The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot Read Online Free Page A

enemies, until he came across two of them whispering in the Synagogue. They parted the moment they saw him.
    6. Judas warned Simon of his fears, and he in turn advised the Master to leave Capernaum until such ill feelings had withered away.
    7. Jesus took Simon’s counsel, and departed that day on the long journey for Nazareth, with only those disciples he had first called – Simon, Andrew, James, John, Judas, Philip, Nathanael and Matthew.
    8. After they had travelled a short distance, Judas became aware that others were following them.
    9. Some simply wished to remain in the presence of Jesus, whileothers hoped they might witness a new miracle.
    10. As Jesus made his way from village to village, the crowds grew larger and larger.
    11. Whenever he appeared in a town, he would enter the Synagogue and teach those who had assembled to hear him preach.
    12. Jesus would proclaim the good news, preparing them for the forthcoming reign of God in Israel.
    13. He also touched those who were sick, curing them of their infirmities.
    14. Jesus was aware of the injustices the local people were suffering at the hands of a foreign power.
    15. Every town and village was administered by a group of corrupt Jewish leaders who were becoming wealthier by the day, while the Romans remained their paymasters.
    16. Jesus told his disciples that the vast crowds were like sheep without a shepherd .
    see
Mark 6:34;
Matt 9:36
    17. When Judas heard these words, he reminded Simon of the prophecy of Ezekiel: God would raise up a shepherd king, to restore the kingdom of the first shepherd king, King David .
    see
Ezek 34:23–24
    18. On hearing this, Simon responded with the words of the Prophet Isaiah: He took our infirmities, he bore our diseases .
    Isa 53:4
    19. Simon and Judas were among the first followers of Jesus to believe that the promises of Isaiah were being fulfilled.
    20. After Jesus had finished preaching in the Synagogue, he and his followers departed from that town and made their way up into the hills north of the Sea of Galilee and like a flock of sheep, the crowd continued to follow the shepherd.
    21. When Jesus reached the top of the hill, the disciples needed to rest, and one or two of them were so tired that they fell asleep.
    22. Judas sat on the ground and watched as his Master withdrew a short distance.
    23. Jesus fell on his knees and began to pray.
    24. As the sun disappeared behind the mountain, Judas also slept.
    25. When Judas eventually woke, he looked up to find his Master still deep in prayer. It appeared as if his whole mind and body were committed to solitary worship.
    26. As dawn broke, Jesus rose from his knees. He once again joined his followers, and began to walk among them.
    27. Jesus stood on the side of the mountain and addressed those who had waited all through the night to hear his words.
    28. He warned them not to gather simply in the hope of witnessing another miracle, and after leading them in prayer, advised them to return home to their families.
    29. Jesus waited for the crowd to disperse before he gathered around him a small group whom he charged to remain with him while he continued his ministry.
    30. Jesus selected twelve men to be by his side. They were: Simon, whose name he changed to Peter, Andrew his brother, and the two sons of Zebedee, James and John; Philip and Nathanael as well as Thomas, who like Judas had been a follower of John the Baptist. Also added to the number were Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon of Canaan, and finally Judas Iscariot .
    see
Matt 10:1–4;
Mark 3:13–19;
Luke 6:12–16
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    31. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, to emphasize to all his followers that he had been chosen to lead the other disciples.
    32. The name Peter comes from the Greek petros , which translated means ‘rock’.
    33. Judas often recalled his Master praising Peter for his wisdom and insight, and on one occasion describing him as the