Was Judas Iscariot Unique?
When introducing ourselves in Moldova, people often had difficulty with our foreign-sounding names. To alleviate this difficulty, we would give the Romanian equivalents of our names: Joshua is Iosua, Stacy is a version of Anastasia, and Jude is Iuda. We were surprised, however, when a friend said to us one day, “Don’t tell people that Jude’s name is Iuda.” In English, we have two names, Jude and Judas, that translate the one Greek name Ioudas. Our English-speaking forefathers decided to utilize two different names to avoid confusion between the author of the Letter of Jude and Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord. However, in Romanian, there is only one name, Iuda, and this name is most closely associated with Judas Iscariot. We were causing great confusion because people assumed that we had named Jude after Judas Iscariot. I suppose they were asking each other, “What sort of missionaries name their son after the betrayer of the Lord Jesus?”
Even though I did not name my son after him, I think it is important to understand Judas and his actions. If you watch the History Channel specials about Jesus that are always aired around Easter time, you will see liberal theologians trying to analyze Judas and understand his actions. I’ve heard these theologians say things like, “Judas wasn’t really a bad guy. He just became disillusioned with Jesus because Jesus was not taking the action he thought was necessary to establish his kingdom over against the Romans. Judas thought that by getting the Jewish leaders involved Jesus would be forced to act. Judas thought that one day he would be seen as a hero.” Unfortunately, these men treat the gospels like biased news accounts rather than the inspired Word of God.
The Bible affirms that Judas‘ actions were evil. Judas was evil. We should not and cannot justify him and his actions. We do not question the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, we must question the uniqueness of Judas‘ evil. Were Judas‘ actions unique? Was Judas Iscariot unique? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Yes, Judas‘ actions were unique because no one in all of history will be the tool Satan—and God, also, in an inexplicable way—uses to bring about the death of Jesus. However, the answer to the question is also no—Judas is not unique.
Judas received incredible blessing. He witnessed Jesus‘ teaching, miracles, and friendship firsthand. He beheld the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Yet, Judas spurned the blessing of God and sought to achieve his own, personal, monetary blessing by delivering the Son of God to be killed. Following these actions, Judas felt the weight of God’s judgment and sought his own way of atonement by returning the money and committing suicide.
These decisions were a particularly Adamic series of decisions. Where else do we see the same series of events? Genesis 1-3. Adam received incredible blessing from God. He beheld God firsthand. He experienced God’s grace and truth. Yet, Adam spurned the blessing of God and sought to achieve his own, personal blessing by rebelling against God in order to become “like God” himself. But immediately following this, he felt guilt and sought his own way of atonement by making clothes from fig leaves. Just like his son Judas, Adam’s decisions were suicidal in nature. He knew that eating the fruit meant certain death!
Yes, Judas‘ actions are evil, but they are not unique. As equal inheritors of Adam’s nature, apart from God’s grace, we all make this same series of decisions. We all act in this suicidal manner. We have all received incredible benefits from God by the very fact that we are alive. We all, at the very least, see God’s invisible attributes revealed in Creation, but we spurn God’s blessings. In our unrighteousness, we suppress the truth. We seek our own blessing by becoming our own God. We are enemies of God. Our sinful motives, thoughts, words, and deeds are attempts to destroy him. When we do feel guilt over our sin, we seek self-atonement through various methods of religion, psychology, and self-help. But no matter what we do these actions will finally lead to our death. Sin is self-destructive.
Jesus said, “It would have been better for that man if he had not been born” (Mark 14:21), and if we do not escape our suicide by God’s grace, we likewise will one day say, “It would have been better for me if I had not been born.” O, But may we not forget that Judas was a disciple! If it was possible for him to fall to such depths, how can I be so prideful to think that I am beyond such self-destructive decisions? “Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” Is this not the song of my heart? We must make this our prayer: “Take my heart, Lord; Take and seal it; Seal it for Thy courts above!” One day I will see him, and when I am overcome by his unshielded glory all that I will be able to say is “Grace alone. Grace alone brought me here!”
