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[Sauvignon]

Hi All,

I have a question: if Judas had waited (in other words not killed himself) until Christ was resurrected, could he have been saved if he’d repented for betraying Christ?

This question is long-winded, but I hope what I’m asking makes sense.

All opinions welcome

[jimwalton]

Yes, he could have been saved, technically. Judas was not forced to do what he did. We can't say, "God made him do it." Judas had choices all along the way, and he made his own choices. God, who lives outside of time, had seen the act he was going to perform, but knowledge isn't causative. Judas made his own choices.

John 13 shows how many times and in what ways Jesus is giving Judas an out. In v. 11, notice that Jesus even washed Judas's feet, and Judas let him. We know what was being spoken by Jesus’s action: Judas, you still have a chance to turn back. No one is forcing you to do this. Repent. Turn back to me. I love you.

Verse 12 is a searching question, particularly for Judas.

In verse 17 we see Jesus here, in a kind way, including an offer to Judas: you can still turn around from what you are planning.

In verse 21, we can see the pain Judas's defection had caused Jesus. this was no railroading job of Judas as an innocent scapegoat.

When Jesus says outright, "One of you is going to betray me" (v. 21), you'd think it would pierce Judas's heart. Would he feel enough love for Jesus to desert his plan? Judas is by this time, no doubt, scared and a bundle of nerves, but we see he is still determined to follow through on his plan.

In v. 22 we see the disciples at a loss, presumably searching their own souls. Judas, still present in the room, also searched his own soul, and obviously closed down his own conscience and continued with his betrayal. He sealed his own fate.

Jesus treats Judas very respectfully, not pointing the finger in front of all 12 making a big scene (v. 26). Dipping and sharing bread was a token of friendship in their culture. Jesus is reaching out yet again, as he did when he washed Judas's feet, to convince his friend to turn back from his plan.

Michael Card observes: "A fairly good case can be made that, up until the betrayal, Judas might have, indeed, been one of Jesus's closest friends. After all, he had been chosen as one of the Twelve and entrusted with the moneybag, not a responsibility Jesus would have taken lightly. A reconstruction of the seating arrangement for the Last Supper indicates that, while John was sitting at Jesus's right hand, the place of the honored guest, Judas was sitting at Jesus's left, the place of the intimate friend (Ps. 41.9)."

Read Romans 9.14-33. Even those who are evil, ignorant, misshapen, and rebellious have a chance, through their own free will, to turn to the Lord and be remade as new creations. Jesus appealed to Judas over and over, especially at the Last Supper, washing his feet and dipping the sup with him. Judas had every opportunity to turn, exercise his free will, and be godly. But he didn’t.

But the whole story would unravel if Judas didn’t betray him. Here’s the deal: Judas was a betrayer long before Jesus picked him up. He was chosen as a disciple as a betrayer. We know that Judas skimmed off the money purse, betraying his own discipleship group. God didn’t force Judas to do what he did, but the conclusion was certain. Judas wasn’t set up, and there was always an opportunity to not do it. Judas chose it, and God knew he would choose it.

Let’s take Peter. There was also a prophecy that Peter would deny, and that Peter would fall away, and what Jesus said about that was, “Satan wants to sift you like wheat, but I will pray for you.” In other words, Peter had the same choice. Peter chose what Judas could have: Peter chose to turn back.

By verse 27, Judas must have been wiggling around in his own skin from anxiety. But even at this point Jesus gives him an out, and still treats him with kindness. Jesus offered the bread of intimate friendship to Judas, and he took it. This is the second act of betrayal, and it will be followed by a third one in the garden. (The first had been making the deal and taking the cash.) Judas betrayed Christ 3 times, just as Peter denied Christ three times.