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Judas Iscariot's Profile
It is easy to overlook the
fact that Jesus chose Judas to be his disciple. We may also forget that while
Judas betrayed Jesus, all the disciples abandoned him. With the other
disciples, Judas shared a persistent misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. They
all expected Jesus to make the right political moves. When he kept talking about
dying, they all felt varying degrees of anger, fear, and disappointment. They
didn't understand why they had been chose if Jesus' mission was doomed to fail.
We do not know the exact motivation behind Judas's betrayal.
What is clear is that Judas allowed his desires to place him in a position where
Satan could manipulate him. Judas accepted payment to set Jesus up for the
religious leaders. He identified Jesus for the guards in the dimly lit Garden of
Gethsemane. It is possible that he was trying to force Jesus' hand - would Jesus
or would Jesus not rebel against Rome and set up a new political government?
Whatever his plan, though, at some point Judas realized he
didn't like the way things were turning out. He tried to undo the evil he had
done by returning the money to the priests, but it was too late. The wheels of
God's sovereign plan had been set into motion. How sad that Judas ended his life
in despair without ever experiencing the gift of reconciliation God could give
even to him through Jesus Christ.
Human feelings toward Judas have always been mixed. Some have
fervently hated him for his betrayal. Others have pitied him for not realizing
what he was doing. A few have tried to make him a hero for his part in ending
Jesus' earthly mission. Some have questioned God's fairness in allowing one man
to bear such guilt. While there are many feelings about Judas, there are some
facts to consider as well. He, by his own choice, betrayed God's Son into the
hands of soldiers (Luke 22:48). He was a thief (John 12:6). Jesus knew that
Judas's life of evil would not change (John 6:70). Judas's betrayal of Jesus was
part of God's sovereign plan (Psalm 41:9; Zechariah 11:12, 13; Matthew 20:18;
Matthew 26:20-25; Acts 1:16, 20).
In betraying Jesus, Judas made the greatest mistake in
history. But the fact that Jesus knew Judas would betray him doesn't mean that
Judas was a puppet of God's will. Judas made the choice. God knew what that
choice would be and confirmed it. Judas didn't lose his relationship with Jesus;
rather, he never found Jesus in the first place. He is called "doomed to
destruction" (John 17:12) because he was never saved.
Judas does us a favor if he makes us think a second time
about our commitment to God and the presence of God's Spirit within us. Are we
true disciples and followers, or uncommitted pretenders? We can choose despair
and death, or we can choose repentance, forgiveness, hope, and eternal life.
Judas's betrayal sent Jesus to the cross to guarantee that second choice, our
only chance. Will we accept Jesus' free gift, or, like Judas, betray him?
Judas Iscariot's Strengths and Accomplishments
1. He was chosen as one of the 12 disciples; the only non-Galilean
2. He kept the money bag for the expenses of the group
3. He was able to recognize the evil in his betrayal of Jesus
Judas Iscariot's Weaknesses and Mistakes
1. He was greedy (John 12:6)
2. He betrayed Jesus
3. He committed suicide instead of seeking forgiveness
Lessons from Judas Iscariot's Life
1. Evil plans and motives leave us open to being
used by Satan for even greater evil
2. The consequences of evil are so devastating that even small lies and little
wrongdoings have serious results
3. God's plan and his purposes are worked out even in the worst possible events
Judas Iscariot's Vital Statistics
1. Where: Possibly from the town of Kerioth
2. Occupation: Disciple of Jesus
3. Relative: Father: Simon
4. Contemporaries: Jesus, Pilate, Herod, the other 11 disciples
Key Verses
"Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one
of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the
temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus" (Luke 22:3, 4).
Judas's story is told in the Gospels. He is also
mentioned in Acts 1:18, 19.
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