Persistently Resisting God’s Truth
Judas saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” ~ Matthew 27:4
Judas confessed his wrongdoing, but he did not truly repent. He admitted his guilt, but not to God or Christ; instead, he spoke to the chief priests and elders. He sought no forgiveness from Christ and continued to sin without turning away from it, which led him to find no mercy. A similar situation occurred with Pharaoh, who said, “This time I have sinned; the LORD is right, and I and my people are wrong” (Exodus 9:27). He acknowledged his wrongs but did not truly repent.
Jesus offered Judas many chances to seek salvation and change his ways. Even after his terrible act, Judas could have knelt down and asked God for forgiveness, but he chose not to. He may have felt some fear-driven remorse, which led him to return the money to the Pharisees, but he never truly repented and ultimately took his own life (Matthew 27:5-8).
Judas had a form of faith, but it was not genuine saving faith. He was never truly “saved,” although he followed Christ for a time.
It’s important to examine whether we are deceiving ourselves with false beliefs for our own gain. Studying the Bible can help us understand if we are genuinely saved or following a false path. Trust in God, not in people.
Judas
Read / Listen
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
New Testament
Peter denies knowing Jesus
Summary
Peter Denies Jesus
Jesus Delivered to Pilate
Judas Hangs Himself
Jesus Before Pilate
Was Judas Iscariot forgiven / saved? – Click Here
Grace to You
No man could be more evil than Judas Iscariot. Only eleven other men in all of history have had the intimate, personal relationship he had with the incarnate Son of God, No man has ever been more exposed to God’s perfect truth, both in precept and example. No man has been more exposed firsthand to God’s love, compassion, power, kindness, forgiveness, and grace. No man has had more evidence of Jesus’ divinity or more firsthand knowledge of the way of salvation. Yet in all of those three indescribably blessed years with Jesus, Judas did not take so much as the first step of faith.
In a way that defies comprehension, Judas persistently resisted and rejected God’s truth, God’s grace, and even God’s own Son. Also in a way that defies understanding, he managed to completely conceal his wicked rebellion from everyone but Jesus. His hypocrisy was so complete and deceptive that even when Jesus predicted that one of the disciples would betray Him, Judas was not suspected.
Judas was so totally trapped in the darkness and corruption of sin that he became a willing instrument of Satan. Because this false disciple had totally renounced Christ, “Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot” (Luke 22:3), and it was then a simple matter to persuade him to betray Jesus (John 13:2). Judas’s heart was so utterly hardened to the things of God that long before he consciously considered betraying Him, Jesus called him a devil (John 6:70).
Even so, Judas could not escape the divinely designed signal of guilt that reminds men of their sin and warns them of its consequences. Just as pain is an intrinsic and automatic warning of physical danger, guilt is an intrinsic and automatic warning of spiritual danger. It was not that Judas suddenly became afraid of God, else he would have turned in desperation to the One he knew could forgive him. Nor was he afraid of men. Although he was now discarded and despised by the Jewish leaders, they had no reason to harm him. It was rather that Judas suddenly realized the horrible wrongness of what he had done. An innate awareness of right and wrong is divinely built into every human being and cannot be totally erased, no matter how deep a person may fall into depravity or how consciously and rebelliously he may turn against God. This is intensified by the convicting pressure of the Spirit of God.
Judas’s remorse was not repentance of sin, as the King James version suggests. Matthew did not use metanoeo, which means a genuine change of mind and will, but metamelomai, which merely connotes regret or sorrow. He did not experience spiritual penitence but only emotional remorse. For the entire sermon – Click Here
The Traitor’s Suicide – Matthew 27:1–10
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