It Was A Setup
So, I love Jesus Christ Superstar, and before you ask, I have yet to see yesterday’s performance. Soooooooon. So, I’m going to be talking about this musical a bit because I want to and I don’t know where else to go with my ~thoughts~ and so here I am! But before I go further, have a disclaimer!
Disclaimer: everything in this post is solely about the musical, and not about the Bible or Christianity or Judaism or anything as a whole. I have no background in biblical study, or religion of any kind. Please do not yell at me. Also, this post is all over the place and probably incoherent. Please don’t yell at me about that, either. Please, however, feel free to discuss!
Anyway, I was listening to the soundtrack today - it’s my favorite version from London in the...I believe it’s the 90s. And I’ve always kind of loved Judas, because he’s totally problematic at times, but basically he’s mostly just concerned for his friends and family? And thinks maybe he’s accidentally in a cult? So, he questions things! And yeah, okay, sex workers are people too and he needs to get behind that, but he’s not a terrible dude.
So he does what he thinks is best, what will help his buddy Jesus and keep the Roman army from killing them all and aid the poor and destitute. And it ultimately doesn’t really go the way he wants it to, but he couldn’t possibly know that, how could he?
But Jesus knows it. And what does he do? Instigates - manipulates! - Judas into betraying him. Judas even calls him on it, but Jesus has to make the poor man feel like garbage just to reach some end game that God has decided (or has he? The musical does not explicitly agree that Jesus is actually the Messiah or that there is, in fact, a god. Instead, it sets everything up so that we question Jesus).
So Jesus basically yells at Judas passive-aggressively about him doing...exactly what Jesus needs him to do. And then, when Judas shows up to do the thing, Jesus just twists the “how can you betray me?!” knife. Judas is just trying to show Jesus he still loves him and he is lost and wants to make sure everything is okay for everyone and “guys, really, I think we’re all in a cult!” And he explicitly states he didn’t want to get anyone hurt, especially Jesus.
So then, wracked with guilt, Judas commits suicide. Because Jesus was kind of a dick and used Judas as a punching bag because his dad is abusing him, basically.
Then I thought it would be great if Jesus and Judas reunite in Heaven and tearfully embrace and Jesus apologizes for being such a douche to his best friend (and to Peter. And to Pilate. And to Mary for creepin’ on her and making her bathe him, which he could totally do himself.) And that got me all weepy. Like, just, “No, that was really terrible of me and I realize now that was terrible and the whole world hates you and it’s my fault and I’m so, so sorry.”
And then that got me thinking. My overall interpretation could be summed up by the titular song (i.e. a questioning of faith and myth), but it could also be that Judas is the sacrifice. Judas is the one who comes back to us after causing his own death. He’s the one whose actions come not from preknowledge (“you’d know the truth, but you’d live a lie”), but from the heart. He’s the one who has the final word (so to speak) as Jesus is left crying for his mother (and fair, crucifiction must be excruciating).
But Jesus has spent the whole show being weirdly cryptic, bossing people around like he owns all of Jerusalem, accepting praise, telling people they wouldn’t understand, being choosy about who can get healed and who can’t, and letting fate rule his life (while also being really mad that he’s letting fate rule his life). He’s like a terrible hipster who started a cult before it was cool.
Jesus does everything by faith. Judas questions his faith and thinks for himself. While both end up dying (in effect, both end up killing themselves), Judas comes back as Elvis and gets to keep questioning, and have the final word. I think the message could be that we all end up the same way, but those who question have agency over their lives. And that’s kind of a nice message, I think.
In any case, I wept. A lot. Like, sobbed openly for Judas, and what a toxic friend Jesus was being. Judas, who wanted so passionately to help the poor in the here and now, and not raise up a martyr for divine praise. Because what’s heaven worth to a starving child?
Maybe it even comes down to the importance of (doing good deeds/doing the right thing/having good intentions) in the life you have been given, and how that goodness (rather than acknowledgement of Jesus as the son of god) is really the key to Heaven (because there’s no way Judas is in Hell, unless it’s cool Hell where you dress like “The King” and sing songs?) and redemption.
So, yeah, those are my thoughts I guess? I just feel like there’s no one to talk to about it because most people I know understand the musical as “Yaaaay, Jesus!” Which is fine, but is also a touchy subject that’s difficult for me to discuss without people thinking I’m attacking their religion. (I promise I’m not, I’m just here to think about a musical!)
Okay, bye!
