John Chrysostom, On Judas's Betrayal

Receive also another condemnation for what you are about to do out of avarice. And as they were eating, he says, Jesus took the bread, and having given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to His disciples, and said: Take, eat, this is My body. And taking the cup, having given thanks, He gave it, saying: Take, drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Take of it, all of you. And you, he says, the betrayer, partake of eternal life; and if you remain in it, your agreements with the Jews are forgiven you; but if you do not reverse your own impulse, know what kind of philanthropic Master you are selling.

But he, not enduring the Master's compassion, ran to the Jews and hastened to put into action what had been planned. And behold, 61.690 he says, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying: Whomever I shall kiss, He is the one; seize Him. Pay attention to my lips; for otherwise the Word cannot be betrayed. And immediately he went up to Jesus and said to Him: Hail, Rabbi, and kissed Him. O kiss, the destruction of universal peace, or rather, to speak truly, the abolition of the worldly war, even if Judas did not dare the betrayal following this purpose. But Jesus said to him: Friend, for what have you come? You have given the kiss to me, fulfill the agreements with those standing by. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

The betrayer departed, a stranger to the apostles, and the author of life was brought to the Jews for death; a cross was prepared, and a tomb is built for life; the dead return, and Judas goes to Hades; the Savior is crucified with robbers, and calls all to paradise. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever.

∆έχου καὶ ἄλλην κατάκρισιν ὧν μέλλεις πράττειν φιλαργυρίᾳ. Ἐσθιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν, φησὶ, λαβὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν ἄρτον, καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασε, καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, καὶ εἶπε· Λάβετε, φάγετε, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου. Καὶ λαβὼν τὸ ποτήριον, εὐχαριστήσας ἔδωκε λέγων· Λάβετε, πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ αἷμά μου τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ὑπὲρ πολλῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Λάβετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες. Καὶ σὺ, φησὶν, ὁ προδότης, τῆς αἰωνίου μετάσχου ζωῆς· καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἐμμείνῃς ἐν αὐτῇ, τὰ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους συγκεχώρηταί σοι σύμφωνα· ἐὰν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μὴ ἀνατρέψῃς ὁρμὴν, ἴσθι εἰδὼς ὁποῖον ∆εσπότην πιπράσκεις φιλάνθρωπον.

Ὁ δὲ τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας μὴ ἀνασχόμενος, πρὸς Ἰουδαίους δραμὼν ἄγειν εἰς ἔργον τὸ μελετηθὲν κατηπείγετο. Καὶ ἰδοὺ, 61.690 φησὶν, Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἦλθε, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὁ ὄχλος πολὺς μετὰ μαχαιρῶν, καὶ ξύλων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ. Ὁ δὲ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς σημεῖον λέγων· Ὃν ἐὰν φιλήσω, αὐτός ἐστι· κρατήσατε αὐτόν. Τοῖς ἐμοῖς προσέχετε χείλεσιν· ἄλλως γὰρ ὁ λόγος προδοθῆναι οὐ δύναται. Καὶ εὐθέως προσελθὼν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Χαῖρε, Ῥαββὶ, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν. Ὢ φιλήματος, οἰκουμενικῆς εἰρήνης ἀναίρεσις, μᾶλλον δὲ, φιλαλήθως εἰπεῖν, τοῦ κοσμικοῦ πολέμου κατάλυσις, καὶ εἰ μὴ τούτῳ ἀκολουθῶν τῷ σκοπῷ ὁ Ἰούδας τὴν προδοσίαν ἐτόλμησεν. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἑταῖρε, ἐφ' ᾧ πάρει; Ἐμοὶ τὸ φίλημα δέδωκας, πρὸς τοὺς παρεστῶτας τὰ σύμφωνα πλήρωσον. Τότε προσελθόντες ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν.

Ἀπῆλθεν ὁ προδότης τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀλλότριος, καὶ ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἀρχηγὸς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προσηνέχθη εἰς θάνατον· κατεσκευάσθη σταυρὸς, καὶ τάφος οἰκοδομεῖται εἰς ζωήν· οἱ νεκροὶ ἐπανέρχονται, καὶ εἰς ᾅδην Ἰούδας πορεύεται· σταυροῦται μετὰ λῃστῶν ὁ Σωτὴρ, καὶ πάντας καλεῖ πρὸς παράδεισον. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.