We are Judas

    

     The most often quoted (and misquoted) verse in scripture is "judge not." Most often, the misquote is, don't judge me! You, just as I, have already been judged. Because God has foreknowledge, although we're free to judge ourselves and seek relief, he knows our hearts. Redemption was provided by the propitiation of Jesus's own blood and death, but as with any gift, his sacrificial blood can be rejected. None of us had anything to do with the giving, but much ado with accepting and using the gift. 

      Many, after they receive the gift, become haughty: I've been forgiven but you have not! Nah... nah... nah. Many Christians are not merciful to others as God was merciful unto them. Although Christians are Judas's as well, many look at others as Judas's. How can that be? Did not Jesus die for the sin(ner)s of the world (1Cor 15:3)? That includes everyone, for all have sinned and deserve death (Rom 3:23). Thusly, everyone, just as Judas, deserve death! Et to Jude?

     Read John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Substitute for "world", the name "Judas." Substitute again with your name: For God so loved Judas and Herrin, that he gave his only begotten son, that if Judas and Herrin believeth in him they should not perish, but Judas and Herrin shall have everlasting life. The point is that we are no better than Judas; we all were accomplices in killing God. The centurions "pulled the trigger" for Pilate, but Jesus said that the sins of others were greater than Pilates'. (John 19:11). That means Judas's, Caiaphas's, Herrin's, and your sins were greater than Pilates's because we are the reason Jesus had to die. Pilate washed his hands of the dirty deed. We have not until we are born again!

     Everyone has prejudged Judas. His name is synonamous with "traitor" as he committed sedition and mutinied against God. For what? The love of money - thirty pieces of silver. Just as Faust bargained away his soul to the Devil for money, Judas did the same thing; he "covenanted" with the Jewish officials for the silver. (Refer to "JUDAS" below.)

^JUDAS:

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, ¹⁵ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. (Mat 26:13-14)

46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. ⁴⁷ And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. ⁴⁹ And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. ⁵⁰ And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. (Mat 26:46-50)

 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. ⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Mat 27:3-5)

     Jesus knew Judas's heart, and he knows yours. Christians can act innocent, as did Judas, but the acting is farcical. Judas role-played just as many Christians still do, and just as Romeo and Juliet, he could not bear living, but in his case, that he had betrayed his friend. Judas was the "first blood" in Satan's plot to kill Jesus. Satan used Judas and he can and does use us! 

     Jesus is the Almighty God. Satan had no power to kill Jesus. God allowed Satan to hatch the plan, which, unknown to Satan, was his own demise. Satan vicariously committed suicide when Jesus was crucified. Jesus allowed himself to die, not that Satan had him killed, so that Judas's would not perish! Satan was self-delusional, thinking that he killed Jesus, and he still thinks that way as he continues the treason.

     Judas, just as David had centuries before, condemned himself, then was sorry for what he had done, made restitution as best as he could by submitting that he valued Jesus more than the money, confessed to his sins, and lastly made himself a sacrifice. It seems that Judas did what any sinner must do! 

      Most Christians take issue that Judas was redeemed because he hanged himself; that violates the Sixth Commandment. Killing can be justified for right reasons. For instance, fighting just wars to save lives is considered legitimately taking lives because God often commanded the Jews to war with ungodly people. Was there justification for Judas killing himself? I believe that Judas did the honorable thing compared to Peter who denied Jesus three times. Judas seemed to have presented himself a living sacrifice just as all Christians are to do. (Rom 12:1). 

     Was Judas a Christian? Jesus selected him, and Judas followed him. Like many Christians, Judas did not follow well. He lived and died what Paul said: "The Spirit is willing but the flesh was weak." (Mat 26:41). God allowed Satan to tempt Judas just as he was allowed to tempt Job, "And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand" (Job 1:12). God did not kill Judas because he did what God willed, and Satan could not. Therefore, Judas convicted himself, confessed, then punished himself. God may have honored Judas's day in court. 

     Imagine if you will, when we sin we know it's sin. Righteous people, as David did, can convict themselves. David depended upon a merciful God to live, but Judas depended on a merciful God to die because of this: "To live is Christ; to die gain." (Phil 1:21). Perhaps Judas gained that day because he no longer need suffer the guilt for not living "Christ."

     I have presented the evidence for the case, God vs. Judas. God does not condemn us; we condemn ourselves by sinning. (John 3:17). Jesus did not condemn Judas; it's just not there. His next acts were dying to redeem Judas and all the Judas's of the world!

     The Christian community long ago condemned Judas. He is the Benedict Arnold of the Spiritual Revolution - the one to make all men free. I have examined the evidence, and do not condemn Judas, for if I do, then I condemn myself because et tu Herrin. I must use the same metric of judging Judas as I do myself. How merciful am I toward me? Immensely merciful! How merciful must I be to Judas? Immensely merciful. That is from the passages below, under the sub-heading "YOU":

YOU:

1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Mat 7:1-3)

37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:37-38)

24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24).

     I just judged Judas. I thought I must not do that; after nearly everyone emphatically says that I must not do that! Read on: We can judge however we fairly judge ourselves. (Mat 7:2-3). I see the "mote" in Judas's eye (mentally), but not the beam in my own - that I deserve more mercy than Judas!
     Then it is seen that judgment is complemented by no condemnation (Luke 6:37).. If anyone condemns Judas to Hell, they condemn themselves. If they forgive Judas for his horrid sin, then Jesus will forgive us for our horrid sins -  we abetted with Judas in the plot to kill God. We all should want to be judged fairly and squarely (Luke 38), and to be judged fairly, we must judge others with the same metric. We all want eternal life; we must want that Judas have eternal life. 
    It appears that Judas committed the greater sin than we did. That judgment is according to the appearnce (John 7:24) of the events in scripture. From the depositions written and left behind by the apostles, there is not enough evidence to condemn Judas to eternal punishment. Therefore, for lack of evidence, fair-minded people must acquit Judas, just as we acquit ourselves based on Jesus paying the penalty for everyone's sins!
     We are always ready to judge harshly; that is true, but God softens the heart. I had already condemned Judas in my heart, and wondered how many others I had condemned. I discovered that I had condemned Adam and Eve for their grievious sin when it was right there in Genesis chapter three that God covered their sins because they could not cover their own. I had been unmerciful, and for some, I still seem to be! I still hate Hitler and want him in Hell! My sins are as grievous as his because I, with simaliarty to the German Chistians, just sing a little louder at the "train loads" of aborted babies. 
     Some hold grudges against me, and have for years. Rather than forgiving seven times seventy, they may resent me that much. The same for me. On the other hand, I let it go. I am willing to judge others with the same metric that I use for myselves; we all are sinners who deserve death, but God is Who judges on eternal issues!