The Call of the Apostles - Judas Iscariot

 

And he [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (Mark 3:13–19 ESV).

 

Today we come to the last of the Twelve Apostles, Judas Iscariot. Judas Iscariot is a name that many people know, even if they have never opened a Bible. The betrayal he represents is akin to men like Benedict Arnold, Brutus, and Aldrich Ames. As with many figures in the Bible, the early life of Judas Iscariot is not well known. Reviewing the Greek of his name, Ioudas Iskariōth, we can deduce a couple things about this infamous traitor. The first is that he held a common name used in first-century Judaism. Ioudas is the Greek form of Judah, which means “praised.” However, his last name, Iskariōth, is a little more complicated to place. The most common explanation is that it refers to his origins, identifying him as a man from Kerioth. When we look at sites with that name in the Bible, this could put him as being from a town in Moab or a location known as Kerioth-Hezron. Another possible explanation for his last name is that it could have been added later to describe his actions, as the Greek word for assassin or bandit is sikarios.

 

Though the origins of “Iscariot” may be disputed, Judas’ role as the disciple who betrayed Jesus is not. All four Gospels make clear that he is Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Christ (cf. Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16, and John 12:4). John goes on to highlight another of Judas’s evil characteristics:

 

“He [Judas] said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”  (John 12:6, ESV).

 

Judas’s greed played a part in the betrayal, as Judas would go on to hand Jesus over in exchange for silver. However, this verse also highlights Judas’s role as one of the disciples. He oversaw the group’s finances.

 

It is easy to wonder why Jesus would pick such a man to be one of the original Twelve Apostles. The simple answer is that this was what God had already determined. For the longest time, only Christ knew about that identification. Judas’s story ends tragically (cf. Matthew 27:3-10). Filled with the remorse of sending an innocent man to His death, Judas returns the money to the religious leaders and goes and hangs himself from a tree. We also see how the story concludes and what happens to him; putting together the Matthew account and the Luke account, it seems that his body decays as apparently no one ever removed him from the tree, and it falls, smashing onto rocks (cf. Acts 1:18).

 

There is a very sad thought that often runs through my mind when I think of the tragedy of Judas Iscariot. His sin was no different than that of Peter. Both denied and betrayed Jesus. However, the path after the betrayal was significantly different. One was remorse and the other was repentence. Most orthodox scholars maintain that Judas was not saved. This argument rests on several points. Jesus refers to Judas as the "Son of Perdition" (cf. John 17:12), and noted that he was "doomed to destruction" so that Scripture would be fulfilled. While Judas felt extreme guilt and returned the thirty pieces of silver (cf. Matthew 27:3-5), theologians argue he felt worldly remorse rather than true, godly repentance, ultimately leading him to despair and suicide rather than seeking God's grace.

 

What we can know is that God makes that determination unltimately and finally. Whatever grace we receive comes from Him. The most important note for us is that while we yet have breath there is opportunity to respond to His grace. He is a forgiving God who desires our repentence. Trust in Jesus today!