The life and "ministry" of Judas Iscariot

[Pergamum]

I am studying Judas right now. Also, apostasy, false conversion, and an unsaved ministry.


Any resources, quotes, sermons? Particularly about the advantage Judas experienced and the light he sinned against and the religious activity that he partook of despite being unregenerate, and his fate being so much more worse due to his sinning against greater light.

Question, did he do miracles and cast out demons, and preach the Gospel, too? And in what ways should I hammer this home to local pastors who are living unregenerate lives of sin and using the pastoral office for social advancement here?

 

[Peairtach]

Did Jesus know, in His humanity, when He chose Judas that he was the one that would betray Him?

 

[a mere housewife]

Pergs, I was reading about Judas in several places this morning. I am usually terrified by the passages about him and read over them almost with my eyes closed but what I noticed this morning was so comforting that I actually looked up the other accounts and read them more thoroughly than I have done in the past. I noticed that it is right after the anointing of Christ with the costly spikenard that Judas goes to the high priests to sell Christ. Christ defended this woman's lavishing on Him, His sole person, this 'waste' of resources; and it seems like that was the last straw for Judas. He did not share that woman's attitude that all should be lavished on God; and under a pretense of pragmatism, he was really interested in God being lavished on his own gain -- it seems like the cause of God was no longer cutting it, if Christ was going to allow people to behave that way. (That woman and Judas stand in such sharp contrast.) I also noticed in Mark that after that, he *sought* (unlike Peter who was overtaken from lack of watchfulness and prayer) opportunity to betray Christ. He already knew that was the betrayer, seeking such an opportunity, when all the disciples were asking 'Is it I?' They were asking in sincerity, with trembling, and he was asking in insincerity, to keep up appearances.

Those are just the observations of someone who does always tend, reading those passages, to ask fearfully 'Is it I?'

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Judas clearly did everything that the other Apostles did. Had he not, they would have looked askance at him, and perhaps even been suspicious. They not only were not suspicious of him, they regarded him with admiration when he said that the costly spikenard could be sold for a handsome sum and given to the poor. They marvelled at his apparent constant care for the poor (not realizing that he was on the take). In fact, we are told, that when our Lord dismissed him from the Supper, the others supposed that it was, as customary, to take care of some necessary treasurer's business. The Apostles, clearly, from all that we read in the gospels, had no clue as to what Judas Iscariot was really up to.

Heidi, those who "tremble at His Word" is a chief mark of those who are His. Apart from His grace, I would make Iscariot look good. The older I get, the more I realize that nothing makes me to differ but His grace.

Peace,
Alan

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

I think Jesus knew when He chose him: John 6:70, "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

 

[Pergamum]

Pergs, I was reading about Judas in several places this morning. I am usually terrified by the passages about him and read over them almost with my eyes closed but what I noticed this morning was so comforting that I actually looked up the other accounts and read them more thoroughly than I have done in the past. I noticed that it is right after the anointing of Christ with the costly spikenard that Judas goes to the high priests to sell Christ. Christ defended this woman's lavishing on Him, His sole person, this 'waste' of resources; and it seems like that was the last straw for Judas. He did not share that woman's attitude that all should be lavished on God; and under a pretense of pragmatism, he was really interested in God being lavished on his own gain -- it seems like the cause of God was no longer cutting it, if Christ was going to allow people to behave that way. (That woman and Judas stand in such sharp contrast.) I also noticed in Mark that after that, he *sought* (unlike Peter who was overtaken from lack of watchfulness and prayer) opportunity to betray Christ. He already knew that was the betrayer, seeking such an opportunity, when all the disciples were asking 'Is it I?' They were asking in sincerity, with trembling, and he was asking in insincerity, to keep up appearances.

Those are just the observations of someone who does always tend, reading those passages, to ask fearfully 'Is it I?'

Heidi:

when all the disciples were asking 'Is it I?' They were asking in sincerity, with trembling

Yes, I have often pondered on this truth as well. So many evangelists in our day tell their emotionally-moved hearers, "You have made a decision...now, never doubt your salvation." and here the closest disciples of Jesus are here seeming to ask sincerely "Is it I?"

 

[Pergamum]

Judas clearly did everything that the other Apostles did. Had he not, they would have looked askance at him, and perhaps even been suspicious. They not only were not suspicious of him, they regarded him with admiration when he said that the costly spikenard could be sold for a handsome sum and given to the poor. They marvelled at his apparent constant care for the poor (not realizing that he was on the take). In fact, we are told, that when our Lord dismissed him from the Supper, the others supposed that it was, as customary, to take care of some necessary treasurer's business. The Apostles, clearly, from all that we read in the gospels, had no clue as to what Judas Iscariot was really up to.

Heidi, those who "tremble at His Word" is a chief mark of those who are His. Apart from His grace, I would make Iscariot look good. The older I get, the more I realize that nothing makes me to differ but His grace.

Peace,
Alan

Did he also cast out demons? I think so, but am troubled by Jesus asking how a house divided against itself can stand.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

There is no reason to think that Judas did not do everything outwardly that the other disciples did. The notion that he cast out demons is untroubling. He wasn't casting them out by Beelzebub: he was cating them out by the power of God. God may gift a man, even in that way (Saul was "among the prophets"), without that man having the saving grace of God. What was the difference between Judas and Peter? Peter enjoyed saving grace, repented and was restored, both personally and in his office. Judas, as did Esau, did not repent, but (as did Esau), felt supremely sorry for himself. He was sorry that he had sinned, but he did not hate and turn from his sin. Both men were bitter and impenitent, somewhat like the impenitent thief, who did not deny that he had sinned in some measure, but railed against God for it. This demonstrates how great our sin is: one may even perform miracles and be a direct companion of the Savior, but there's no hope without a broken and contrite heart. David sinned. But he was broken for it. And this is what we must be.

Peace,
Alan

 

[Pergamum]

There is no reason to think that Judas did not do everything outwardly that the other disciples did. The notion that he cast out demons is untroubling. He wasn't casting them out by Beelzebub: he was cating them out by the power of God. God may gift a man, even in that way (Saul was "among the prophets"), without that man having the saving grace of God. What was the difference between Judas and Peter? Peter enjoyed saving grace, repented and was restored, both personally and in his office. Judas, as did Esau, did not repent, but (as did Esau), felt supremely sorry for himself. He was sorry that he had sinned, but he did not hate and turn from his sin. Both men were bitter and impenitent, somewhat like the impenitent thief, who did not deny that he had sinned in some measure, but railed against God for it. This demonstrates how great our sin is: one may even perform miracles and be a direct companion of the Savior, but there's no hope without a broken and contrite heart. David sinned. But he was broken for it. And this is what we must be.

Peace,
Alan

Thanks so much for that!

 

[crixus]

I can't help but cringe whenever I hear the name Judas.

 

[crixus]

Make that Judas Iscariot. I don't want to blame everyone with the first name Judas, not that it's used much anymore.

 

[kvanlaan]

I always think of Matt 7:22 when I think of Judas, like he's hoping for some last kick at the can in spite of everything (but Lord, did I not...).

 

[Peairtach]

I can't help but cringe whenever I hear the name Judas.

It's the same name as Jude (more of an English version) or Judah (more of a Hebrew version), just more Greek.

 

[Caroline]

Judas has always been a puzzle to me. It seems evident that he did not think that Jesus would die as a result of his betrayal. In fact, he was so distraught about that outcome that he hanged himself. It seems to me that as much as we want someone who betrayed Christ to be all evil all the time, that just isn't the case. But in fact, that is almost never the case. The most evil people I have ever known had their good points and could be very generous and helpful in certain situations. I know of a minister who divorced his wife a few years ago, telling her that he wanted to marry someone else (a woman with whom he was having an affair). It turned out in the course of the divorce that she discovered he had been having multiple affairs nearly their entire married life--the whole time he had been a pastor. There are people I know who became Christians as a result of his ministry. They are still faithful members of the church. How does one categorize that sort of event?

It is always tempting to want to go back and erase all the good that came from someone's ministry and say, "He was never much good. We ought to have known it all along," and yet that isn't a factual representation of the story. It is also tempting for some people (less so for me) to say, "Never mind about his betrayal of his wife. Everyone makes mistakes. He is still a good minister--look at all his success over those years." And that is also not a factual representation of the story.

It seems like in the end all you can say is--he was loved by the other disciples. He was considered a good friend. He did much good ministry. And that made the betrayal of Christ all the more cruel. One expects to be betrayed by an enemy. It is the betrayal by those we love that plunges the knife in our hearts.

 

[a mere housewife]

Old Testament texts also shed light on this, do they not? As Psalm 55:

For it was not an enemy that reproached me;
then I could have borne it:
neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me;
then I would have hid myself from him:
but it was thou, a man mine equal,
my guide, and mine acquaintance.
We took sweet counsel together,
and walked unto the house of God in company.

What I find most difficult to comprehend is not how Judas could have looked on the goodness of God and still had his heart lusting after something else (all sin is that); but how he could have worked spiritual miracles by the power of God and thought that swords and staves were either necessary or sufficient against Christ.

Thank you Dr. Strange and Pergy for the encouragement. I do hear Christ's voice and I find that to be more assuring than sometimes trembling at it (because His sheep hear Him). It's good to know that the results of greater experience in walking with God are the same as when we are still trying to learn to take two steps together -- that we are only in this way by grace.

 

[Peairtach]

Is Judas not the only person in Scripture about whom it is said that he is definitely lost?

And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." (Acts 1:24-25, ESV)

We should be careful not to consign people by words to a lost eternity, even although we may have strong suspicions that they went there.

 

[DMcFadden]

One of my old professors, Ray S. Anderson, penned "The Gospel According to Judas" (ISBN-10: 0939443228) with the "provocative" subtitle: "Judas come home. All is forgiven."