The Gospels suggest Judas betrayed Jesus out of greed, disappointment, and a heart that never truly surrendered to him. In Mark 14:1-11, the religious leaders plot to kill Jesus secretly. Meanwhile, at a dinner in Bethany, a woman breaks open a jar of extremely expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus’ head. Some of the guests criticize her for wasting money, but Jesus defends her and says she has prepared his body for burial. Right after this, Judas goes to the chief priests to betray Jesus for money. Mark places these scenes side by side to contrast extravagant devotion with heartbreaking betrayal.
Setting the Scene in Mark 14:1-11
Mark 14 begins the story of Jesus’ final hours. Mark slows down dramatically here. After describing years of ministry in a few chapters, he now marks time by days and hours.
Mark 14:1-2 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
Passover celebrated God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt, when the blood of a lamb protected each household from judgment (Exodus 12). The Festival of Unleavened Bread followed for seven days. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims crowded into Jerusalem, and national hopes for a new deliverance ran high. The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead, but they were afraid of a riot. They needed a way to arrest him quietly. As it turned out, Judas would give them that opportunity, and Jesus would die during the festival after all, as the true Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
This passage is another “Markan sandwich.” The plot of the religious leaders and Judas’ betrayal surround the story of the woman’s devotion. Each scene sheds light on the others.
An Extravagant Gift
While the leaders schemed, Jesus was at dinner with friends.
Mark 14:3-5 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem where Jesus stayed during this week. Simon the Leper was probably someone Jesus had healed. No one with active leprosy could host a dinner party. John’s Gospel tells us the woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:1-3).
Her gift was astonishing. Nard was a fragrant oil imported from the Himalayan mountains of India. The jar was made of alabaster, a soft stone often used for precious perfumes, and it was sealed, so she broke the neck of the jar to pour it out. The perfume was worth more than 300 denarii, about a year’s wages for a laborer. It may have been her life savings or a family heirloom, perhaps set aside for her own wedding or burial. She poured it all out on Jesus’ head, the way ancient kings were anointed (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Kings 9:6). The word “Messiah” literally means “Anointed One.”
Some of the guests were indignant. They called it a waste. John tells us Judas led the criticism.
John 12:4-6 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
Judas’ concern for the poor was a cover for his own greed. He was already stealing from the disciples’ shared money bag.
A Beautiful Thing
Jesus immediately came to her defense.
Mark 14:6-9 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Jesus called her gift “a beautiful thing.” He wasn’t dismissing care for the poor. When he said, “The poor you will always have with you,” he was echoing Deuteronomy 15:11, which goes on to command God’s people to be openhanded toward the poor. Caring for the poor is an ongoing calling. But this moment was unique. Jesus would soon be gone, and she had seized her chance to honor him.
Jesus also gave her act a deeper meaning: she had anointed his body for burial ahead of time. Jesus would die like a criminal, and when the women came to anoint his body after the crucifixion, they would find the tomb empty (Mark 16:1-6). This woman was the only one who anointed Jesus’ body before his death. Whether she fully understood it or not, she believed Jesus’ predictions of his death when even his disciples didn’t.
Then Jesus made a stunning promise: wherever the gospel is preached, her story will be told in memory of her. And here we are, two thousand years later, still telling it.
Judas Makes His Move
Mark immediately shifts to Judas.
Mark 14:10-11 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Mark emphasizes that Judas was “one of the Twelve.” He had walked with Jesus for about three years, heard his teaching, seen his miracles, and been sent out to preach and heal (Mark 6:7-13). Yet he went to the chief priests to betray him. Matthew says they paid him thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), the price of a slave in the Law of Moses (Exodus 21:32), and the amount the prophet Zechariah said the people valued the Lord’s shepherd at (Zechariah 11:12-13).
Why Did Judas Do It?
The Bible gives several clues. First, Judas loved money. John calls him a thief, and he went to the chief priests right after watching a fortune “wasted” on Jesus. Second, Satan was at work. Luke and John say Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). That doesn’t excuse Judas. He opened the door. Third, many scholars suggest Judas was disappointed. Like many in Israel, he may have expected Jesus to become a political Messiah. When Jesus kept talking about dying and accepted an anointing for burial, Judas may have decided Jesus wasn’t the Messiah he wanted.
In the end, Judas couldn’t handle the hard sayings of Jesus. When Jesus didn’t fit his plans, Judas walked away. The contrast with the woman couldn’t be greater. She gave her most precious possession to Jesus. Judas sold Jesus for money. She saw Jesus’ worth. Judas saw a profit.
What This Means for Us
Each of us has to decide what Jesus is worth to us. Some people see extravagant devotion to Jesus as a waste of time, money, or energy. Others realize that nothing is too valuable to give him. Worship isn’t always practical, but it is always beautiful to Jesus.
Judas’ story is also a sobering warning. It’s possible to be close to Jesus, involved in ministry, and around other believers, yet never truly give him your heart. Greed, disappointment, and unmet expectations can slowly turn a follower into a betrayer. The difference between Judas and the woman wasn’t how close they were to Jesus. It was what they treasured most.
The Takeaway
Why did Judas betray Jesus? The Gospels point to greed, Satan’s influence, and disappointment with the kind of Messiah Jesus was. Mark contrasts Judas with a woman who poured out a year’s wages in worship. She saw Jesus’ worth; Judas saw a profit. What is Jesus worth to you?
