If there is any character in the Bible that you might know about besides Jesus, it’s probably Judas. You might not know anything other than his name and maybe what he did. He’s the guy who betrayed Jesus. What can we learn from Judas, the betrayer?
Jesus called each of His twelve disciples. He chose them. None of them were randomly selected, none joined this team except the men that Jesus specifically chose (John 15:16). We know from the Bible that Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John from their fishing careers. And we know that when Jesus told Matthew, “Follow Me,” that Matthew abandoned his tax collecting business (Matthew 9:9). The Bible doesn’t tell us how the other seven began to follow Jesus so we don’t know about Judas’s situation. However, we do know that at some point, there came to be twelve disciples who made up this inner circle of close followers. Depending on timing, these guys spent two to three years hearing Jesus preach to the crowds. They got personal instruction from Him. Jesus’s teaching was no ordinary teaching—definitely not your everyday pastor. Jesus taught with such authority that the people were astonished by His teaching (Mark 1:22). Judas was there for all of it. He heard Jesus teaching.
Jesus worked thousands of miracles. As you read about Jesus’s stunning miracles, one after another, it’s important not to miss the glorious magnitude of them! He changed the lives of thousands of people. Blind people could see. Paralyzed people could walk—not just hobble along, but walk! One woman had been bent over for 18 years. Jesus touched her, and immediately she stood up straight (Luke 13:10). He healed a man’s son long distance—Jesus was in Cana, the man’s son was in Capernaum, 16 miles away. No touching necessary, simply the power of Jesus’s words, “Your son will live” (John 4:50). Jesus raised people from the dead. The most incredible display of this is a friend, Lazarus, who had died. His corpse had been lying in a tomb for 4 days. Four days—think of that! Jesus came and called, “Lazarus, come out”, and Lazarus, made alive by the power of Jesus words, walked out of that tomb alive (John 11:43). Judas saw these miracles.
And still, he betrayed Jesus. It’s beyond comprehension that Judas—having heard Jesus teach with his own ears and seen Jesus’s miracles with his own eyes—could turn on Jesus. And for what? A little bit of money. How could Judas do such a thing? Well, how can anyone hear or read what Jesus did in His lifetime—His teaching, His powerful miracles—and still say, “I don’t believe.” That’s what Judas did. He refused to believe in Jesus. Despite his front row seat with Jesus, it was not enough for Judas. He rejected Jesus when he rejected the truth Jesus taught: that life comes through believing in Jesus and only Jesus. Instead of life, Judas opted for a few bucks. What happened to Judas? Well, he’s in hell (Acts 1:25). Jesus came to give life to those who believe in Him. And at the same time, faith in Jesus rescues those who believe in Him from the eternity of hell. It’s really that simple. Judas had a choice: life through believing in Jesus or eternal hell. Everyone faces that same choice. Jesus is the source of life. The cost is belief in Him. I pray you’ll see that His priceless gift, life, is worth any cost. If you need a Bible or prayer, let me know.
