Judas Iscariot maybe the most despised person in human history. Did the New Testament writers have such a disdain for him that they always listed him last when naming the disciples? In many of the early century writings about Judas, shows a very high level of contempt for him. Church leaders and biblical scholars have labeled him some sort of misfit, who was a living definition of disaster. Judas' brand is "betrayal," and will always be thought as such for the rest of human history. Was he saved?
There is no doubt God had a righteous reason for all that he did with reference to Judas, but it isn't quite revealed to us in scripture. In John 17:12, Judas Iscariot is referred to as the "son of perdition," which means, man doomed to destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 also mentions the "son of perdition" but in context its talking about the antichrist. The fact that Judas is mentioned by Jesus as the "son of perdition" and that the antichrist is mentioned in the same manner, speaks volumes to the heart of Judas.
John 6:70 Jesus said, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" Our Lord Jesus called Judas a devil. The word is not "demon" but "devil"(diabolos). Apart from Satan, Judas is the only one to have this term applied to him in scripture.
Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Judas was part of this "counsel" and "wicked hands." Its obvious before Jesus was captured that Judas' heart was wicked, but what about afterwards? Did Judas repent?
Matthew 27:3-5 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood, and they said, what is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
Did Judas repent and become a believer? The word "repented" in the verse above, means remorseful, from the Greek word "metameleoma", which means "to regret". So this is different from repentance to salvation. Judas may have regretted what he did to Jesus, but he did not truly repent. Judas betrays innocent blood for money, feel guilty, returns the money, and commits suicide. These could be actions of a guilty conscience, not a forgiven and regenerate one.
Judas followed the same Jesus as the other disciples. For three years he saw the same miracles, heard the same teachings, and was a part of the same ministries as all the others. Yet he did not become what the other disciples became. Judas looks as though he became the very opposite. He became Satan's tool. Judas is called the "son of perdition," which implies that of a person that is in an unredeemable state. Forgiveness may not have been planned for Judas and that Jesus knew his heart beforehand. Judas said, "I have sinned. I have betrayed the innocent blood." Many claim by this statement that Judas repented and believed, therefore he was saved. But did he really know Jesus? Could Judas be one of those that comes to Jesus at judgement and Jesus says, "I never knew you: depart from me." In Acts 1:25 when Judas fell, "might go to his own place." Where is his own place? Is it separated from the saved?
Whatever Judas' character was at the beginning of Jesus' ministry gradually became a wicked man who betrayed Jesus. Greed, ambition, and worldliness most likely crept into his heart, and became blinded of Jesus' Deity. Judas could be the greatest example of lost opportunity.
There is no doubt God had a righteous reason for all that he did with reference to Judas, but it isn't quite revealed to us in scripture. In John 17:12, Judas Iscariot is referred to as the "son of perdition," which means, man doomed to destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 also mentions the "son of perdition" but in context its talking about the antichrist. The fact that Judas is mentioned by Jesus as the "son of perdition" and that the antichrist is mentioned in the same manner, speaks volumes to the heart of Judas.
John 6:70 Jesus said, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" Our Lord Jesus called Judas a devil. The word is not "demon" but "devil"(diabolos). Apart from Satan, Judas is the only one to have this term applied to him in scripture.
Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." Judas was part of this "counsel" and "wicked hands." Its obvious before Jesus was captured that Judas' heart was wicked, but what about afterwards? Did Judas repent?
Matthew 27:3-5 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood, and they said, what is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
Did Judas repent and become a believer? The word "repented" in the verse above, means remorseful, from the Greek word "metameleoma", which means "to regret". So this is different from repentance to salvation. Judas may have regretted what he did to Jesus, but he did not truly repent. Judas betrays innocent blood for money, feel guilty, returns the money, and commits suicide. These could be actions of a guilty conscience, not a forgiven and regenerate one.
Judas followed the same Jesus as the other disciples. For three years he saw the same miracles, heard the same teachings, and was a part of the same ministries as all the others. Yet he did not become what the other disciples became. Judas looks as though he became the very opposite. He became Satan's tool. Judas is called the "son of perdition," which implies that of a person that is in an unredeemable state. Forgiveness may not have been planned for Judas and that Jesus knew his heart beforehand. Judas said, "I have sinned. I have betrayed the innocent blood." Many claim by this statement that Judas repented and believed, therefore he was saved. But did he really know Jesus? Could Judas be one of those that comes to Jesus at judgement and Jesus says, "I never knew you: depart from me." In Acts 1:25 when Judas fell, "might go to his own place." Where is his own place? Is it separated from the saved?
Whatever Judas' character was at the beginning of Jesus' ministry gradually became a wicked man who betrayed Jesus. Greed, ambition, and worldliness most likely crept into his heart, and became blinded of Jesus' Deity. Judas could be the greatest example of lost opportunity.
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