The Betrayal of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

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Duccio, The Betrayal of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, 1308




Jesus answered and said, “You will become the thirteenth, and you will be cursed by
the other generations—and you will come to rule over them. In the last days they will
curse your ascent to the holy [generation]." - The Gospel of Judas

The betrayal of Jesus by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane may be the most tragic of all the stories concerning the life of Christ. For the payment of 30 pieces of silver, Judas handed his master and friend to the Pharisees. While Jesus prayed in the garden, Judas approached him and identified him with a kiss. Beset with grief over his actions, Judas later hung himself. This betrayal has been immortalized in our language, the name "Judas" having become synonymous with "traitor," and a "Judas kiss" the term for a symbol of friendship used to do harm to another.

But how is his condemnation deserved? How can Judas be condemned as a traitor if his actions fulfilled ancient prophecies of the Jewish faith? A Gnostic text discovered in the 1970s and likely written in 2 CE, known as the Gospel of Judas, suggests that Judas acted on Jesus' instruction. Though the gospel is tattered and missing many lines of text, it grants incredible insight into a new interpretation of the events surrounding the betrayal.

The work depicts him as the most trusted of all of the disciples, as he is the only one entrusted with carrying out the betrayal. The text itself consists largely of conversations between Jesus and Judas, the latter sharing his visions with the former. These visions include one of a great mansion whose doors cannot be opened and another in which he is stoned to death by his fellow disciples. In their final discussion, Jesus explains his purpose on earth to Judas, and the role that he is to play in it. No longer a traitor to Christ, he is the catalyst to the salvation of the human race, and in return for his role in the completion of prophecy becomes the first of the "holy generation." Jesus warns his disciple that mortal men shall rail against him for his actions, but that he will rule over them in Heaven. 

Despite the negative reception that the gospel has received from religious figures, it has recently gained popularity (though an admittedly small amount) among Gnostic sects and non-denominational Christians who have long struggled with the questions surrounding Judas Iscariot's life and legacy. 

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The Baptism of Christ

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Giotto, The Baptism of Christ, circa 1305
"Yah, I wanna get washed up!" -Jesus, Godspell

I cannot pretend that The Baptism of Christ captivated me with its composition. That's not to say that I don't appreciate the theatrical staging of the piece, the driving focus on Jesus created by the rift in the rocks and the forceful downward thrust of God's arm, nor that I don't understand the rich blues, blacks, and reds that have endured seven-hundred years after they were first put to plaster. One could even persuade me, with little coaxing, to admit that the interplay of color in the heavens makes the piece's sky my favorite of all those in Giotto's work. Seriously, I'd like to have that painted on my ceiling. But these elements are not what made me choose to cover this work.

So what compelled me to choose the work for this weeks post? I just like the story behind the painting. The Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist marks one of the most important points in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In this moment, the Son of God puts himself on the same level as the people he had come to save. He humbles himself to John and accepts the baptism by water so that he may go on and baptize others.

That's why it strikes me as so odd that we insist on being prideful. Sure, a high score on the ACT or the highest essay grade in the class is great, but Jesus is supposed to be God's son. That's a pretty big deal. The man who the very heavens are said to have opened up for insisted that he be baptized by a poor man from the woods. He also dined with prostitutes and liars and thieves, and washed the feet of his disciples. The story compels me because it conflicts with so many parts of day to day life. It begs us to better ourselves. To take ourselves less seriously. The Messiah did it, now why can't we?

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