Why Judas Will Be in Heaven
“When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse.” – Matthew 27:3a NLT
When Judas realized that his little scam had turned into an execution he was devastated. That is more than I can say for many people I know and for the society in which I live. Most people lawyer up and stand before a mirror and practice saying, “Senator, I have no recollection.” He was filled with real remorse because he sought to change the situation and disassociate himself from its results. Like Pilate, he wanted to wash his hands of his own actions.
“So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” – Matthew 27:3b-4a NLT
Most of society won’t praise such an admission since they have other reasons to carry on with the sinister plot. This is especially true of the ruling class, of those who could lose power, and whose reputations depend on a false narrative. The ruling class in this case, who controlled the narrative, were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees were the conservatives and the Sadducees were the liberals. It takes a serious threat from a common enemy of both sides to bring such unity. The only things that have worked in the history of the United States in bringing the country together were the two world wars and the attack on 9/11. Jesus was their common enemy - a threat to their existence, their status in society, and their political power with the Romans. So, their response was predictable.
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.” – Matthew 27:4b NLT
Judas realized they had gone too far; they wouldn’t change their minds. So, he threw the coins down in the temple and went out and hung himself. Judas must have been thinking, “I don’t want to live. I can’t ever look Jesus in the eyes again. I will be shamed. My life is over. How can I stop the pain?” So, like many who have felt the need for similar reasons, he ended it. One could applaud Judas’ integrity. While his act may have been a cowardly one, at least he was honest with himself and endeavored to bring justice to the situation. If one could get into his head and capture his thoughts, perhaps he was thinking, “If Jesus must die, I must not live.”
The leading priests did what leading priests do – they “picked up the coins.” (Matthew 27:6a NLT). They could never leave money on the table, or on the temple floor! No, that wouldn’t be right would it? Then they called a committee meeting (something else they were experts at). They thought through the legalities, “Was this blood money? Was it tainted somehow?” They wouldn’t want to do anything that that would violate one of their made-up codes in any way.
“After some discussion, they finally decided, to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners.” – Matthew 27:7
I wonder how many votes, amendments, and points of orders were recorded in the minutes. Isn’t it interesting how religious people can be so particular about who they are buried with rather than who they will spend eternity with? I don’t believe heaven or hell will have separate compartments to satisfy the tastes of the religious. But then there is something they didn’t figure on that the scripture makes clear:
“That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says, ‘They took the thirty pieces of silver- the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.’” – Matthew 27:8-10 NLT
Whenever Judas is discussed or his eternal fate contemplated, there seems to be an “either/or” approach by those who care. The bible, however, is not an “either/or” book, but rather a “both/and” book. Humans are not just sinners, many are saints. God is certainly sovereign, and humans are responsible for their actions. Judas betrayed Jesus, but he also followed Jesus. He not only sinned, but he repented of his sin. He had true remorse for his sin and, in his own pathetic way, tried to make amends.
Finally, Judas was a needed player in God’s grand redemptive plan. Who in their right mind would volunteer for such duty, such shame, and so much infamy? People might sing “Hey Jude” until the entire world is sick of it, but no one is singing “Hey Judas.”
Has the thought ever occurred to you that Judas may have demonstrated more personal integrity than you have? Could it be possible he followed Jesus, learned from Jesus, loved Jesus, and was chosen to be one of the twelve by Jesus? He must have had something going for him to be selected from the hundreds of candidates. Yes, Judas was the bookkeeper - he was a Schimel. Apparently, he was a pretty good guy who got angry, a bit envious, and was motivated by money. And he became the villain for all time.
We champion the eternal cause of many people we have known; we attend their funerals and have assured ourselves and their loved ones that they are with God. Yet, if we were to examine their lives might their actions betray such a conclusion. Could it be that their performance on earth regarding following Christ and bearing fruit would fall short of Judas? One thing you can say, God needed Judas to betray Jesus - he was necessary to the plan. Don’t gasp when you reach the pearly gates and find Judas standing next to Peter with a clip board keeping track of numbers.