Jesus calling Judas friend at the betrayal (Matthew 26:50) is likely both literal and ironic simultaneously.

Mike examines whether Jesus' use of friend (Greek: hetairos) to Judas at the moment of betrayal is sarcasm. He concludes it is probably both literal (Jesus genuinely treated Judas as a friend) and ironic (Judas is doing the most unfriendly act possible). Mark's account structurally reinforces the irony: Judas is identified as one of the twelve and uses a kiss — a culturally normal act of friendship — to betray. Sometimes biblical meaning is not either/or but both/and.