Judas Iscariot Article 2 - August, 2012
by: Fay Bouknight
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We don’t have a lot of history on Judas Iscariot as far as his youth and his family. However, we do know that Jesus numbered him with the 12 and called him along with 11 other disciples. We know that he carried the disciples’ money bag, his father was named Simon, he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, never repented, and hanged himself.
I have heard teachers of the gospel say that Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus was always a sinner. This would mean that God actually called a known sinner into his ministry and empowered him to pray out devils, heal the sick and preach the gospel along with the other 11 disciples. I have also heard that he was saved, and even though he contrived against Jesus to have him killed, died a Christian and went to heaven. This would be the once saved always saved theory. The other belief is that he was saved at the beginning and then Satan entered into him and that he backslid into a sinful life. Let’s see what the scriptures tell us.
The scribes witnessed Jesus casting out devils, but since they thought Jesus to be a liar and spoke blasphemies, they accused Jesus of having Beelzebub, which is another name for Satan, and that by the prince of devils, He cast out devils. “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end” (Mark 3:22-26).
Now, from reading the scriptures above, we know that the scribes are saying the reason Jesus can cast out devils is because He is evil, and that He is possessed with Satan. They believe the power of Satan gives Him the ability to do the things they have actually witnessed him do, e.g., cast out devils. Since Satan has his own kingdom, that would make Jesus a member of the kingdom of Satan. However Jesus promptly corrects them by letting them know that is impossible for Him to cast out devils in the name of Satan because He is of a different kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Therefore, since Jesus is of the Kingdom of God, that would cause Him to be divided and His kingdom would not and could not stand. Satan is busy on this earth to destroy what Jesus has come to do and to be the god of this world. He wants to have as many in his kingdom as possible. Therefore, he being divided against himself could not stand either. There is a saying, “United we stand, divided we fall”. Certain ones have gotten credit for this saying, but it comes straight from the Bible.
Jesus and Satan both go after the opposite of who they are. Jesus goes after the lost. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Satan goes after the Christian. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). They both work against each other. One will win and one will loose.
What does this have to do with Judas Iscariot? Let’s take a look at the following scriptures: “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). Jesus then names the 12 disciples and includes Judas Iscariot. (See Matthew 10:1-4.) You will note that in verses 7 and 8 He said “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” In verse 16, Jesus told all the disciples, including Judas Iscariot, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Jesus also said to the 12 disciples, including Judas Iscariot, “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:20). Judas and the other 11 were told by Jesus, that anyone who gave them a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, that person would not lose his reward. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, very I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Jesus would never have sent out the 12 disciples as a divided group. This goes against His word and teachings. Please understand that Jesus is truth, and that no lie is of the truth. (See 1 John 2:21/John 17:17). It is impossible for Jesus to lie and be deceitful. He hates deceit and He warns us of it. This is the way Satan operates, not our Lord. He would never ever have given Judas Iscariot these powers had he been a sinner. This would have gone against everything Christ stood for. It would have been impossible for the Spirit of God and Satan to be in Judas at the same time. He could not have been in a position to serve both.
Be assured that Judas Iscariot was given the power against unclean spirits to cast them out, heal the sick, preach the gospel, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and to cast out devils. Judas was sent as a sheep in the midst of wolves. Jesus told Judas that he freely received and he would freely give. He told Judas not to worry about what he should say, that the Spirit of his Father would speak in him. He obtained part of the ministry. “For he was numbered with us, and had obtained (Greek word “elachen” means given his share) part of this ministry” (Acts 1:17). It was given to him by Jesus. Some would make you believe that Jesus called a sinner and a hypocrite into His ministry. How can a devil and a saint drink of the same cup of the Lord? It cannot happen for scripture rebukes this. “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). Had God called Judas knowing he was a devil, God would be a deceiver just as Satan. We know that cannot be.
Some may ask, didn’t Jesus know that Judas would turn away from the truth. Of course He did, because He is all knowing. He knows everything, but He gives everyone a chance to say yes or no. Jesus does know who will and who won’t, however, he still gives each of us the choice to live for Him or not to live for Him. He died for everyone, not just a select few. He said it’s not His will that any should perish (See 2 Peter 3:9.). He died for Judas just as He did you and me.
The Bible has two accounts of Satan entering Judas and tells us exactly when they happened. The first time was when the chief priests and scribes sought to kill Jesus that Satan entered into Judas. Judas let Satan get the better of him and he succumbed to the temptations of Satan. “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and co-venanted to give him money” (Luke 22:1-5). Now, Satan is so sly, he was actually working on two ends, the chief priests and Judas. He knows how to make things happen. This is why we need to stay close to God because as Christians, Satan especially wants us, and we know his tactics are sly and deceitful. He already has the world in his grips. The second time Satan entered into Judas was at the last supper. “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27). Judas for sure was going to betray Jesus. He set his plan into motion when Satan entered into him the first time.
In the following scriptures it was to be determined who would take Judas’ place to number the 12 disciples. “That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:25). Let’s talk about falling. To have fallen, there must be a place to fall from. What or where did Judas fall from? He fell from light to darkness, from the top to the bottom, from Christ to Satan. The scriptures tell us that he fell. What was the driver of his falling? He fell by transgression. What does this word mean? It means wrongdoing, misbehavior, disobedience, etc. Therefore, to have fallen into disobedience, he had to have once been obedient. (A Greek word for transgression is, “parabasis” which means a going aside, a deviation.)
Jesus is praying to our Father. “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:11-12). Jesus is stating here that He lost but one. Jesus included Judas in the “none”. Many believe that God did not give Judas to Jesus, but He did. Jesus included him in the 12. Jesus would never have gone out on His own and called Judas to be one of the twelve. There are three in heaven who work together. They cannot work separately because they are one. To not believe this would be to believe that you could not be saved and then lost. This happened to Judas.
Did Jesus know that Judas would betray him? Did Jesus know that he would become a devil? Of course He did. Jesus knows everything. He even knew us before we were. Many things in the Bible we feel a need to fully understand and it would be great that we did. It does not always happen that way. When scriptures say something, I believe it, although sometimes I don’t fully understand the why’s and how's. I just accept it by faith and move on. The account of Judas is one of those why’s for me and many others. The old song says “I Will Understand it Better By and By”.
Judas, like so many other Christians started out on the right track, but let Satan get the better of him. Judas became greedy and this was his demise. The love of money was his downfall. When you read the scriptures on Judas you should be convinced that once saved always saved is a lie and is deception at its best. That belief system is most dangerous because you can lose your soul and go to hell, thinking you are a Christian.
I believe there are many who are called by God but in the end will be lost for many reasons. They could not stand the test of time and they let Satan prevail in their lives. The account of Judas gives us a clear lesson that just because we are saved doesn’t mean we will always be saved. We must stay saved and keep refilling ourselves with His spirit. We must truly take up our cross and follow him daily. (See Matthew 16:24.). We will make it if we keep on holding on. Do not ever become complacent in your Christian walk with the Lord.
Did Judas repent? The Bible has not told us that Judas ever repented to God of his betrayal. In fact, when Jesus was praying, Jesus said He lost one of the 12 that was given to Him by God and Jesus referred to him as the “son of perdition”. (See John 17:12.) “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5). Obviously Judas was sorry for what he had done, but Scriptures reveal he never repented to God for what he had done in a Godly sorrow that would lead to salvation. ”For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Satan used Judas to betray Jesus just as he used Eve to disobey the command of God, and he will use us if we allow him to.
Many have questions about Judas and the betrayal of Christ. We know that Christ chose Judas so that scriptures might be fulfilled. However, one might ponder about this one without all the answers. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
We don’t have a lot of history on Judas Iscariot as far as his youth and his family. However, we do know that Jesus numbered him with the 12 and called him along with 11 other disciples. We know that he carried the disciples’ money bag, his father was named Simon, he betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, never repented, and hanged himself.
I have heard teachers of the gospel say that Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus was always a sinner. This would mean that God actually called a known sinner into his ministry and empowered him to pray out devils, heal the sick and preach the gospel along with the other 11 disciples. I have also heard that he was saved, and even though he contrived against Jesus to have him killed, died a Christian and went to heaven. This would be the once saved always saved theory. The other belief is that he was saved at the beginning and then Satan entered into him and that he backslid into a sinful life. Let’s see what the scriptures tell us.
The scribes witnessed Jesus casting out devils, but since they thought Jesus to be a liar and spoke blasphemies, they accused Jesus of having Beelzebub, which is another name for Satan, and that by the prince of devils, He cast out devils. “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end” (Mark 3:22-26).
Now, from reading the scriptures above, we know that the scribes are saying the reason Jesus can cast out devils is because He is evil, and that He is possessed with Satan. They believe the power of Satan gives Him the ability to do the things they have actually witnessed him do, e.g., cast out devils. Since Satan has his own kingdom, that would make Jesus a member of the kingdom of Satan. However Jesus promptly corrects them by letting them know that is impossible for Him to cast out devils in the name of Satan because He is of a different kingdom, the Kingdom of God. Therefore, since Jesus is of the Kingdom of God, that would cause Him to be divided and His kingdom would not and could not stand. Satan is busy on this earth to destroy what Jesus has come to do and to be the god of this world. He wants to have as many in his kingdom as possible. Therefore, he being divided against himself could not stand either. There is a saying, “United we stand, divided we fall”. Certain ones have gotten credit for this saying, but it comes straight from the Bible.
Jesus and Satan both go after the opposite of who they are. Jesus goes after the lost. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Satan goes after the Christian. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). They both work against each other. One will win and one will loose.
What does this have to do with Judas Iscariot? Let’s take a look at the following scriptures: “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease” (Matthew 10:1). Jesus then names the 12 disciples and includes Judas Iscariot. (See Matthew 10:1-4.) You will note that in verses 7 and 8 He said “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” In verse 16, Jesus told all the disciples, including Judas Iscariot, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Jesus also said to the 12 disciples, including Judas Iscariot, “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:20). Judas and the other 11 were told by Jesus, that anyone who gave them a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, that person would not lose his reward. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, very I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42).
Jesus would never have sent out the 12 disciples as a divided group. This goes against His word and teachings. Please understand that Jesus is truth, and that no lie is of the truth. (See 1 John 2:21/John 17:17). It is impossible for Jesus to lie and be deceitful. He hates deceit and He warns us of it. This is the way Satan operates, not our Lord. He would never ever have given Judas Iscariot these powers had he been a sinner. This would have gone against everything Christ stood for. It would have been impossible for the Spirit of God and Satan to be in Judas at the same time. He could not have been in a position to serve both.
Be assured that Judas Iscariot was given the power against unclean spirits to cast them out, heal the sick, preach the gospel, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and to cast out devils. Judas was sent as a sheep in the midst of wolves. Jesus told Judas that he freely received and he would freely give. He told Judas not to worry about what he should say, that the Spirit of his Father would speak in him. He obtained part of the ministry. “For he was numbered with us, and had obtained (Greek word “elachen” means given his share) part of this ministry” (Acts 1:17). It was given to him by Jesus. Some would make you believe that Jesus called a sinner and a hypocrite into His ministry. How can a devil and a saint drink of the same cup of the Lord? It cannot happen for scripture rebukes this. “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of the devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). Had God called Judas knowing he was a devil, God would be a deceiver just as Satan. We know that cannot be.
Some may ask, didn’t Jesus know that Judas would turn away from the truth. Of course He did, because He is all knowing. He knows everything, but He gives everyone a chance to say yes or no. Jesus does know who will and who won’t, however, he still gives each of us the choice to live for Him or not to live for Him. He died for everyone, not just a select few. He said it’s not His will that any should perish (See 2 Peter 3:9.). He died for Judas just as He did you and me.
The Bible has two accounts of Satan entering Judas and tells us exactly when they happened. The first time was when the chief priests and scribes sought to kill Jesus that Satan entered into Judas. Judas let Satan get the better of him and he succumbed to the temptations of Satan. “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and co-venanted to give him money” (Luke 22:1-5). Now, Satan is so sly, he was actually working on two ends, the chief priests and Judas. He knows how to make things happen. This is why we need to stay close to God because as Christians, Satan especially wants us, and we know his tactics are sly and deceitful. He already has the world in his grips. The second time Satan entered into Judas was at the last supper. “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27). Judas for sure was going to betray Jesus. He set his plan into motion when Satan entered into him the first time.
In the following scriptures it was to be determined who would take Judas’ place to number the 12 disciples. “That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:25). Let’s talk about falling. To have fallen, there must be a place to fall from. What or where did Judas fall from? He fell from light to darkness, from the top to the bottom, from Christ to Satan. The scriptures tell us that he fell. What was the driver of his falling? He fell by transgression. What does this word mean? It means wrongdoing, misbehavior, disobedience, etc. Therefore, to have fallen into disobedience, he had to have once been obedient. (A Greek word for transgression is, “parabasis” which means a going aside, a deviation.)
Jesus is praying to our Father. “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled” (John 17:11-12). Jesus is stating here that He lost but one. Jesus included Judas in the “none”. Many believe that God did not give Judas to Jesus, but He did. Jesus included him in the 12. Jesus would never have gone out on His own and called Judas to be one of the twelve. There are three in heaven who work together. They cannot work separately because they are one. To not believe this would be to believe that you could not be saved and then lost. This happened to Judas.
Did Jesus know that Judas would betray him? Did Jesus know that he would become a devil? Of course He did. Jesus knows everything. He even knew us before we were. Many things in the Bible we feel a need to fully understand and it would be great that we did. It does not always happen that way. When scriptures say something, I believe it, although sometimes I don’t fully understand the why’s and how's. I just accept it by faith and move on. The account of Judas is one of those why’s for me and many others. The old song says “I Will Understand it Better By and By”.
Judas, like so many other Christians started out on the right track, but let Satan get the better of him. Judas became greedy and this was his demise. The love of money was his downfall. When you read the scriptures on Judas you should be convinced that once saved always saved is a lie and is deception at its best. That belief system is most dangerous because you can lose your soul and go to hell, thinking you are a Christian.
I believe there are many who are called by God but in the end will be lost for many reasons. They could not stand the test of time and they let Satan prevail in their lives. The account of Judas gives us a clear lesson that just because we are saved doesn’t mean we will always be saved. We must stay saved and keep refilling ourselves with His spirit. We must truly take up our cross and follow him daily. (See Matthew 16:24.). We will make it if we keep on holding on. Do not ever become complacent in your Christian walk with the Lord.
Did Judas repent? The Bible has not told us that Judas ever repented to God of his betrayal. In fact, when Jesus was praying, Jesus said He lost one of the 12 that was given to Him by God and Jesus referred to him as the “son of perdition”. (See John 17:12.) “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5). Obviously Judas was sorry for what he had done, but Scriptures reveal he never repented to God for what he had done in a Godly sorrow that would lead to salvation. ”For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Satan used Judas to betray Jesus just as he used Eve to disobey the command of God, and he will use us if we allow him to.
Many have questions about Judas and the betrayal of Christ. We know that Christ chose Judas so that scriptures might be fulfilled. However, one might ponder about this one without all the answers. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
