Judas, Not Iscariot Kindle Edition

For centuries the name Judas has stood as a byword for betrayal, thanks to the infamous treachery of Judas Iscariot in the Garden of Gethsemane. But the Gospels reveal a second Judas among Christ’s twelve disciples, identified by John as “Judas, not Iscariot.” Known also as Thaddeus, this second Judas, like the rest of the disciples, struggled to understand the true nature of Christ’s astonishing, tumultuous ministry.Adhering closely to the Gospel narratives and other ancient historical accounts, Judas, Not Iscariot plunges the reader into the the politics, religious rivalries, and cultural expectations of first-century Israel, as the Jews and Gentiles who encounter Christ's Messianic claims come away convinced, confused, unmoved, or enraged. Beginning with the demise of John the Baptist, Biblical events from the final year of Christ's ministry are portrayed through the eyes of unheralded Gospel figures such as Judas the Younger and Joanna and those closest to them, including a soldier, a Pharisee, an unpredictable teen, a quarrelsome daughter-in-law, and a terrorist. Around them opposition to the Lord’s Messianic purpose arises from the Herodians, the Pharisees, the Jerusalem establishment--and some of Christ’s own disciples--as circumstances unfold unpredictably to the triumph of the cross. Read more