I was listening to a podcast on the doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints and interestingly, "Peter & Judas" were used as an example to illustrate this doctrine.We know BOTH Peter & Judas "betrayed" our LORD Jesus Christ. Peter denied the LORD 3 times while Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 silver coins. So the question raised was - since both were "wickedly bad", how come our LORD chose to forgive Peter only?
The above reminded me of a conversation I had with a dear brother in Christ not too long ago. The question was along similar line - How come the LORD did not save Judas? The brother's logic was - without Judas' act of betrayal, Jesus wouldn't have been handed over to the religious leaders which ended in His crucifixion. So in a sense, Judas "deserved" some mercy for his "contribution" to the salvation of mankind, and not to mention the fact that he DID spend 3 years with the LORD (kinda like - at least for old time sake la)....
On a side note, I guess that's a similar logic that applies to the Mary of RC. After all, without her participation, Jesus would not have been born...and so on and so forth...and one thing led to another...the Mary of RC now is basically a Goddess all by herself...but thats another story altogether :P
So coming back to the question - How come the LORD did not forgive Judas?
Well, the short answer is - Judas deserved death a zillion times over & was foreordained so.
The Scripture is crystal clear that Judas Iscariot deserved NO MERCY. Jesus called him a devil...a son of perdition:
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.
(Joh 6:70-71 ESV)
"While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
(Joh 17:12 NASB)
It is also crystal clear that Jesus knew loooooooooong ago (from before the foundation of time) that Judas would betray Him. In fact Jesus CURSED Judas:
"But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"
(Luk 22:21-22 NASB)
So case closed for Judas' end and his ETERNAL damnation.
But what about Simon Peter? O...BLESSED is Peter... :)
"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
(Luk 22:31-32 NASB)
BLESSED are you Saints, you Elect of the LORD... for our LORD has prayed long ago that your faith MAY NOT FAIL... Hallelujah!
4 comments:
I agree that God knew that Judas would betray Jesus before he was even created. But i do not believe he was forordained. Everyone has a choice to serve Jesus or not. If Judas hadn't done it, someone else did, Judas CHOSE that. Besides, instead of killing himself (which the bible said was because he felt guilty, am i right) he could have asked for forgiveness. He would of gotten it too. He hadn't done the unforgivable of blasphemy. Judas DID have a choice...he just chose, well, wrong.
@Soldier
1) Yes, I agree Judas "chose" to betray Jesus out of his "free will" with the "help" from Satan since Scriptures tell us:
Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.
(Luk 22:3-4)
During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
(Joh 13:2)
Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
(Joh 13:26-27)
2) The nature of his death was also foretold in OT:
Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel,
(Mat 27:8-9)
And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.'
(Act 1:19-20)
3) The LORD did not choose to guard or protect Judas as others, eg, Peter (who never seek forgiveness from Jesus but rather it was the LORD who sought him out later after the resurrection):
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
(Joh 17:12)
We see that indeed Judas Iscariot was fully guilty for his own series of "wrong choices"...but somehow from a bigger picture, his life was also very much "scripted" by agents unknown to him...("alien" to us)...
Or else, imagine the situation during the night of the Last Supper, when the fate of the universe hung onto the necessity of every one doing his part (almost as actors playing out a play)... suddenly, Judas changed his mind NOT to leave the Upper Room to betray the LORD...but instead confessed his earlier trip to the Pharisees... ;)
O well, the mystery of it all!
well its just so hard for us "mortals" to understand. like God knew judas would do it...judas had a choice, but God knew what the final choice would be. One of those things you can't know for sure until u get to heaven.
God Bless
Mr. Ting
also, i would like to ask if there is anyway that i could contribute to this blog. I want to help, become a partner...something...plz respond ^_^
@Soldier
I appreciate your offer of help. I crave your support in prayers.
The LORD bless you.
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