JD Abshire

The short answer is Christ allowed Judas to hang around in order for him to complete his mission, to fulfill prophecy. Although scripture doesn't specifically name Judas as the one who would betray the Lord, Bible prophesy does tell us he would be more than just a casual acquaintance.
" Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me." (Psalms 41:9) 

The prophetic nature of this passage is confirmed in Acts 1:16. "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus."

I believe Judas was also prophetically identified, the scripture foretelling his actions concerning the 30 pieces of silver. "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD." (Zechariah 11:12-13)

In many cases Bible prophecy has a near and far application such as the two references above. The writers (prophets) did not understand its exact meaning as to when or in what manner the events would take place. (See 1 Peter 1:-12). However, Judas's betrayal was the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Everything went down just as planed and purposed by the determinate counsel of God (Acts 2:23).

February 29 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Benjamen Martinez

In order to find the ultimate truthful answer, I would ask myself, "What does my heart want to believe?" I have evaluated the same question and seen the truth of things. In all reality Judas did not need to attend the last supper to fulfill Jesus's fate. All he had to do was turn him in. But Judas chose to betray Jesus at the end of the last supper. And Jesus knew, yet Jesus washed Judas's feet and he ate too. Someone mentioned this and mentioned unconditional love. How can Jesus show so much love and patience and forgiveness towards him, the betrayer, His reason for dying? Yet Judas ate, too. We are Judas and we get to eat, too.

July 29 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Esther Gonzales

The answer is based according to the Word of God. Jesus was the best example for us to learn from. It is our foolish pride and ignorance that blinds us from unconditional love. Here are some scriptures from the ESV Bible:

1Co 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 
1Co 13:2 
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 
1Co 13:3
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 
1Co 13:4 
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 
1Co 13:5 
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 
1Co 13:6 
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 
1Co 13:7 
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
1Co 13:8 
Love never ends.

September 08 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Scripture Guide Evangelist Remolded by the Potter to share the Living Gospel

Did Jesus know from the onset that Judas would be the one to betray Him? 

Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Matthew 10:4

Judas Iscariot is always named last, and with that black brand upon his name, who also betrayed him; which intimates that from the first, Christ knew what a wretch he was, that he had a devil, and would prove a traitor; yet Christ took him among the apostles, that it might not be a surprise and discouragement to his church, if, at any time, the vilest scandals should break out in the best societies. Such spots there have been in our feasts of charity; tares among the wheat, wolves among the sheep; but there is a day of discovery and separation coming, where hypocrites shall be unmasked and discarded. Neither the apostleship, nor the rest of the apostles, were ever the worse for Judas's being one of the twelve, while his wickedness was concealed and did not break out.

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. John 18:4-5

How he received them, with all the mildness imaginable towards them, and all the calmness imaginable in himself.

He met them with a very soft and mild question: 

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? John 18:4

Knowing all things that should come upon him, and therefore not at all surprised with this alarm, with a wonderful intrepidity and presence of mind, undisturbed and undaunted, he went forth to meet them, and, as if he had been unconcerned, softly asked, “Whom seek you? What is the matter? What means this bustle at this time of night?” 

See here, Christ's foresight of his sufferings; He knew all those things that should come upon him, for he had bound himself to suffer them. Unless we had strength, as Christ had, to bear the discovery, we should not covet to know what shall come upon us; it would but anticipate our pain; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof: yet it will do us good to expect sufferings in general, so that when they come we may say, “It is but what we looked for, the cost we sat down and counted upon.”

February 29 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Anthony Clinton Teacher in China

Because after Judas lost His apostleship by his transgression according to Acts 1:20, and Acts 1:25, God still would use Judas though he became an apostate to accomplish His divine plan. Mark 12:36, He became just another footstool Jesus used to perform His divine plan. So then Jesus tolerated his presence and though Judas was chosen as a Holy apostle that was mightily used in by the Holy Spirit, he had forfeited his holy election by giving himself to the sin of covetousness.

At one time Judas with the other 11 received the promise of being seated on one of the thrones in the New Jerusalem. Matt 19:28, Jesus was talking to the twelve which included Judas and said they would be seated upon one of the thrones referring to the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and New Earth. Judas had forsaken all and followed Christ and He was one of the twelve. So God had a wonderful plan for Judas but as it played out sin got the better of Him and He fell from His calling and Election. But though Judas had fallen from that election and calling Jesus would turn his becoming an apostate to be used in the method of His own death. All this had been foreseen by the prophets and all was fulfilled after the same manner. 

This sad loss of election was also what the OT priest Eli had experienced as spoken by the prophet 1Sam 2:27-36, and when such a tragic scene eventuates and it's like salt losing it's taste and becomes useless except to be used for the sovereign purpose of God and then their destruction receiving the reward for their sin.

March 02 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Even though (as Jesus pointed out) His betrayal was foretold in prophecy, Judas still had free will in the matter. I would say that Jesus still wanted to mercifully give Judas the absolute greatest opportunity to repent. For that reason, He did not expel him from the company of the apostles, and, in fact, had even entrusted him with tending to the group's finances, as indicated in John 12:6 and John 13:29. Nor did He specifically identify him to all the other apostles at the Last Supper as the traitor.

(It was also apparently the fact that He had treated Judas on an absolutely equal basis with the other apostles that led all the other apostles to think that each of them might be the one of whom Jesus was speaking when He said that one of them would betray Him (Matthew 26:22).)

Even when Jesus was arrested, multiple translations of Matthew 26:50 indicate that His first words to Judas were, "Friend, why have you come?", providing Judas one last opportunity to change his course of action.

July 29 2020 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jay Saunders

This is a fabulous question about Judas, but Judas had a problem that led to his destruction or his own demise that is a key or seed to understanding his demise.

Judas was a thief. The scripture clearly states so. This allowed Satan a door to enter in and dominate or control his life.

The scripture clearly says that he stole from the master's purse. You see, he was in charge of the ministry's money for the poor. Yep! White collar crime was his demise. It allowed Satan a door to his mind and control of his body to sell information and lead the hate-filled crowd to arrest Jesus. 

When the woman who washed Jesus' feet with precious oils and wiped them with her own hair, Judas complained of the waste and how the cost of the oil could have been given to the poor. But Jesus rebuked him and said to leave the woman alone.

What was behind Judas' motivation or criticism? Was it more money for the master's purse to steal from perhaps? All that guilt about Jesus led to his suicide, but the underlying sin was greed.

Selah! Means meditate upon it.
Shalom! Means let peace be upon you.
Maranatha! Means let the Lord come quickly.

August 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Gabriel Rodriguez

Our almighty forgives. He has no hate. While on the cross, He said, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

February 04 2021 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report