Could you become an “Advocate” for Judas Iscariot? Could you defend Judas, in the hopes that other readers might begin to see Judas through more sympathetic eyes, just maybe through the eyes of the Holy Spirit?
Judas Was Obeying God And Fulfilling Scripture
Look at it this way:MATTHEW: 17:22-23; “And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, ‘ The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day, he shall be raised again.’ And they were exceedingly sorry.”
At this time, Jesus and the apostles are travelling the countryside, going from town to town healing and teaching the teachings of God. They are as the scripture reveals, in Galilee for the night, when Jesus reveals to the apostles what would soon happen to him. and the next day they would head to Capernaum.
This scripture also shows us that, though they were saddened to hear such news, they display no denial of this revealed truth.
Finally Jesus and his apostles make their way back to Jerusalem to celebrate “Passover”, and again we read that Jesus again reveals to his apostles that the time has finally come for him to be handed over and killed.
MATTHEW: 26: verses 21, 24, 33-35
“Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.”
“The son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.”
“Peter answered and said unto him, ‘ Though all men shall be offended, because of thee, yet will I never be offended.’ Jesus said unto him, ‘ Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crows, thou shalt deny me thrice.”
Jesus again tells his apostles that He is to be betrayed, and handed over to be crucified. When the apostles her this for a second time, and then hear that Jesus believes one of them will betray him, one by one each begins to deny this. Peter becomes the strongest in oppisition as we can see with his statement, yet Jesus knows the truth already, and warns Peter of how Peter will act.
The main defense was before and still is:
That God and Jesus as the Son of God, being omnicient (all knowing) that God and Jesus knew.
They knew that Jesus had to be crucified for the remission of mans’ sins.
They knew they chose Judas to be the one who would assist Jesus in His fulfillment of the scriptures, by turning Jesus over to the High Priest Caiaphas.
They knew that afterwards, Judas would feel such guilt and sorrow and repent of this deed.
They knew that Judas would hang himself, yet to fulfill the scriptures of the prophets they permitted it, forgiving Judas.
In Jesus statement in MATTHEW: 26:24; although Jesus is referring to Judas with this statement, Jesus is not referring to Judas’s betrayal or his suicide, rather He is referring to the fact that mankind will see Judas hatefully and with disdain for what was about to transpire. Judas goes down in history as the person who betrays Jesus, and does so with a kiss.
LUKE: 23:34;
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
This I believe was as much a plea for God to forgive the soldiers crucifying him and the zealot jews and followers of Caiaphas and the Pharisees, as it was for Judas, for Judas performs the supreme sacrifice in repentance for his sin, taking his own life.
It is the belief of this writer, that Judas, like the other apostles, were received by God as saints, and as we are told the twelve will sit with Jesus in heaven with their crowns.