Christian Crier
Here are seven Bible verses relating to Judas Iscariot.
John 6:70-71 “Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.”
Christians should understand that they didn’t choose Christ but that He chose them. That’s what the Apostle John wrote in John 6:44 where he said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44) and “why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father” (John 6:65). As John wrote elsewhere, it is “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
John 12:4-6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”
Judas didn’t really care about the poor, as we might assume here, but as the Scripture reveals, it was “because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” Sadly, today he is living in eternal torment and regret, or as Jesus says, a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28), and exactly the same place that everyone who reads this and rejects Jesus as Lord and Savior and God will go. There are many tares in the church today. Remember, Judas was a church treasurer and no one had a clue but Jesus.
Luke 6:16 “And Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”
When Jesus was selecting the twelve disciples, He also chose Judas Iscariot, knowing that he would betray Him, but why? It’s the fulfillment of prophecy (Psalm 41:9), but even Judas didn’t realize that he being used was to fulfill prophecy, but God uses evil for His own good purposes (Gen 50:20), the worst of which was the cross, where much evil produce exceeding good (John 3:16).
Matthew 27:3-4 “Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
Judas changed his mind when he saw that Jesus was going to die, however there is no hint that Judas ever repented. He could have fallen on his face and asked for forgiveness but he didn’t. He simply went out and hanged himself, showing that he knew that he was not repentant or remorseful, but that his planned had failed (as far as he knew), but his wickedness made possible the salvation of many.
Psalm 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.”
There are many prophesies about Jesus’ betrayal, including the one just cited by the psalmist above. If Jesus were to come back to earth today as the Christ, it wouldn’t only be the Jews who would reject Him but all mankind would. He would end up in prison or being executed. Humans have not changed since the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The human heart is just too corrupt (Jer 17:9). For those who read this and still refuse to believe in Jesus, it would have been better for them to have not known the truth because they are now responsible for what they know. They only suppress this truth and have no excuse before God (Rom 1:18-20) because they are more lovers of their own pleasure and self than lovers of God (2nd Tim 3:4).
Matthew 27:5 “And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.”
It was too late for Judas. What had been done was done. It was irreversible. Judas changed his mind but he never changed his heart. He was so despondent over his failed plan that he committed suicide, yet many today are headed for a fate far worse than suicide because Jesus warns all non-believers to “not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).
Acts 1:25 “To take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
The Book of Acts tells us that Judas went “to his place,” which is obviously hell. This was prophesied hundreds of years by the psalmist (Psalm 41:9) and came to pass by Judas’ fulfillment of his betraying Jesus for a mere thirty pieces of silver. Today, most will reject Him for their own life of pleasure and sin, and as it were, their own thirty pieces of silver and which will be useless on the Day of Judgment.
Conclusion
Since only God can look into the heart (1st Sam 16:7), only He knows who is His and who are of the devil. None but Jesus knew that Judas was not a true disciple but was more interested in money than in God. None of the other disciples had a clue as to the identity of him who would betray Christ but Jesus did and only later, did it become obvious to the disciples when Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, asking Judas, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss” (Luke 22:48). Today, there are many who will read this and reject Jesus as God and like Judas, “the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” John 17:12) will go to their place (Rev 21:8). Just a brief glance at those who leave condescending comments about believing in God will tell you who they are. In reading this and reject this, they have sealed their own fate permanently, unless they repent and believe.
Article by Jack Wellman
Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.
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