The Gospel of Judas
The press seems abuzz with the news of the translation of a 2nd century Gnostic text which indicates that Judas Iscariot didn't really betray Jesus but acted at Jesus' request. Jesus to Judas, "You will exceed all of them (the other disciples) for you will sacrifice the man who clothes me."

That is, this is a "Gnostic gospel." The real Jesus needed to be released from the body of the man Jesus. And that is what the crucifixion was about.

Gnostics, contrary to the Old Testament and the orthodoxy that was eventually enshrined in the New Testament, believed that the material world is evil and that through secret knowledge one could be released from the restrictions of the material realm.

Christianity, like Judaism, affirms the value of the material aspect of reality. (e.g. After each act of creation in Genesis 1 the poet proclaims, "And God saw that it was good.")

While Gnosticism didn't really emerge as a school of teaching until the 2nd century, there are hints throughout the New Testament letters (1st century) that people with Gnostic-like tendencies were trying to usurp authority in the early church. Much of the Apostle Paul's teaching is devoted to addressing the issue and affirming the physical resurrection of Jesus.

The Gospel of Judas is significant in that it confirms that the issue/threat the Early Church Fathers addressed in their writings was real.

For some reason scholars like to release information about these kinds of discoveries around Easter or Christmas. I suppose they're hoping that people will be more reactive during the holidays. Really, though, the Gospel of Judas, while significant from an historical perspective, doesn't really offer new information or any kind of new insight into Jesus. The Fathers rejected this stuff when it was first introduced in the 2nd century.