Judas And Jesus - Remorse, Repentance, Forgiveness
In the world today there are many forms of interactions, whether it be on social networks, clubs (both open and restricted), video and telecommunication and fellowship meetings. But long before any of these things we simply had the network of family, friends and temple (what we now call church and/or study groups). And back in the times of Christ we see through the eyes of the New Testament Bible just how wonderful and powerful a group of people that were brought together under His leadership, became not just friends, but family. This was their Internet; one on one meet and greet which was personal with no confusion between them. But just like in the world today, they dealt with their share of hurts, and there was none more painful than having a member of your family and your friend betray you and hand you over to be killed. That is what happened with Judas and Jesus.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him (Psalm 41:9, Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9, John 13:18 - 30), and He knew when it would happen (Matthew 26:36 - 50). And Judas? He was a thief (John 12:4-6) always looking out for number one in his eyes, but he was also chosen by Christ to be His disciple. Jesus even put him in charge of the money bags knowing full well the character of His friend, and He knew that Judas was helping himself to some of the money. So why, knowing who this man was did He choose him anyway? Jesus was still All Powerful but He had feelings too and that included being troubled and moved to tears (John 11:1 - 35) so it is not hard to imagine that our Shepherd and Friend was not emotionally wounded by the hurt inflicted upon Him by someone He loved.
But it did not stop there, because what Judas did was the key point that led to Jesus being tortured mocked and crucified (Matthew 27:11 - 33, Mark 15:1 - 32, Luke 22:63: - 64, 23:1 - 39, John 1:1 - 16). Yet, Jesus did not stop loving him. He taught of the importance of love, even when someone hurts you, how important it is to love and forgive (Matthew 5:43 - 48, Matthew 18:15, 21 - 22, Luke 6:27), so how can He teach that without practicing what He preached? He couldn't and He didn't. Therefore we know that He loved and forgave Judas, even before the acts against Him were perpetrated. That is an awesome undefined, unlimited structure of love that no man can logically fathom, but it is oh so very real.
Now after all was said and done, Judas realized that what he had planned out and executed had repercussions. He did not realize that what Jesus had been saying to them all that time about His death (Matthew 16:21, Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-33, John 12:20 -36) was going to be accomplished by his actions against Him and so after he handed Him over to the leaders (Matthew 26:47 - 50), his eyes were open to the truth of what he did, and it grieved his heart. He could not believe that his greed and selfishness led him to do the unthinkable - betray not just his friend, but the Man who trusted him, his Shepard who looked after him and taught him what the true meaning of love was. No doubt he realized at that moment that Jesus really was the Chosen One, and regret and conviction filled his heart. He loved Jesus, and driven by anger at himself and the leaders (for he did not know that they had planned on killing Jesus), he went back to them and tried to return the money.
The guilt of what he had done to Him was too much to bear, and so after going back to the leaders, he confronted them and tried to give the money back, but they would not take it, they were very cold to him and let him know that they did not care about his guilt. And in his self-loathing and thinking about all that Jesus meant to him, he threw the money at the leaders, then went out and committed suicide (Matthew 27:1 - 10).
Jesus had already forgiven him, and from where I sit, I believe that Judas repented - through his sorrow of betraying his Friend. And Jesus was his friend; He saw all that Judas was and would not abandon him, He loved him unconditionally and gave him the benefit of the doubt even though He knew that Judas would hurt him.
So can you imagine us in this great wonderful world we live in, where we deal with our share of being wounded and betrayed by those we love? I know that I have and it does not feel good, but I have to find it within me to forgive and keep on loving regardless. It is not easy and I can't do it by myself for the hurts are too deep and strong to pull up that kind of forgiveness, so I have to do it through the example of Christ. No one knows the pain and experience of being hurt like Him for what Judas did led Him to being crucified, but I believe that part of the reason this took place was because He knew that some of us would experience being wounded by someone or more that we love, even betrayed by them, and we have to get to that place of forgiveness, crucify the anger that sometimes goes along with the hurts, and allow Christ to bring healing to those emotional and sometimes psycological scars that are the after effects.
The role that Judas played that led to Christ being crucified is very crucial in our lives. It did not just show what he did to our Lord in the betrayal, it taught about loyalty, love, friendship, remorse, repentance and forgiveness. This act gave me insight into a man who many have nothing but contempt for because he sold our Savior out, and has caused me to see him differently for showing me what love can do. Even with someone who's character you are aware of or maybe it is someone that you have trusted and would never imagine would inflict any kind of pain upon you (because of their character), once it does happen we must find that place within us that only the Spirit through Christ can give us the strength to do and forgive. In this we will heap burning coals on them (Proverbs 25:21-22), in other words showing them love and forgiveness will cause most through our heart felt actions to be convicted which leads to remorse (sorrow) and repentance.
And in showing that love which leads to the one who brought you that pain, it will remind them or bring to their remembrance of the type of person that you are and possibly lead them to conform to the ways of Christ. Judas took the drastic step of suicide in the body, but what happens in the soul of the offender is the same; that conviction that leads to the regret of their actions causes them to kill it off as they receive our forgiveness, and hopefully will lead them to Christ who will do what He has done in us, destroy the old and make us new creations in Him.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
Be blessed.
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him (Psalm 41:9, Jer. 19:1-13; 32:6-9, John 13:18 - 30), and He knew when it would happen (Matthew 26:36 - 50). And Judas? He was a thief (John 12:4-6) always looking out for number one in his eyes, but he was also chosen by Christ to be His disciple. Jesus even put him in charge of the money bags knowing full well the character of His friend, and He knew that Judas was helping himself to some of the money. So why, knowing who this man was did He choose him anyway? Jesus was still All Powerful but He had feelings too and that included being troubled and moved to tears (John 11:1 - 35) so it is not hard to imagine that our Shepherd and Friend was not emotionally wounded by the hurt inflicted upon Him by someone He loved.
But it did not stop there, because what Judas did was the key point that led to Jesus being tortured mocked and crucified (Matthew 27:11 - 33, Mark 15:1 - 32, Luke 22:63: - 64, 23:1 - 39, John 1:1 - 16). Yet, Jesus did not stop loving him. He taught of the importance of love, even when someone hurts you, how important it is to love and forgive (Matthew 5:43 - 48, Matthew 18:15, 21 - 22, Luke 6:27), so how can He teach that without practicing what He preached? He couldn't and He didn't. Therefore we know that He loved and forgave Judas, even before the acts against Him were perpetrated. That is an awesome undefined, unlimited structure of love that no man can logically fathom, but it is oh so very real.
Now after all was said and done, Judas realized that what he had planned out and executed had repercussions. He did not realize that what Jesus had been saying to them all that time about His death (Matthew 16:21, Mark 10:32-34, Luke 18:31-33, John 12:20 -36) was going to be accomplished by his actions against Him and so after he handed Him over to the leaders (Matthew 26:47 - 50), his eyes were open to the truth of what he did, and it grieved his heart. He could not believe that his greed and selfishness led him to do the unthinkable - betray not just his friend, but the Man who trusted him, his Shepard who looked after him and taught him what the true meaning of love was. No doubt he realized at that moment that Jesus really was the Chosen One, and regret and conviction filled his heart. He loved Jesus, and driven by anger at himself and the leaders (for he did not know that they had planned on killing Jesus), he went back to them and tried to return the money.
The guilt of what he had done to Him was too much to bear, and so after going back to the leaders, he confronted them and tried to give the money back, but they would not take it, they were very cold to him and let him know that they did not care about his guilt. And in his self-loathing and thinking about all that Jesus meant to him, he threw the money at the leaders, then went out and committed suicide (Matthew 27:1 - 10).
Jesus had already forgiven him, and from where I sit, I believe that Judas repented - through his sorrow of betraying his Friend. And Jesus was his friend; He saw all that Judas was and would not abandon him, He loved him unconditionally and gave him the benefit of the doubt even though He knew that Judas would hurt him.
So can you imagine us in this great wonderful world we live in, where we deal with our share of being wounded and betrayed by those we love? I know that I have and it does not feel good, but I have to find it within me to forgive and keep on loving regardless. It is not easy and I can't do it by myself for the hurts are too deep and strong to pull up that kind of forgiveness, so I have to do it through the example of Christ. No one knows the pain and experience of being hurt like Him for what Judas did led Him to being crucified, but I believe that part of the reason this took place was because He knew that some of us would experience being wounded by someone or more that we love, even betrayed by them, and we have to get to that place of forgiveness, crucify the anger that sometimes goes along with the hurts, and allow Christ to bring healing to those emotional and sometimes psycological scars that are the after effects.
The role that Judas played that led to Christ being crucified is very crucial in our lives. It did not just show what he did to our Lord in the betrayal, it taught about loyalty, love, friendship, remorse, repentance and forgiveness. This act gave me insight into a man who many have nothing but contempt for because he sold our Savior out, and has caused me to see him differently for showing me what love can do. Even with someone who's character you are aware of or maybe it is someone that you have trusted and would never imagine would inflict any kind of pain upon you (because of their character), once it does happen we must find that place within us that only the Spirit through Christ can give us the strength to do and forgive. In this we will heap burning coals on them (Proverbs 25:21-22), in other words showing them love and forgiveness will cause most through our heart felt actions to be convicted which leads to remorse (sorrow) and repentance.
And in showing that love which leads to the one who brought you that pain, it will remind them or bring to their remembrance of the type of person that you are and possibly lead them to conform to the ways of Christ. Judas took the drastic step of suicide in the body, but what happens in the soul of the offender is the same; that conviction that leads to the regret of their actions causes them to kill it off as they receive our forgiveness, and hopefully will lead them to Christ who will do what He has done in us, destroy the old and make us new creations in Him.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
Be blessed.
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