Jesus, the Son of God did not lack omniscience when He took on the form of a man. He came into the world as fully God and fully man. So even if He experienced what it is like to be in the flesh, He never forgot His true identity. Paul writes in Colossians 2:9, “For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” This means because Jesus is omniscient and omnipresent (present not just spatially but also in time) he knew exactly how each of the twelve disciples would respond and behave in the various situations they would be in. Yet, it seems Jesus made a mistake in including Judas Iscariot to be one of the twelve apostles. Perhaps if Judas would have been among those who just hung around with the general crowd, we’d just be slightly shocked at his betrayal as we would an accident. But being among The Twelve makes his treachery cut more deeply. How could a man who was so physically close he could actually touch Jesus, hear His whisper, notice His faintest facial expressions, and be intimately familiar with His voice even turn out to be a traitor? We know the story of what this Judas did to Jesus, and we can be certain Jesus knew exactly what Judas would do to him.
Yet, throughout the four Gospel accounts, we never find clues that Jesus treated Judas any less kindly than He did the others. We never find an instance of Jesus discouraging Judas so he would just quietly leave the group because, from outward appearance, he was a misfit. Jesus could have made him turn back just as how the rich young man “went away sorrowful” in Matthew 19:16-22 because he could not do what Jesus told him was the requirement to be His perfect follower. In his case, it was to be loosened from his attachment to earthly wealth.
Why the Perfidy?
Let me digress a bit here. The intent of this article is to propose some reasons why Jesus allowed Judas to be a part of His team. But this begs the question of why Judas turned out to be a Brutus. There is a hint as to the reason for Judas’ treachery. One can be seen in John 12:6. “But he said this, not that he was caring for the poor, but that he was a thief and held the moneybag and carried away the things being put in.” The apostle John discloses that Judas was in a habit of dipping his hand in the collection bag that contained the money people gave to Jesus for His ministry out of their gratitude for the healing and consolation they received from Him.
Judas’ attraction to mammon is also noticed in Matthew 26:6-13 which narrates how a woman broke an alabaster vase of precious ointment and poured its contents on Jesus’ head, an action that elicited surprise and indignation among the disciples because they deemed it was a waste of money which could have been given to the poor (in verse 9). This verse is telling us that although people contributed to Jesus’ ministry, He also gave them back to the poor who were in need. His ministry was certainly a non-profit one! How far we’ve strayed from the ways of God! Now back to this interesting story. Although nobody among the disciples is named as to who verbalized this blatant “waste” of resources at the woman, there is a hint that Judas started this. You see, Jesus rebuked the disciples’ attitude and heart position by saying in Matthew 26:10-13, “Why do you cause trouble to the woman? For she worked a good work toward Me. For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. For in putting this ointment on My body, she did it in order to bury Me. Truly I say to you, Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in all the world, what she did will be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
Not only did Jesus rebuke them, He even praised the woman and guaranteed her a permanent place in the Gospel’s Hall of Fame!
And where was all this taking place? Verse 6 says this was in Bethany, in Simon the leper’s house. Do you know who Judas Iscariot’s father is? Simon (John 6:71, John 12:4, John 13:2, and John 13:26! Apparently, John was familiar with the background of Judas Iscariot he had to mention this fact four times! I propose this Simon the leper is really Judas Iscariot’s father and Jesus and His disciples were in this house with Judas and his father as hosts of this gathering. And after Judas shows his contempt for the woman, Jesus rebukes him in his own home! If this is the case, this could be the spark that ignited Judas’ fuse so that in frustration and embarrassment, he decides to SELL Jesus. We see this in verses 14 to 16 of the same chapter. “Then one of the twelve going to the chief priests, the one called Judas Iscariot, said, What will you give to me, and I will deliver Him up to you? “And they weighed to him thirty silver pieces.” Just as prophesied in Zechariah 11:12. And from then he sought an opportunity that he might betray Him.” Two birds with one stone – sweet vengeance and easy money. There is a third angle that I also deem plausible that would give Judas added justification for this wicked deed. Let me expound on this point of view.
If you would notice, after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples before ascending to heaven and gave them what is known as the “Great Commission” in Matthew 28:18-20. But in verse 17 it says, “And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but SOME DOUBTED.” They wavered in opinion about Him and everything that was going on because up to that moment, they were expecting Jesus to set up the political and military Kingdom of Israel! This is what they inquired from the resurrected Jesus in Acts 1:6, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The disciples still didn’t get it! Not until Pentecost would they be empowered and filled by the Holy Ghost only then would they begin to understand that the Kingdom of God is both present and future. The physical is yet to come, but the spiritual had already come and is being established in the hearts of men.
Therefore, if the “better” disciples really hoped for a physical restoration of the Kingdom of Israel with Jesus as King, it is not improbable that Judas also shared this sentiment. The only thing is, Judas was of a different breed. Not only did he love money, he wanted to make things happen the way he wanted it. So in Judas’ mind, there was only one way to accomplish this, and it is by putting Jesus in a situation where He is forced into assuming Kingship – Jesus must be arrested, put to trial by the religious phonies, and then He would light up the fireworks! Jesus would show these religious fakes and Roman authorities who He really is, and what power He really has being the Son of God! The Kingdom of Israel would finally be born! Or so, he thought.
So Judas sets up His arrest but is shocked to see that Jesus didn’t put up any resistance and even allowed Himself to be condemned and intending to put Him to death by delivering Him to Pontius Pilate the coward governor who easily yields to popular pressure and will do anything the people screams for him to do. We would no longer be surprised why Judas Iscariot, who was hopeful and 30 silver coins richer ended up horrified and utterly remorseful at his stupidity. We read in Matthew 27:3-5, “Then Judas, the one betraying Him, seeing that He was condemned, repenting, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, I sinned, betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is it to us? You see to it. And tossing the silver pieces into the temple, he left. And going away he hanged himself.”
All these seem to explain why thirty pieces of silver were enough for him to sell Jesus out to the Jewish religious authorities. But his scheme would be wiped out in less than a day and his soul would forever regret this sin in the horrors of hell.
So Why Did Jesus Tolerate Judas?
There are two reasons I can find to answer that question.
- Jesus being the Omniscient and Omnipotent God spoke and did those things that fulfilled Scripture. As a human being, He confined Himself to the limits of His Word. He is, after all The Word of God. By demonstrating to the disciples what obedience to the Word looks like, we understand that our lives as Christ’s followers are to show this unsaved world what God can do to any person who decides to follow Him. Jesus’ priestly prayer in John 17 reveals His omniscience. He says, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name; I guarded those whom You gave to Me, and not one of them was lost, except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (John 17:12) What Scripture?
Jesus appropriates David’s cry for help and healing in Psalm 41:5-9 which says, “My enemies speak evil of me, saying, When will he die and his name perish? And when he comes to see me he speaks vanity; his heart gathers iniquity to itself; he goes outside and speaks. All those hating me whisper together against me; they plot evil against me, saying, A thing of ruin is poured out on him; and, He who lies down shall not rise again. Even a man desiring my welfare, I trusted in him, eating of my bread; this one has lifted up his heel against me.” These verses certainly describe Judas Iscariot and the religious leaders who wanted Jesus dead.
So if Jesus picked up Judas even with this foreknowledge, could Jesus have prayed for him just as He did for Peter on the night of his arrest because Satan was about to sift Peter as wheat? I believe so, but just as He yielded to the Father’s will, it was probably also, “Not mine will but Yours be done.” How about us? If we knew somebody wanted to harm us, would we pray for them, too? I think we should because we are not omniscient and might be mistaken about some matters. Only Jesus can pray in perfect alignment with the will of God. Which is why we need the Holy Spirit. But I digress.
- Jesus wanted to save Judas and gave him a chance to defeat his lust for money. The only way we can be victorious over a weakness is by practicing resistance against it. Every athlete knows this. Resistance helps develop strength and endurance. I believe Jesus wanted him to defeat the love for money by putting it in his hands.
Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Judas was perfectly qualified here. He was lost in his greed.
If Jesus knew in advance that Judas failed to qualify in faithfulness, honesty, doubtlessness, and loyalty, why would He still pick him? The answer to that is that all the other disciples also failed in these qualities. Peter failed in honesty and loyalty. Peter, James, and John failed in faithfulness in keeping watch with Jesus in Gethsemane. Thomas and Philip failed in doubtlessness. All of the eleven failed royally with loyalty when they scampered away as trouble started when Peter drew his sword and wanted to start a war single-handedly against the multitude who had swords and spears who came to arrest Jesus. So Jesus simply told Peter to stop the heroics.
After the disciples realized in hindsight that they were also failures and needed God’s mercy and forgiveness, they were not ashamed to claim that like Judas, they also in some ways betrayed Him. (It’s possible Judas secretly discussed the idea of forcible Kingship with some of the twelve.) Notice this humble admission recorded eternally in Scripture by the evangelists Matthew and Mark: “And the names of the twelve apostles are these: First, Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax-collector, James the son of Alpheus, and Lebbaeus, whose last name was Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who ALSO betrayed Him.” Matthew 10:2-4.
“And He put on Simon the name Peter. And on James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, He put on them the names Boanerges, which is, Sons of Thunder. Also, He appointed Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who ALSO betrayed Him. And He came into a house.” Mark 3:16-19 (my emphasis on the BOLD CAPS).
We Are Equals in This
We are all failures by God’s standards. There is not a single superstar pastor, theological scholar, anointed prophet, profound teacher, or zealous evangelist that is exempted from receiving the stamp of “FAILURE” on their faces. “But we are all as the unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruation cloth. And we all fade as a leaf, and like the wind our iniquities take us away.” – Isaiah 64:6.
But thanks be to the God of heaven, for his mercy endureth forever (Psalm ), and because God chose us from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth to which He called us through the gospel, to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). Therefore, being the ones believing in God through Him, He raised Him from the dead, and gave glory to Him so that our faith and hope may be in God; having purified our souls in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to unpretending brotherly love, we love one another fervently out of a pure heart, being regenerated, not by corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and remain forever. – 1 Peter 1:21-23
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1)
He who is in Christ is no longer a failure but a victor.
ARE YOU A “MISTAKE”?
Jesus is showing us that we should never condemn a person as helplessly lost or unsalvageable for heaven’s purposes just because of the way he/she is living his/her life. God did not make a mistake when He brought you into this world. He has a purpose for your life and it is to prepare you for an eternity with Him! God wants you to be prepared for that eventuality.
So, friend, if you died tonight, where do you think you will end up? If you are unsure of your eternal destiny, now is the time to make your life right with God. You see, all human beings (me included) are sinners! If you would honestly assess yourself right now, you probably have lied to someone. Or have taken something that did not belong to you. You might have looked at someone with lust in your heart. Or hated someone and wished him/her evil. Or, used God’s name as a cuss word. If so, that makes you a lying thief, an adulterer, a murderer, and a blasphemer! I think you know where such kinds of people end up already. You, like me, are in a dangerous position!
But God sent Jesus to Earth on a rescue mission! That’s what it says in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
All who turn to God in humble repentance, coming back to The Creator and asking for forgiveness, believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who gave His life on the cross as payment for sin, Who rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven and is coming back to take all His believers with Him to heaven, you can receive forgiveness for your sins and be restored into a relationship with God!
All you need to do is repent, ask Him to forgive you and entrust your present and future to Jesus Christ. If you are sincere, the Bible says you are SAVED and made as new again! “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.” (Romans 10:9-11)
You can stop being ashamed of what you’ve made out of your life. Guilt does not have to haunt you until your dying day. Accept the offer from Jesus and the receipt of His Gift of eternal life today. Hurry! This offer is good only until the Rapture!
If you’ve decided to believe in Jesus, let me know! I wish to help you grow in your new faith in the God of the Bible Whose promises never fail.
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Until then, God bless you!
Musings of Anax Jos 