Life of Judas Iscariot - Part 2

For Jesus to face the brutal death which was already proclaimed by God through his prophets, there had to be someone to betray Jesus. This was the plan ordained by God.

Thus God had to select someone, suitable for this betrayal. Judas Iscariot was qualified to do this job.

What was the qualification Judas Iscariot had, which other 11 apostles did not have, in order to be chosen to betray Jesus?

Well, Look at the below scripture:


John 12:3-6

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6  he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

According to the above scriptures, Judas Iscariot was a thief by nature. In the sense, he had love of money from his beginning. This was the qualification Judas Iscariot had to be chosen to betray Jesus.

However, the act of betraying Jesus was pre-planned by God and informed to His prophets well in advance. Hence the one who was to be chosen to betray Jesus had to betray Jesus in fulfillment of the Scriptures and not as a result of that person's own deed.

We all know that a thief shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. In other words, a thief shall end up in hell because of his own deeds. All the kinds of people mentioned in the above scriptures are sinners because of their evil deeds. However there is a way for a sinner to inherit the kingdom. Yes, guess what?
This is the way Jesus has opened by coming to this world, for sinners to enter the kingdom of God. It is nothing, but REPENTANCE.
 

Mark 2:17
...I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.


The above scripture (Mark 2:17) reveals all sinners mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, namely fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers, drunkards, revilers, extortioners, can inherit the kingdom of God provided they repent and believe in Jesus Christ.
 

Now we see that there is a way for a thief to enter the kingdom of God. It is through REPENTANCE. It is through this REPENTANCE that even the thief who was crucified with Jesus at the right side of Jesus, was qualified to enter the kingdom of God. 


God was so careful in selecting the person to betray Jesus. God did not want to see someone in hell due to the fact that God had caused that person to commit evil in order to fulfill the Scripture. Hence God wanted to select a thief by nature, who would later repent and enter the kingdom of God. 


Now we know Judas Iscariot was a thief by nature. However, Jesus chose him to be an Apostle as Judas Iscariot could be led to REPENTANCE. But Jesus did not call Judas Iscariot to REPENTANCE, until the scripture was fulfilled by him. Look at the below scripture:

John 13:18
18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.


In the above verse, Jesus, talking about the 12 Apostles, says that He knows whom He has chosen. In other words, Jesus confirms that He has not made a mistake by choosing a thief to be an Apostle because this thief (Judas Iscariot) could be qualified to remain as an Apostle through REPENTANCE. 


Further, Jesus implies that this thief was not led to REPENTANCE right now, in order that the scripture would be fulfilled through him. This is very clear as Jesus had never let Judas Iscariot know the fact that Jesus had known Judas Iscariot as a thief because of love of money.


Even after Judas Iscariot was chosen as an Apostle, he continued as a thief as he was not led to REPENTANCE. Nevertheless, Judas Iscariot loved Jesus as other Apostles did.  Hence, he never wanted to gain anything by doing any evil to his Lord, Jesus. That is why Jesus says. "I know whom I have chosen." 



Then, why do we read that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus???