Judas Iscariot was chosen as the twelfth apostle by Jesus and later betrayed him. At first glance, the Lord could be considered faulty for having put his trust into a potential traitor.
Judas Iscariot was chosen as the twelfth apostle by Jesus and later betrayed him. At first glance, the Lord could be considered faulty for having put his trust into a potential traitor.
Strangely we hear that Jesus knew Judas’ real character from the very beginning.
“Have not I chosen twelve, and one of you is the devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, for he it was that should betray him” (Jn. 6:70-71).Judas was covetous and a thief. He stole out of the treasury bag of the apostolic band as John 12:6 tells us. We find him later going to the chief of priests of the Jews and saying to them”
“What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought to betray him” (Matt. 26:14-16).At the last supper, the Lord dipped a morsel of bread in sauce and gave it to Judas. This was a custom of the host to honor a guest and it is indicated as a pledge of love .The next thing we read of Judas is that when the Passover supper was ended, the devil “now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son to betray him” (Jn. 13:2).
Judas was already tempted and sinful before Satan possessed him. Despite the three and one-half years he spent in the company of Jesus, his heart was untouched by all, never yielded his heart and soul to Christ. He carried out his thievery and covetousness which opened his heart to carry out Satan’s evil design.
When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned, “He felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to that yourself!’ And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hung himself” (Matt. 27:3-5). Instead of repenting to God, he went out and committed suicide. So Peter later said: “Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:25). He did not go to paradise as the repentant, dying thief did. How sad is the history of Judas who sold his soul to Satan for money. It was truly as the Lord said, “It had been good for that man if he had never been born” (Matt. 26:24).
