The Bible is clear that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples just before he was crucified. But what about Judas? Did Jesus wash his feet too?
Today we will answer that question and see what the Bible has to say about it. We will also look at Judas’ role in Jesus’ last supper and what happened to him after he betrayed Jesus.
What is The Significance of Washing Feet in The Bible?
Washing feet was a common practice back in New Testament times (1st Century). It was seen as a way to show respect and honor someone. In most cases, it was done by servants to their masters or by people of lower status to those of higher status.
The act of foot-washing was seen as a way to humble oneself. And this is why Jesus did it. He wanted to set an example for his disciples. He wanted to show them that the greatest among them should be the one who serves others.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
This Bible verse shows us that a leader is not someone who should be served, but someone who should serve others. And this is what Jesus did by washing his disciples’ feet.
He wanted to make them realize that everyone is equal in God’s eyes, no matter their social status. He wanted to show them that the greatest act of love is to serve others.
What we can learn from this is that we should always be humble and willing to serve others. We should never think of ourselves as better than anyone else and we should always be ready to help those in need.
Now that we know the significance of foot-washing, let’s actually see if Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
So, Did Jesus Wash Judas’ Feet?
The answer is yes, Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
This is clearly seen in John 13:1-17. In this passage, we see that Jesus washed the feet of all his disciples – including Judas.
“Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
Although he did wash Judas’ feet, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him. He knew that Judas was not really clean.
We can see that Jesus predicts his betrayal in John 13:18-21:
“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’
“I am telling you now before it happens so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
He shows us that he knew that Judas would betray him, but he still chose him as one of the 12 disciples because the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which means that his betrayal was part of God’s plan.
The fact that Jesus washed Judas’ feet shows us that he loved him, even though he knew that Judas was going to betray him. And it also shows us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Read Also: Is Judas Iscariot A Saint? Answered!
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Judas Relationship with Jesus.
We know that Judas was one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus (Luke 6:13-16).
Apostle means “one who is sent out.” Judas was hand-picked by Jesus to be His messenger. This implies some level of intimacy and trust. We also know that Judas carried the money bag for the group (John 12:4-6).
This would have given him further opportunity to be close to Jesus and to develop a relationship with Him. So what happened? How did Judas go from being chosen by Jesus to being His betrayer?
The answer may lie in Judas’ character. The Bible tells us that he was a thief (John 12:4-6). He was not trustworthy. He was greedy. He cared more about money than anything else.
Perhaps Judas never really had a true relationship with Jesus. Perhaps he was never truly converted. Or, perhaps he became disgruntled and resentful because he didn’t get the recognition he felt he deserved.
We don’t know for sure. But what we do know is that Judas’ used to call Jesus “Rabbi” (Mark 14:45) which means “teacher.”
This shows us that Judas didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah but saw Him as a good teacher. He never came to understand who Jesus really was.
Judas’ Character Flaws Led to His Downfall.
No matter what the reason was, Judas’ character flaws led him to betray Jesus. Jesus knew what Judas was going to do even before it happened (John 13:21-30) but He loved Judas anyway.
He washed Judas’ feet just as He washed the feet of the other disciples. He gave Judas the opportunity to repent, but Judas refused. And, as a result, he went out and betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16).
We also know that Judas had the choice not to betray Jesus. He could have turned away when Satan entered him (Luke 22:3). But he didn’t. He went ahead and carried out his plan to hand Jesus over to the authorities.
And, as a result, Judas betrayed Jesus’ trust, denied Him as the Messiah, and helped bring about His crucifixion. Afterward, Judas was so filled with remorse and guilt that he went out and hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-10).
Related Read: Did Judas Go to Heaven? Learn The Truth!
Judas And Jesus At The Last Supper.
The Last Supper was called this way because it was the last time Jesus would eat with His disciples before His crucifixion. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus gathered His disciples together for a special meal.
This was the Passover meal and it was a time when the Jews remembered how God had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. It was also a time when they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah.
During the meal, Jesus took bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
And He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then He passed it around and said, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood, which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many” (Matthew 26:26-28).
As Jesus was instituting this new covenant, He included Judas in it. He didn’t exclude him even though He knew what Judas was going to do.
He included Judas in the covenant just as He includes us in the covenant even though He knows our sinful nature. And, just as Judas had the choice to betray Jesus, we have the choice to accept or reject Him.
After Judas left the Last Supper, Jesus and the rest of the disciples went to the mountain of Olives where Jesus prayed (Luke 22:39-46). After a long night of prayer, Jude came with a group of soldiers to arrest Jesus (Luke 22:47-53).
We know that he went and kissed Jesus as a sign to the soldiers that this was the man they were looking for (Matthew 26:47-50). In the old days, a kiss was a sign of respect. But, in this case, it was a sign of betrayal.
What We Do Know About Judas Iscariot From The Bible.
Now let’s look at some things we can learn from the Bible about Judas Iscariot. We created a simple table below that includes some key Bible verses about Judas.
| Bible Verse | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Acts 1:18 tells us that Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. | This was the amount of money specified in Exodus 21:32 as the ransom for a slave. So, in a sense, Judas sold Jesus for the price of a slave. |
| Psalm 41:9 says that Judas ate at Jesus’ table. | This shows that Judas was one of the disciples who were close to Jesus. He was someone who had been given the privilege of eating with Jesus on a regular basis. |
| John 12:2-6 tells us that Judas was the one who complained about the expensive perfume being wasted on Jesus. | This shows that Judas was more concerned with money than with worshiping Jesus. And, as a result, his heart became hard and he began to plot against Jesus. |
| Luke 22:48-51 tells us that Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. | This was a sign of respect and friendship. Judas used this sign of respect and friendship to betray Jesus. |
| Matthew 27:2-6 tells us that Judas felt remorse for what he had done and tried to return the 30 pieces of silver. | This shows that Judas regretted his decision to betray Jesus. But it was too late. His betrayal had already led to Jesus’ death. The Bible doesn't give us any indication that Judas ever repented and received forgiveness from God. |
| John 13:24-27 tells us that Satan entered into Judas. | This happened just before Judas betrayed Jesus. And it shows that Satan was behind Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. But still, he had a choice. He could have chosen not to betray Jesus. |
| Matthew 26:24-25 tells us that Judas Called Him Rabbi. | This shows us that Judas didn't believe that Jesus was the Son of God. If he had, he wouldn't have called him just a teacher. |
| John 17:11-12 tells us that Judas was not part of Jesus’ prayer. | In this final prayer before his death, Jesus did not pray for Judas. And this shows that Judas had already turned away from Jesus. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Judas Go After The Last Supper?
After Judas left the Last Supper he went to the priests of the Temple which at the time were the religious authorities in Jerusalem to arrange the arrest of Jesus.
Did Judas Eat At the Last Supper With Jesus?
Yes, Judas was one of the twelve disciples who were present at the Last Supper. He did leave early though before Jesus announced that one of the Twelve would betray him.
Final Thoughts
Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples who followed Jesus. But he is best remembered for betraying Jesus with a kiss. We can learn a lot from Judas Iscariot’s story.
We see that money can be a dangerous thing. It can harden our hearts and lead us to do things we never thought we would do. We also see that Satan is real and he is always looking for ways to destroy us. But, in the end, we make our own choices. And Judas chose to betray Jesus.
We hope this article has helped you understand more about Judas Iscariot and his story. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
As always, thanks for reading!
Charalampos
Charalampos is an Orthodox Christian who wants to help others learn about Christianity. His main goal is to help people understand the Bible and how to apply its teachings in their everyday lives. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and hiking.
Connecting with God is essential to praying effectively and receiving answers. Our FREE cheat sheet will help you build a strong relationship with God and create an effective prayer life.
