Lady Gaga's Music Video for "Judas": My Interpretation
Since this interpretation is the closest one to mine, I'm just going to post it, but changing the things that I saw differently.
"The video starts with Mary Gaga riding a motorbike with a man (Jesus) along with 12 other bikers (The 12 Disciples). So I think this scene symbolizes the beginning of the Journey of these modern day holy figures Lady Mary Gaga is portraying Mary Magdalene in this video.
While she is with Jesus on the bike, she keeps looking back at Judas. She even keeps her focus on Judas, never taking her eyes off of him. They share a brief moment as they look at each other as Judas passes by her and Jesus.
She starts singing, and it shows the leather jackets having some imprints on it saying their name such as: Judas, John, Peter, and Thomas (4 of the 12 Disciples) . A short shot of Mary Gaga smiling and playing with the "Jesus" of this video is shown. They then arrive to the Electric Chapel (Song title from Born This Way) which is their hideout place; their congregating spot. This in my opinion is their "Jerusalem", their place and home.
The 1st verse is mostly performance and dance, but towards the end, they arrive at a party or a very messy meeting. Mary Gaga is shown pushing Judas.
The chorus is mostly dance but Judas is shown in this scene kissing two women, and Jesus looking worried.
The 2nd Verse starts with Mary Gaga and Jesus walking into the crowd, or perhaps a marketplace. She is also shown interacting with another disciple, Peter, in a short shot. She is also carrying a golden flail. Judas looks drunk and it looks like trouble is brewing, "Jesus" is looking worried again. He also tries to keep Mary Gaga away from Judas, most likely in fear of corrupting her.
The Chorus breaks out in what seems to be a bar-fight. Mary Gaga is shown looking fearful and trying to keep Jesus safe. They show themselves the way out of the fray, while Judas is still fighting, and flirting on the "dance floor" So to speak.
The breakdown begins whilst Mary Gaga and Jesus are walking to a gathering. On a stage, we see Jesus, Mary Gaga, and Judas. She is standing between them, holding a gun to Judas. She looks to Jesus as if she’s silently begging him not to make her do this; for both Jesus and Judas will both surely be killed. Jesus closes his eyes, and with a slight smile, shakes his head “no” as if silently tell her no, she must do this, or their destinies won’t be fulfilled. Mary Gaga hesitates, but finally using the lipstick to “mark” him a traitor. She falls to her knees in despair. Judas kisses Jesus twice on the cheeks, letting the chief priests know that he is Jesus. Jesus kisses Mary Gaga on her forehead, ultimately letting her know he forgives her and this is how it is meant to be, and that the ends will justify the means.
An abruptly brief interlude occurs. She is in the tub with Jesus and Judas, representing being caught between the Good (Jesus) and the Bad (Judas) She is cleaning Jesus’ feet; something Jesus did for his Disciples the day of his death. She is then shown being flooded away by waters; signifying being cleansed of her wrongful deeds. She clings to Jesus, who treats her as a person, who is her virtue. Whereas Judas pours beer all over Gaga; treating her like a cheap woman. Near the end of the video, Mary Gaga throws the bath water into Judas’s face.
The 2nd part of the breakdown begins as Mary Gaga raises her hands, and Judas is shown Kissing "Jesus" on the cheeks (this is what the actual Judas did to Jesus, betraying him with a kiss, so that chief priests knew that this man Judas kissed was Jesus.)
A final shot of Mary Gaga looking holy. She is stoned to death. Lady Gaga stated that this scene was made to represent how the Church treated Mary Magdalene for thousands of years; she was painted in an awful light. But I think I read recently that she wasn’t a woman of pleasure because she chose on her own to be, but because she was possessed by 7 demons - all of which Jesus cleansed from her.
It can also signify that even though Jesus forgave Mary Gaga, his followers - his people - did not; for them, they saw her as one that helped led the downfall of Jesus, by smearing the lipstick on Judas’s mouth…allowing Judas to betray Jesus. "
>Read the Original Interpretation here<
-------
Just for added FYI, when Mary Gaga sings “Build a house”, she is with Peter and giving him props - for he is the one that was assigned by Jesus to build his Church:
“According to Catholic belief, Peter was the first Bishop of Rome and chief pastor of the whole Roman Catholic Church-the Vicar of Christ upon Earth.[58] Although Peter never bore the title of "Pope", or "Vicar of Christ", the Catholic Church believes him to be the first Pope.[59] Therefore, they consider every pope to be Peter's successor and the rightful superior of all other bishops.
The Catholic Church's recognition of Peter as head of its church on Earth (with Christ being its heavenly head) is based on its interpretation of two passages from the Canonical Gospels of the New Testament. The first passage is John 21:15-17, which concludes with “feed my sheep”-seen by Catholics as Christ promising the spiritual supremacy to Peter. The Catholic Encyclopedia sees in this passage Jesus "charging [Peter] with the superintendency of all his sheep, without exception; and consequently of his whole flock, that is, of his own church”.[58] The second passage is Matthew 16:17-20:
I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven".
In reference to Peter's occupation before becoming an Disciples, the popes wear the Fisherman's Ring, which bears an image of the saint casting his nets from a fishing boat. The keys used as a symbol of the pope's authority refer to the "keys of the kingdom of Heaven" promised to Peter.[Matt. 16:18-19] The terminology of this "commission" of Peter is unmistakably parallel to the commissioning of Eliakim ben Hilkiah in Isaiah 22:15-23. Peter is often depicted in both Western and Eastern Christian art holding a key or a set of keys.
Though the authenticity of this account has been challenged, the general consensus is that these are Jesus' words.
So “Build a House” and Mary Gaga giving props to Peter is very metaphoric; “Build the house of God.””
-------
Ultimately, the song is about being in love two people; one that is good for her, and one that is bad, and repeatedly giving in to the darkness:
"Well Lady Gaga is very religious so I'd assume she is forgiving Judas for betraying Jesus, as Jesus died for the sins of man, and saying that he should be forgiven. Lady Gaga on the video/song:
"It's about leaving your darkness behind in order to come into the light,"
“Judas represents, for me, something that is bad for me that I can't escape. I keep going back and forth between the darkness and the light in order to understand who I am."
It's also about forgiveness, something that is also mentioned in the bible:
"Forgive us our trespasses [debtors] as we forgive those who have trespassed against us". Even though Judas betrayed Jesus and all of us by sending him to his death, she has found it in her heart to forgive and love the man regardless, as should we."