We Are All Judas, But There’s Hope

“Then one of the Twelve – the man called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?’ So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him. And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.” (Matthew 26:14-16)

This may be a provocative title for a Christian blog post, but it shouldn’t be. We all need to recognize our sin. To think we are above the sins of Judas – those of unbelief, greed, and betrayal of our Lord – is to reveal our pride and arrogance. You may not think you would betray the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, but you most certainly have turned against Him many times in your life.

Consider that you have blasphemed, harbored hatred in your heart, and lusted after that which you do not have. Look to the truth that you have sought worldly glory and possessions. Have you not sold out a coworker or a friend for a taste of fame and success? Are you not a criminal in chains, bent toward self-destruction, roaming about like a jackal and carving the flesh of a scavenged corpse with your rotten teeth?

Tell me, you who have not sold Christ, where is your love? Have you not put your faith in manmade doctrines, political aspirations, earthly kingdoms, and the fallible wisdom of men? Do you believe yourself innocent of the criminal enterprise, that you have not lent mind space to hatred, envy, strife, self-loathing, and the lust of the flesh? Do you not see that in your arrogance, you betray that you indeed have sold Christ for thirty pieces of silver?

We are all Judas. Whether it is for the lust of the eyes or the flesh, or the pride in one’s lifestyle, we honored the world and not our Father in heaven (1 John 2:16). We are all guilty of this self-same betrayal of our Lord Jesus Christ. And do not think that because you are saved unto eternal life, that you are incapable of this sin. You are not only Judas, but Peter as well.

What did Peter do on the night of Christ’s arrest? He denied Him three times, as it was prophesied by the Lord. Upon the third denial, he had a startling realization:

“About an hour later, another kept insisting, ‘This man was certainly with Him, since he’s also a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:59-62)

Be like him, because you are him, and weep. You will deny the Lord. You already have by pretending you have no sin. How can we who weep, betray, and deny expect to have a hope for tomorrow?

We are all Peter. We are all doubting Thomas. We are all Judas. But the key difference between us and Judas is that we may repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of His grace, His mercy, we can be forgiven all sins, including our betrayal of His Lordship. It was not Judas’s betrayal of the Lord which confirmed his condemnation. It was his refusal to acknowledge that he needed the grace of God.

What does the Scripture say?

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said. ‘What’s that to us?’ they [the chief priests] said. ‘See to it yourself!’ So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.’” (Matthew 27:3-5)

Judas recognized that he had sinned. He knew that he had betrayed an innocent party for selfish gain. He felt shame and condemnation for his actions. The problem was that rather than seeking forgiveness through Christ, he thought it better to relieve his tortured soul from the temporary pain he was experiencing via suicide. That’s not to say that the suicide itself condemned him – don’t mistake my words – but that his unbelief continued into death.

I don’t know where Judas is now, but I don’t think it’s heaven.

But fortunately for us, we do not have to make that same mistake. We can believe in the name of the One He (our Father in heaven) sent! By His grace and righteousness, His mercy upon sinners, we inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ.

For Scripture says: “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation…for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:8-10,13)

Yes, we can find ourselves in the worst of the apostles. But we, through Him, can find ourselves in Christ and for Christ by His glorious mercy upon us. Thanks and praise belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and may we all come to know His truth before we shuffle off this mortal coil.

Thank you for reading. I hope this hasn’t been a confusing or disheartening message. It is intended to be both uplifting and revealing to our character as human beings, even believers. May His blessings and His work in us shine brightly in the darkest corners. May the grace and peace of the Lord be with you. Amen.