Judas - The Necessary Traitor?
@quetzalcoatl2435 (222)
Indonesia
March 23, 2008 5:53am CST
First of all, Happy Easter (to all of you who do celebrate Easter)!
Since it's Easter, we surely remember the story of Judas who betrayed Jesus. What's been bugging me for some time is how Judas has become infamous as an example of a traitor. No one wants to be like Judas because of this, and he is much hated for what he did (I certainly don't want to be in his shoes).
Now, I'm not trying to make Judas look like a hero, but what if Judas didn't betray Jesus? Or what if there was no Judas? Wouldn't there be no salvation as well? Without Judas around (or betraying Jesus), Jesus wouldn't die on the cross for mankind, would He? So who was Judas, really?
The Gnostics view him as the only disciple who understood Jesus (I don't agree with Gnostic views, though). I can only see him as another person who is being used by God for the good of mankind. He was a necessary traitor, required for Jesus to finish His job on earth. Does that necessarily mean that he was evil, because he betrayed Jesus for money?
Judging from what is written in the gospels, I can see that Judas was trusted by Jesus and the other disciples. He was the treasurer and often took care of things for the group. I don't see why Jesus and the other disciples would trust Judas if he was evil. Or is it that he was the only one who truly understood what Jesus had to do on earth, what He had to suffer? Even Jesus spoke directly to Judas during the last supper, "Do what you have to do". This surely means that Jesus knew that Judas was about to betray Him. Or does this have deeper meaning? That it was Jesus who instructed Judas to betray Him, in order for Him to fulfill His duty on earth?
3 responses
@maykxlot (49)
• Philippines
23 Mar 08
I have already answered this question in another thread.
Judas played a role in the over-all plan of God for the salvation of mankind.
God gave man free will from the very beginning. God doesn't force anyone His will. But He has a general plan regardless whatever man chooses. If man chooses a crooked path, God can easily straighten it to have everything flows according to His divine plan.
Take for example, in the garden of Eden. God gave Adam and Eve free will. God really knows that there is a possibility that the two will disobey Him. But if ever they will disobey Him, God has already a plan for it - and that is to send Christ more than 4,000 years after the Eden incident.
Prior to crucifixion, God's plan was someone will betray Christ. Judas, from the very beginning, seemed to have the "greedy" attitude. I think he also the one who said that the perfume/oil should had been sold and given to the poor instead of pouring it to Jesus. He had "this" attitude. And naturally, he succumbed to the bribe. He had a choice. He could say NO to the bribe, but he did not.
Now we say, what if Judas said NO to the bribe. Does this mean, Jesus Christ will not be delivered for crucifixion and consequently mankind has no salvation? That's an emphatic NO. God could and would use another "Judas".
So our question now is, what will happen to Judas? Isn't it because of him, the Saviour had been crucified? Indeed, God has a plan for him. In the resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment, Judas will be there. God will give him understanding of what he did and ultimately grant him his salvation.
@sharone74 (4837)
• United States
20 Apr 08
It is a question that has not been brought up until now. Which I think is odd. But without Judas' betrayal would not another have been made to do the same in order to fulfill the destiny that Christ was sent to fulfill? God wills as he will and he chooses the destiny of each human being based upon the choices that they make, or the choices that they have. However Jesus was sent here to be an example and thus he had to killed taking our sin and our stain away from us.
@quetzalcoatl2435 (222)
• Indonesia
4 Jun 08
I don't think I'm the first one to ask this question. I agree with you, even if it wasn't Judas, it would have been some other person. What I don't agree on (with most of the world, it seems), is why Judas is viewed as the vilest of all villains... Would it be too much to ask if he was just viewed as another person who's being used for the good of mankind?
@chiyosan (30184)
• Philippines
5 Apr 08
In this regard, has anyone watched the documentary about "the gospel of judas"?
in this, Judas is regarded as some other "person" and not the traitor we all know him for...
he was exalted., or was given at least a respect and yes... he was indeed needed for the fulfillment of Jesus' destiny when he came to the world...
@quetzalcoatl2435 (222)
• Indonesia
4 Jun 08
The Gospel of Judas is a gnostic writing, and as such should not be taken literately. The gnostics view the physical body and world as a prison for the soul, and therefore sought for ways to release the soul from the prison that is the physical world. Hence Judas was viewed as a gnostic hero, because he had helped to release Jesus' soul to return to a higher plane of existence. To the gnostics, Jesus' destiny was to show mankind that the body was a mere prison to the pure soul.
