Have you forgiven Judas for betraying Jesus and starting the chain of events that culminated in His crucifixion? Here are five reasons why forgiving Judas is a good idea.
“Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out” (NKJV).
I had been reading Acts 1 when verse 18 above, which described Judas Iscariot’s tragic death, arrested me. Judas was one of the original twelve apostles. However, this wasn’t how he gained notoriety.
Judas entered the annals of history as a notable villain because he double-crossed Jesus. (His betrayal has been so widely despised, there is a stigma surrounding his name.)
But there was a twist to this story. After betraying Jesus to the authorities, Judas felt remorseful. He eventually returned the money the religious leaders paid him (Matthew 27:3-11)—and killed himself.
Something about the verse we started with activated my analytical part.
No wonder Judas “burst open in the middle.” It’s obvious he had a weak core! After all, he betrayed his own Teacher—and Savior of the world to boot.
As soon as my mind formed this thought, a question popped into my heart. “Have you forgiven Judas?”
I had been a Christian as long as I could remember and never kept track of how many times I’ve read the Bible cover to cover. I can’t tell you the number of sermons I’ve digested over the course of my lifetime. Yet, I had never heard anyone ask that specific question, nor had I ever entertained it myself.
That’s why I concluded it was the Holy Spirit who inspired the unexpected question.
If God was truly the Source of that silent inquiry, this question deserves to be asked more widely. Have you forgiven Judas for betraying Jesus and starting the chain of events that culminated in His crucifixion?
Maybe you have. If so, good for you.
But perhaps you believe Judas was destined to be a betrayer, in which case it’s futile to forgive him. But this belief dismisses the importance of free will—a gift God has given everyone, including Judas.
If you and I have the option to obey God or give in to temptation, then the same can be said regarding Judas. He could’ve chosen to resist the temptation to betray Christ.
He could’ve chosen to stick with Jesus even if the Lord didn’t meet all of his expectations.
It’s also possible you were like me prior to writing this article. Perhaps you never considered that, just because Judas lived millennia ago, doesn’t mean we’re absolved from having to forgive him.
Here are five reasons why forgiving Judas is a good idea.
1. Reality of the Bible
The events in the Bible happened a long time ago. This distance can sometimes make it seem as though the characters in it weren’t actual individuals who faced real trials. Some mistakenly consider the Bible as a compilation of fascinating fiction. Imaginary.
By asking yourself if you’ve forgiven Judas—and by forgiving him—you’re training yourself to esteem the Bible, as well as the people and events in it, as real.
2. Eliminating Weights
Hebrews 12:1 leaves us a timely tip for our earthbound journey: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Unforgiveness, anger, and rage dump a hefty load to our lives. If nothing else, leaving these emotions unprocessed exposes us to stress and poor health, which can terminate our lives prematurely.
Since we’re living in the pressure cooker that defines the 21st century, doesn’t it make sense to release every unnecessary encumbrance?
3. Jesus Forgave
Even though there is no specific mention of Jesus forgiving Judas by name, we know the Son of God lived sinless. He walked in continual forgiveness while on earth. Besides, He taught the disciples to forgive as a lifestyle, like when He told Peter to forgive 70 times seven (Matthew 18:22). While enduring the unthinkable agony of being crucified, Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who inflicted His pain (Luke 23:34).
It’s not a stretch to suggest Jesus must have forgiven Judas.
Let’s couple this fact with the admonition for us to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1). Since Jesus Himself has forgiven His betrayer, what’s our excuse for not doing the same?
4. Good Practice
Have you noticed how quickly people get triggered these days? From cancel culture to road rage to family tension, it seems offense loads the air we breathe. And since it’s hard to forgive, let’s take every opportunity to practice the skill.
Forgiving someone who is near and dear to you may be harder compared to forgiving a stranger. Those close to you also possess the great potential to hurt you on a regular basis. Contrast this to strangers who may only offend you once in your lifetime.
If you make a point to forgive a relative stranger—Judas—it will help you forgive your loved ones in general.
5. Self-forgiveness
“Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, saying, I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man’” (Matthew 27:3-4, MSG).
Doesn’t Judas' confession make it sound as though he never forgave himself? This conclusion makes sense, especially given what happened next—his suicide (Matthew 27:5).
Would his fate have been different had he forgiven himself? I wonder. As is often the case, however, forgiving yourself can prove more challenging than forgiving others.
I think of women who might regret their abortions. Or mourners who feel culpable in the death of their loved one. If your offspring is an addict or not doing well for any reason, you might blame yourself.
Let’s learn from Judas’ tragic example and forgive ourselves. Regardless of how horrible your situation is, ask the Lord for forgiveness and also the grace to forgive yourself.
Please don’t ever take your own life like Judas did. No matter what.
Never Obsolete
There are others in the Bible whose offenses also await your forgiveness.
Pilate knew Jesus was blameless (Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22) and that it was envy that fueled the Jews to crucify Him (Matthew 24:18). None of these mattered. He still pronounced the death sentence to please the crowd (Luke 23:24).
Apostle Peter denied any association with Jesus three solid times (John 18:17, Matthew 26:69, Mark 14:66, Luke 22:56, Luke 22:58).
Prior to his conversion, apostle Paul killed and jailed Christians (Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-2).
As for contemporary candidates for your forgiveness, all you need to do is glance around, and you’ll find plenty of names. Think of career politicians whose face can boil your blood in a jiffy. What about elected officials who enact policies that oppose your values? How about sex traffickers and drug smugglers and ministers who molested innocent girls and other folks you frown at, whatever the reason may be?
In the last days, the love of many will grow cold because lawlessness will abound (Matthew 24:12). One way to fight back is by increasing our forgiveness quotient.
The time to forgive is now, no matter the offense. Even if the offender keeps offending. Hasn’t Jesus taught us to forgive 70 times 7 (Matthew 18:21-35)—basically implying, keep on forgiving?
So, let’s practice forgiveness. Let’s forgive everyone who has hurt, offended, or taken advantage of us.
Starting with Judas.
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