Why did Judas need to identify Jesus?

Jesus’ arrest took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Lord often met with His disciples (see Matthew 26:47–56; Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53). Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, was a crucial part of the plot to arrest Jesus. He was responsible for the betrayal of Jesus by leading an armed crowd to arrest Him. This group included Roman soldiers, temple guards, and Jewish representatives sent by the chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders. Judas approached Jesus, greeted Him as “Rabbi,” and kissed Him. Jesus responded by calling Judas “Friend” and asking why he had come. Then the officials rushed forward and arrested Jesus.

During the arrest, the disciple Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, but Jesus rebuked the action. Jesus, aware of what was to come, did not resist capture. He submitted to the arrest, stating that this injustice was necessary to fulfill Scripture and God’s will (see Matthew 26:54). Following the arrest, all of Jesus’ disciples fled, abandoning Him. Jesus was then bound and taken first to Annas, a Jewish official and the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest at that time. He was later tried by the Romans and sentenced to death by crucifixion.

Judas’ greeting kiss (Mark 14:44) was a prearranged signal to the arresting officials, identifying Jesus as their target. That this was needed seems strange to modern Bible readers. Jesus was relatively famous at that time. He had been speaking to crowds of people publicly. He’d gone face-to-face with Jerusalem’s leadership. Wouldn’t He be easy to recognize? Further, why not arrest Him in public where He would be easy to find? The answers to these questions are both practical and political.

Concerning the question of why Judas needed to identify Jesus, the ancient world did not have cameras. Nor was there rapid communication. Not many people got close enough to Jesus to see Him eye-to-eye. Of those who did, only a few were around Him often. Scripture says Jesus wasn’t distinctive in appearance (Isaiah 53:2). To anyone but a friend, He was just another Near Eastern face in a crowd of Jewish travelers. The officials coming to arrest Jesus were certainly not close associates of His, and most of the guards accompanying them had probably never seen Him.

Contexts like location drastically affect whether we recognize people. Even in the modern world, many people have talked to their favorite athlete or celebrity without realizing it because the encounter took place in a context other than a sporting arena or a movie theater. In the dark of night (John 18:3) in an olive grove, the arresting party needed help finding and identifying the right person. Authorities could not hand out a photograph and drive to Jesus’ street address.

Concerning the question of why Jesus was arrested in a dark, secluded garden rather than on a street in daylight, His enemies feared public backlash. To capture Jesus in front of a crowd might have started a riot (see Matthew 21:46). Earlier, when the religious leaders tried to bring Jesus in, those sent came back stunned by what they’d heard: “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” they said (John 7:46). Judas’ betrayal was a cheap opportunity for Jesus’ enemies to nab Him without anyone knowing until it was over. Jesus called out their cowardice during His arrest (Mark 14:48–49).

Arresting Jesus out in the open would have made Him easier to identify, but it would have been bad politics for His enemies. Arresting Him in private would have been impossible without an insider. That’s where Judas comes into play. He was an insider who was willing to betray his master.

Besides these practical and political explanations, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus held spiritual and prophetic significance. Jesus had predicted His betrayal and arrest multiple times, demonstrating His foreknowledge of these events (see Matthew 17:22–23; 20:17–19; 26:2, 21–25; John 6:70–71; 13:18, 21–30; 17:12). During the Last Supper, Jesus announced that one of the Twelve would betray Him (Matthew 26:21). This announcement fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah being betrayed by a close friend (see Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12–13; cf. John 12:5–6; 13:10–11, 18; Matthew 27:3–5).

Jesus, the omniscient Son of God, was aware of the timing of His departure from this world and the events leading to His death. He knew that Judas would hand Him over to be arrested, and He knew when and where. All of these details fulfilled messianic prophecies and Christ’s earlier predictions, further supplying proof of Christ’s deity to His followers. However, it wasn’t until after Jesus’ resurrection that the disciples would fully grasp the significance of these events.

Additionally, Judas Iscariot’s role as an insider who ultimately betrayed Jesus provided a vital witness to Christ’s innocence. Judas, having been intimately associated with Jesus for more than three years, would later declare Jesus to be innocent (see Matthew 27:3–4). The betrayal also demonstrated Jesus Christ’s forbearance, gentleness, and patience. Our Lord knew Judas was a dishonest thief who would eventually betray Him, but He still treated Judas with kindness (see Matthew 26:23–25, 50; John 12:1–8).