This is a serious question, my SIL and I were talking about it last night, and couldn't figure it out..

If Jesus' destiny was to come to Earth and die for us, was is Judas' destiny to betray the Lord and reject Him?

OR, was Judas given the free will to make his own decision? We were trying to understand if God created Judas with the predetermination of rejection of Christ, causing him to go to hell.. Or did he repent as his rope broke?

Since it was Christ's destiny to die for us, would He have died regardless of what decision Judas made? It just seems so sad if God gave Judas life, only to have him condemned and not given the choice of accepting Christ...

Any thoughts?

I think the answer is both. Judas had free will but God also knew His Son must die in order for His plan to come to fruition. And we don't know for sure Judas never repented. True he died shortly there after but there are 2 separate accounts of his death Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:18. Since the disciples were the major writers at this time and none had any further interaction with Judas after the betrayal we can not be cerain he never repented of his crime. Right? How wonderful would it be to know he repented before his death...ya know what though...maybe he didn't, but maybe Jesus stood waiting in Heaven and said, "Welcome." because without the betrayal there may have been no crucifixtion. No salvation through His grace. Hmm...so many possibilities. THAT is one great thing about God...limitless possibilities with all roads leading to Him if you look.[cheerful] ~Kerri

Thanks for posting this. It is a question I have often thought of.

In the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas is represented as a victim. He sings:

Christ!
I know you can't hear me
But I only did what you wanted me to
Christ!
I'd sell out the nation
For I have been saddled
With the murder of you


My mind is darkness now
My god I am sick
I've been used
And you knew
All the time
God I'll never ever know
Why you chose me for your crime
For your foul bloody crime
You have murdered me!
You have murdered me!

So long, Judas Poor old Judas

Of course, this musical wasn't written by a believer, nor did it have a spiritual emphasis. Judas was not "used" in such a manner by God. He made his own choices.

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

The scripture below suggests that Judas "repented". However, Barnes' commentary suggests that this "repentance" was more a guilty conscience than a change of mind.

Matthew 27:3 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,

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible


Matthew 27:3, Verse 3. Then Judas--when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself. This shows that Judas did not suppose that the affair would have results in this calamitous manner. He probably expected that Jesus would have worked a miracle to deliver himself, and not have suffered this condemnation to come upon him. When he saw him taken, bound, tried, and condemned; when he saw that all probability that he would deliver himself was taken away, he was overwhelmed with disappointment, sorrow, and remorse of conscience. The word rendered repented himself, it has been observed, does not of necessity denote a change for the better, but any change of views and feelings. Here it evidently means no other change than that produced by the horrors of a guilty conscience, and by deep remorse, for crime at its unexpected results. It was not saving repentance; that leads to a holy life: this led to an increase of crime in his own death. True repentance leads the sinner to the Saviour: this led away from the Saviour to the gallows. Judas, if he had been a true penitent, would have come then to Jesus, confessed his crime at his feet, and sought for pardon there. But, overwhelmed with remorse, and the conviction of vast guilt, he was not willing to come into his presence, and added to the crime of a traitor that of self-murder. Assuredly, such a man could not be a true penitent.


The below verse also suggests that Judas was lost.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

While Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal seem to our minds to be particularly heinous sins, we must never be under the illusion that we are not capable of the very same things (in our flesh). It's only by walking in The Spirit that we avoid being deniers and betrayers.