With much hype, controversy and media anticipation Lady Gaga’s video for the song “Judas” finally debuted to millions of views. The mega pop star sought to shock the world with her song “Judas” an ode to the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ and for thirty pieces of silver agreed to help have Jesus arrested and unlawfully executed. In the video Lady Gaga plays Mary Magdalene, a disciple of Jesus Christ in the Bible. However in the video, Mary Magdalene is in a romantic relationship with Jesus and is caught in a love triangle between Jesus and Judas and ultimately chooses Judas. Both the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, along with the elevation of Judas are hallmarks of Gnosticism, a mystical spin-off of Christianity that takes all of the Biblical concepts and turns them upside down.
In Gnosticism Lucifer or Satan is actually a liberator who was sent from the unknowable, remote, God to bring “light” and wake up humanity who is trapped in the prison of the material world. Thus in contrast to the Bible, the serpent’s offer to Eve in the Garden of Eden, which helped bring sin and death into the world, was really the offer of the secret knowledge or Gnosis. This Gnosis allows man to raise his consciousness and become god. Additionally, in the Gnostic texts, Judas, the villain of the Bible, was a hero who worked together with Jesus. All of these ideas go completely against the basic truths of the Christian faith and the video’s imagery puts them on display.
Gaga’s Love for Judas
The video for Judas opens up with a biker gang driving on a highway. From the biker jackets we quickly note that this is supposed to be a depiction of “Jesus and the Twelve Disciples.” Gaga is riding with “Jesus” but soon, Judas shoots ahead of the pack and captures her attention. It is clear from the shot that Gaga is captivated by Judas who gives her a glance as he pulls off. So the video confirms the lyrics and the Gnostic understanding: the choosing of giving one’s love to Judas over Jesus. At the same time the symbols of Jesus as a part of a biker gang distort His true image as God and creator of the universe and makes Him much more like a regular human.

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