Today as I write this second part of my letter on Judas I want to begin by asking another question. Did Jesus make a mistake in Matthew 19:30, when he was talking to his inner circle of disciples and promised each of them that they would be sitting on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel? Another point of interest is there are more questions than the word of God gives us clear answers to. But it’s good to ask questions and study the Bible and try to find the answers.
To answer my question we need to look at John 13:21, “when Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in his spirit”. I believe this means that he knew tonight was the night he was born into the world for and who was the betrayer. Jesus was a man, and he was God also. But as a man he lived only for God and took his direction from the Holy Spirit daily. And then in Matthew 19:30, if Jesus as a man knew whatever the Holy Spirit told him was just the right amount as he needed it. Too much and Jesus becomes God who knows everything. Which takes away from his humanity and that would put him above the ability to fail or the need to trust God who sees the end from the beginning.
Back to Judas, did he get a second chance to believe? I believe he died looking for the Messiah just as every other Jew did. He just lost sight of the facts that portrayed Jesus as the Messiah, because Jesus predicted his own death. All good questions but still questions. I first heard about Judas being forgiven years ago as I talked with my stepson about this subject and him being in heaven. This started me on the quest to find the answers for myself. This letter will be all of my studies in one dissertation.
What is the Jewish view of suicide? Most Jewish rabbis consider it to be a matter of compulsory nature to take one’s own life. The act of suicide is condemned but the person who does it is not. Judas was definitely a person who was under severe mental compulsive behavior for the actions of his which put Jesus into the hands of the Chief Priest. Suicide is something that is not normal. The Bible does not condemn it, but it also does not condone it. We have 6 recorded deaths by suicide in the Bible.
1 Samuel 31:2-5, King Saul
2 Samuel 17:23, Ahithophel
Judges 9:50-54, Abimelech
Judges 16:23-31, Sampson
1 Kings 16:15-20, Zimri
Matthew 27:3-5, Judas
Suicide is always an act of desperation by the individual. The sixth commandment states that you shall not kill or murder someone. So suicide is a sin, but it is not unforgivable? Was the suicide committed by Judas unforgivable in the fact that he could not ask forgiveness? We all commit sins everyday that we do not recognize as sins and we will also die that way. Are we then unforgiven? Does it not say in 1 John 2:12 that your sins are forgiven for his names sake? Did Jesus not teach that a good shepherd leaves the flock to go find the stray?
What is the Biblical stance on the yearly sacrifice for sins of the Nation of Israel? Leviticus 16:34, “this is to be a lasting ordinance for you. Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites.” This was the day of atonement. Two goats were used for the sacrifice, one was killed and one was set free in the wilderness as a symbol as those sins being removed from Gods people.
Judas went back to the Chief Priest and told them he had done wrong by betraying Jesus and he was sorry for it. Here he was in the temple talking with the very ones who represented God here on this earth, but did they care? Nope! They should have taken his confession of guilt seriously but all they were concerned with was they had this man in their custody that was upsetting them so much. Judas was just collateral damage and he didn’t matter.
Can you just imagine how Judas felt? He betrayed his teacher and friend, and it looked very dark to him. Jesus had always gotten away before when it looked like they had him cornered. ( Luke 4:29-30, John 8:48-59, John 10:31-39) Judas was completely discouraged with his actions that had spun out of control. He just couldn’t live with this any longer. He had to end the guilt and remorse, and the only way he could imagine in his delusional thinking was by taking his own life. Did he die and go to hell or hades?
So the question is did he die before Jesus? Matthew Henry makes this statement about him, “there is little doubt but that the death of Judas was before that of our blessed Lord.” Judas was not in his right mind as he left the temple and he died under the old covenant as Jesus had not yet completed it. So to answer this question by logic is that Judas went to Abraham’s bosom as a Jew that died looking for the Messiah.
How did he die? There are two apparently opposing views to his death, but are they contradictory? In Matthew 27:3-10 we find out that Judas went and hanged himself. In Acts 1:18 he fell headlong and his stomach burst open. Are these contradictions? Of course not! Judas died by hanging himself and as he hung there his body started to decompose. His weight either strained the rope so that it broke, or else the limb of the tree gave way under his weight over a span of time. As he fell to the ground the deteriorating skin gave way and busted. So we have two different views or information of the same death, not contradicting just more information.
Next week I will try to bring this story of Judas to a closing and hopefully pull all this together and give you my view of this interesting man that walked and talked with Jesus. We all must take up our cross and follow Jesus to the best of our ability daily. Do we fail? Do we lose sight of who we are? Sadly to say but the answer is yes. Are we forgiven? Once again the answer is yes! Jesus loves us more than we will ever know on this earth. I just want you to remember this, you will make it, just don’t give up.
In His Service As Kilted Priest
The Kilted Priest 