For 2,000 years my name has been slandered by people who really don't understand me, especially by some preachers. But your kind pastor said that you were an understanding congregation. I've come here today to tell you about myself and about the reasons I did what I did. You will give me a fair hearing, won't you? My name is Judas Iscariot.

Let me begin by telling you a little about my background. As you know I am a Jew. You have probably read some things about my ancestors: Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah, to name a few. There are many others which you probably know very little about. These are men such as Habakkuk and Joel, Micah and Daniel. All of these men had a great love and respect for God. Back during my ancestor's time God's name was Yahweh. People loved Yahweh, but …