung on Jesus’ every word in the hope that they could find another example of his flouting the laws of the Torah.
17. The following Sabbath, when Jesus was in Capernaum, a man with a withered hand entered the Synagogue in search of him.
18. The Pharisees watched closely, hoping that Jesus would attempt to heal the man on the Sabbath, so that they could chastise him for a further breach of the sacred laws.
19. On seeing the man, Jesus approached him and said: Stretch out your hand.
Mark 3:5;
Matt 12:13;
Luke 6:10
20. The man did so, and his hand was restored.
21. This was all the proof the Pharisees needed to show that Jesus was a sinner and a blasphemer, willing to abuse the law, even in the Synagogue on the Sabbath.
22. Judas observed that many of those who had gathered to hear Jesus preach did not share the misgivings of the Elders, for they had come to hope that Jesus might be the expected Messiah, as promised by Isaiah.
see
Isaiah 35:3–5
Chapter 8