Father, I am grateful that You enabled me to figure out how to prepare a video for tomorrow’s MoreThanUseless post! It’s a You thing, not a me thing! All praise to You!
Matthew 26:14-16, 27:1-10 (<<click here to read these passages)
For me, this is one of the most challenging and heart-wrenching passages of Scripture. I have written about Judas Iscariot before, and my mindset about him has not changed
Judas. One of the twelve. Chosen by Jesus. Thief. Betrayer. Universally despised. Embodiment of evil.
If you had asked any of the remaining eleven about him, they would have most assuredly spat his name out as if it were something putrid in their mouths. He would definitely not rank on anyone’s top 10 favorite Bible characters…but…
Was he a hopeless cause? …let me rephrase that… Is anyone a hopeless cause? How do you think Jesus saw him? Before Judas even met Him, He knew what Judas would do, but did that affect how he interacted with him?
Just think about it for a moment. When Jesus interacted with the teachers of the Law, he wasted no time setting them straight. But here is someone he knew would be instrumental in starting Him on the path to the cross. Yet he never once directly confronted him, though He referred to His betrayer many times throughout their time in the upper room as they observed the Passover Meal.
Can you imagine what was going through Jesus’ mind at that meal? John 13:2-5 reads,
It was during supper, when the devil had already put [the thought of] betraying Jesus into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that Jesus, knowing that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, got up from supper, took off His [outer] robe, and taking a [servant’s] towel, He tied it around His waist.
Then He poured water into the basin and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which was tied around His waist. AMP
Jesus washed Judas’ feet right along with all the other disciples.
Honestly, I don’t believe Jesus ever gave up on Judas. Judas gave up on himself. Judas ended his own life believing that he was beyond forgiveness. He alone thought his sin was unpardonable.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV
Let me ask: is there any translation of the Bible that reads
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever – except Judas Iscariot – believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Nope. No one, not even Christ’s betrayer, was excluded from the possibility of forgiveness.
I genuinely believe that if Judas had not ended his own life but had instead found himself before Christ and if he had humbly bowed before Him, begging forgiveness for his horrific act, Jesus would have forgiven him.
We all, though chosen by Christ, have betrayed Him at one time or another. I, for one, am grateful that He extends his forgiveness to everyone and forgives all of our dastardly deeds. His mercy, though incomprehensible on so many levels, is truly remarkable! Praise His holy name!
(Nov 5th, 2018, Mon, 4:47 pm)
Mar 27th, 2024, Wed, 8:33 pm
