Judas was not an ignorant man from Galilee, but an educated man from Jerusalem who was well suited to be a treasurer.
I don’t think I have fully grasped the huge scope and magnificence of free will. I can see and have seen how a single choice of one person can affect thousands – whether it be an Adolph Hitler or a Billy Graham.
Consider Hitler, Stalin and many other cruel – vile – viscious dictators throughout history. Remember that God takes no pleasure (Ezekiel 33:11) in the death of the wicked. I may wonder why not but it is because He is not willing (2 Peter 3:9) that any should perish. Such persons made a free-will choice to join Satan’s team and became His slaves.
But Judas is in a category all by himself.
The Holy Spirit explained to me why God created Lucifer and I’m asking Him (if permissible) to show me deeper into the case of Judas. Consider with me - - Jesus chose 12 (Luke 6:12-16) and named them apostles. And this was the morning after He’d spent the whole night in prayer with His Father. My question is – why did he choose Judas? I will never believe that God created a baby named Judas in his mother’s womb in order to damn him. This is where the magnitude of free-will makes me desperately in need of the Almighty Holy Spirit’s teaching. I am in awe of the way He answers my questions. First, He floods my mind with Scriptures – many of which I would not ordinarily relate to each other. Then He implants in my mind a scenario that continues to develop until it is complete. Was the MAN Christ Jesus troubled just for Himself (John 13:21) or was it also because of the clear picture of the horrors wrapped up in the staggering scope and consequences of human free-will? He said – My soul is troubled AND one of you will betray me. Come with me and we’ll try to follow Judas from the beginning.
When Jesus began His public ministry His fame spread rapidly. Because of His authority in teaching and power to heal, people hoped He was the Messiah, Who would crush Rome and set up the Kingdom of God very, very soon. Wherever Jesus was, throngs gathered and crowds continually followed Him. One man in that crowd was not an ignorant man from Galilee but an educated man from Jerusalem who was well suited to be a treasurer. Judas saw an opportunity (or so he thought) to get himself a highly paid position in the kingdom. So he signed on as a disciple. When Jesus selected 12 from among the disciples to be named apostles, He included Judas. Judas continued to dream up his plans but he could not control his greed until he got the “big job” so he stole from the offering bag (John 12:6) because he was a thief but the logical one to deal with finance. The other disciples didn’t recognize it but Jesus always knew (John 6:70-71) one of you is a devil. Jesus commissioned the 12 including Judas (Luke 9:1-2) and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases.
Take note of Satan’s strategy to trap Judas into doing what Satan wanted. His foothold in Judas was his greed, which became a stronghold. Although Satan fed his illusions he had no intention or concern about a high position for Judas. Satan’s plan for Judas was much greater - - to use him as the devil’s tool to destroy Jesus.
One day Mary in an act of loving worship poured very expensive perfume over the (John 12:3) feet of Jesus. Hypocrite Judas cared not a whit for the poor but regretted that he could not have sold it under false pretence and kept the money.
THEN – Jesus said something and his words were like a bomb which exploded all the greedy illusions and plans of Judas. He said – she has anointed Me for My burial. Now Judas knew there was not an imminent kingdom, “no big job” and Jesus really would die.
Satan’s strategy again – get at least something for yourself.
The word apostle means messenger – so where did the aspostle of darkness go with his message? THEN Judas went to the high priest and religious leaders (Matthew 26:14-15) to negotiate a price for betraying Jesus. In the upper room – at the last supper – after Judas received the sop from the hand of Jesus – Satan entered into him and he became evil incarnate. He went out and it was night – forever night – never-ending night. Now Satan is taunting him – torturing him (Matthew 27:3-5) but remorse and self-pity are no substitute for repentance and repentance was no longer possible for Judas. I personally consider his suicide – murder by Satan.
Impossible (Hebrews 6:4-6) to renew them to repentance. Why? Because (Romans 1:21) when they knew God they refused to worship and glorify Him as the One True God. In the imagination of his foolish heart, Judas tried to use God to enable him to worship and profit from his chosen god of greed.
Judas certainly knew God and saw His works – even participated in them. He spent more than three years with Jesus – he saw all the miracles John saw who became the apostle of love – he had experienced all that Peter had who became God’s spokesman on the Day of Pentecost.
So – what? – how? – why? - - -
In a great house (2 Timothy 2:20) there are many vessels – some for honour and some for dishonour. But we, the living vessels, can freely choose what fills us. We have the glorious privilege of (Ephesians 5:18) being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now again – awe and mystery grip me as I try to fit free-will in with (Romans 9:21-24) – doesn’t the Potter have power over the clay to make of the same lump one vessel to honour and another to dishonour? I see that that this has to tie in with free-will because God will never retract our free-will power of choice. We know that God will never – could never – make a Spirit-filled person a vessel of dishonour. More and more I see the gigantic responsibility and glorious privilege of a free will that can choose to co-operate with the Almighty Sovereign of the universe.
God dwells (1Timothy 6:16) in unapproachable light and that light is the blinding light of His holiness. A clear picture of his fierce holiness is seen in the furious outrage of Divine wrath which was poured unrelentingly on the Lamb of Calvary. But for us now, because of the perfect atonement of Jesus, there is a Propitiation – a Mercy Seat in the depths of the burning light of God’s holiness (Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2). Terror is gone – unapproachable is past – now we come confidently (Hebrews 4:16) to the throne of grace and our fellowship (1 John 1:3) is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Lord, I have shut the door, counsel my soul,
Thy holy will reveal – my will control.