32 Question 3

Let’s start by reading Matthew 27:1-5, “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. 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.”

Now let’s do a background check on Judas.  We know that Judas was one of the Lord’s twelve apostles as we read in Matthew 10:2-4, “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”  Let’s compare that verse to John 6:70-71 which says, “Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?  He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”  Although Judas was one of the twelve apostles, the Lord Jesus knew Judas’ heart.  He called him a devil.  Throughout the history of the apostles while the Lord was on the earth, Judas worked alongside the others and they never suspected that Judas’ heart was not with the Lord.

Judas was so trusted by the others that he was given the job of being the treasurer among the apostles and it was only in hindsight that they realized that he was a thief.  Let’s read John 12:3-6, “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.”

Now let’s read Mark 14:16-19, “And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?”  When the Lord announced that one of the apostles would betray him, it seems that no one suspected that it would be Judas.  Each one asked the Lord, “Is it I?”  No one said, “I’m sure it’s Judas.”  How subtle he was not to draw attention to himself; but the Lord knew his heart.  Even though Judas had already bargained with the chief priests to betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, he kept up his act of innocence as we read in Matthew 26:25, “Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.”

Let’s read the occasion of Judas’ dealing with the high priests in Matthew 26:14-16 where it says, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto 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 opportunity to betray him.”  We see that it was Judas that approached them, asking for money to betray the Lord.  Notice the Lord’s words concerning the one who would betray him.  Matthew 26:24 says, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

But, didn’t Judas repent as we read in Matthew 27:3-4, “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…”?  Look carefully at his confession.  Judas said, “I have betrayed the innocent blood.”  In those words, he did not confess the Lord Jesus Christ as being the holy Son of God.  He only acknowledged that Jesus was innocent of the crimes that he was charged with.  Judas was probably shocked at the treatment that the Lord received.  Perhaps he didn’t realize that Jesus would be beaten so severely and then crucified.  He felt bad for his part in the death of an innocent man.  That is not confession unto salvation.

I think it is obvious from the scriptures that Judas was not a saved man.  He pretended to be for a while, but his motives finally revealed himself to all.  He never fooled the Lord, however.  1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…the LORD looketh on the heart.”