Perhaps the title of this article sounds strange to you, since we usually get the impression that there is nothing good to learn from Judas. He remained like Mount Everest of humanity’s failures. He was so hypocritical that he even knew how to make it seem appropriate to the other disciples his displeasure at seeing Mary of Bethany pour perfume at Jesus’ feet (John 12:1-6, Matthew 26:8).
However, let me share with you three things that I think every Christian should learn from him.
1. It is possible to be close to Jesus and at the same time be far away.
Judas did not love Jesus and preferred earthly things, as shown by his betrayal and theft (John 12:6). He wasn’t really interested in what Master taught. To be honest, what Judas believed in essence was not very different from what is known today as “”: he wanted Christ as a means to his personal end and was proud of him, and therefore he was his follower.
I can imagine Judas becoming disillusioned as he got to know Jesus more, and even angry believing that Jesus had deceived him and wasted time following him. So when he got to the point where he was stubborn and finally recognized that Jesus would not serve his own purposes, he betrayed him, showing that he was never a true disciple (cf. John 26: 14-16 ).
Without a doubt, Judas was one of the most privileged men in history: he walked for three years close to Jesus, witnessed amazing miracles, and even preached along with the other disciples. But he never valued and loved Christ.
Jesus many times spoke things that applied to Judas (such as Matthew 6:19-24 or Matthew 7:21-23), and even warned about what would come for those who betrayed him (Matthew 26:24), but Judas paid no attention. to his words. In fact, we know that Judas was never saved because Jesus knew he would betray him (John 6:70), and because he was always “the son of perdition” (John 17:12).
I wish there was more talk in our pulpits about the truth that it is possible to be within the four walls of a congregation and even have a “successful ministry” and still never be part of God’s church.
The story of Judas should make anyone who claims to be a Christian reflect, since we have many Judases in our ranks: “Christians” who want Christ as a simple end for something else. People who, although they are close to the preaching of the truth, have their hearts far from it.
2. Only Jesus can fill our lives.
Centuries before the coming of Christ, God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah:
“Because two evils my people have done: they have left me, the fountain of living water, and have dug for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13, emphasis added).
The very essence of evil is rejecting the God worthy of all our worship and proudly trying to fill our lives with things that can never fill them, such as earthly goods.
Judas perfectly represents these evils that Jeremiah spoke of. He believed that it was better to have a handful of coins than to have Christ. Then he saw the mistake he made, but instead of repenting, he decided to take his own life, and even his suicide was not as he expected (Acts 1:18). Judas is a clear example that in reality it is useless to have material things without having Christ.
A phrase attributed to Charles Spurgeon says: “Whoever serves God for money will serve the devil for a better salary.” This applies to Judas and is a warning to anyone who appears to be a Christian but is not.
That is why the Word teaches:
“For those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful covetousness, which plunge men into destruction and perdition; for the root of all evil is the love of money, which, coveting some, have strayed from the faith, and have been pierced with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
3. Nothing can stop God’s plans.
It was decreed that Jesus would come to be betrayed and lay down his life for us (cf. Ephesians 1:11, Revelation 13:8). Judas’ betrayal was announced long before it occurred (John 13:18, Matthew 27:9-10, cf. Acts 2:23). However, God did not force Judas to betray Jesus.
Judas gave himself over to Satan and carried out his treachery and wickedness of his own free will, but God is so great that He turned his betrayal for good (cf. Genesis 50:20). So, Judas is a great example that God’s plans cannot be frustrated.
It is mysterious how God is sovereign over all things at the same time that man is 100% responsible for his decisions. It is something that our finite mind may not be able to comprehend, but it is something that we need to accept, since this truth is a great comfort from God to us.
If God could get everything under control at the most crucial moment in history, the death of Jesus, surely he can keep his promises to make all things work together for good (Romans 8:28).