Robert E. colwell

The Old Testament’s teachings and the gospels in the New Testament are accounts of God’s providence in making forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God available to all humankind. Forgiveness of sins is possible only because of God’s mercy.

 

             “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will                              

             remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

 

     So, the question is, after experiencing the ultimate betrayal which led to His persecution and death, was there a change in Jesus’ attitude toward Judas? If yes, how so? Was He angry? How angry? On a scale of 1-10, with ten being greatest, what level do you think Jesus’ anger reached? If He was not angry, did He pray for Judas, or did He simply erase him from His mind?

 

     Several Bible passages indicate that Jesus could perceive what was on the inside of man and knew in advance what men would do.

 

             “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that                  

              anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)

 

     Reflecting on the passage above, do you think Jesus was unaware of Judas’ propensity to steal when He put him in charge of the moneybag? And knowing that Judas was coming with soldiers to betray Him, did Jesus not purposely wait for them to arrive? Still, the most important question for consideration is this: Did Jesus expect the betrayal to result in Judas being eternally separated from God? 

 

     If your answer to this last question is yes, are we to believe that the Messiah chose Judas as His disciple, knowing exactly what was in him; and then placed Judas in charge of the moneybox to allow his nature to unfold; and then permitted the dooming of Judas’ soul for doing exactly what was expected of him? Are we to believe that the Messiah, the very personification of mercy, who came to earth to save the lost, would fulfill such a role for all of humankind except for Judas?

 

    Furthermore, did Jesus anticipate that Judas would become remorseful? Did He not foresee that Judas would return the 30 pieces of silver and declare that he had sinned by betraying innocent blood? (Matthew 27:3-5)

 

     If sin is what separates us from God, then confessing our sin, as explained in Proverbs 28:13, is the path to receiving God’s mercy: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”

  

     Reflecting on the above, is there mercy for Judas? Considering the person that Judas sinned against, most people would instinctively say, “No.” Their answer is based on the belief that eternal damnation is an appropriate punishment for wasting the unspeakably valuable life of Jesus Christ. This presumed unforgivable evil offense and anger prevents many people from grasping the loving merciful nature that characterizes Christ.

 

     Admittedly, there’s little scriptural evidence to directly support or deny traditional conclusions about Judas’ spiritual fate; not much is known about him beyond his betrayal. Yet, the boundless love and divine character, and sovereign will of God that’s displayed throughout the Bible could suggest that mercy for Judas is precisely what God intended.

 

     The goal of this book is to reveal mercy, the misery-removing power of God, as something attainable for all who seek it, even for someone like Judas.