The authors of the canonical Gospels describe the story of Judas Iscariot in approximately the same way, with Mark and Matthew noting that Judas called Jesus only a Teacher, a Rabbi, but never the Lord.

He was called by Christ among the first 12 apostles, appointed treasurer of their community, was distinguished by practicality and was a fraud; he voluntarily decided to betray the Lord and informed the high priests about it. At the Last Supper, in a brief conversation, Jesus denounced Judas’ intentions, but did not stop him. After a hypocritical kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane and realizing what it led to, Judas returned the pieces of silver he received and committed suicide (only Matthew the Evangelist writes about this). It is worth to note that his act was a sign of remorse and regret for his mistake, but not repentance before the Lord.

In theology, there are many versions as to what prompted Judas to betray Jesus. Those include his avarice, obsession with the devil, disappointment in Jesus as the Messiah, a provocation that prompted his actions, and the desire to avoid the future martyrdom of the followers of Christ.

A deeper reason lies in his misunderstanding of the true meaning of Christ’s teaching. The Greek theologian Origen Adamantius directly called Judas an instrument of the devil, however, admitted that he could not “expel the teaching of Jesus from his heart, ” which is why he was horrified by what he had done.

Basil the Great notes the tragic image of Judas as a disciple who failed to maintain and justify his calling.

John Chrysostom in one of his “homilies” urges:

According to St. John of Damascus, the image of Judas is an example of the confrontation of Divine providence relative to man and the personal will of the latter.

On the miniature icon, everyone except Christ is depicted in motion: Judas approaching Him, soldiers, and a servant holding a lantern. Only the Savior does not show resistance or surprise, accepting what has happened. The bright colors used to paint the figures stand out clearly against a dark brown background.

This icon is part of the feasts tier of the iconostasis; it was painted in the 1830s by Palekh masters for the Vladimir Chapel of the Nativity Church in Balakhna.

On February 28, 1977, the Balakhna Museum accepted this icon for permanent storage. It was restored in 1994 by the staff of the Interregional Scientific and Restoration Art Department under the leadership of Valery Fyodorovich Kosushkin.