John 6:63-71
Jesus once said to His disciples,
John 6:64
“There are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
Did Judas’ betrayal take Jesus by surprise? No. (See John 6:70-71.) Jesus knew precisely what He was doing when He chose Judas.
Why did Jesus Choose Judas?
The answer is both a warning and an encouragement.
When Jesus looks at the Church, He knows who the true believers are. The word “belief” here means heart trust. If you do not trust Him, you are not saved. (See Acts 16:31.)
Judas had the right associations. He spent three and a half years in the best seminary in the world, studying, hearing Jesus Christ talk. He had the right reputation. At the last supper, when Jesus said, “One of you will betray Me” (see Matthew 26:21), the disciples did not say, “I know; it must be Judas.” Judas was a worker. He went out with the others to teach and to do good.
Maybe you are in a Bible‑believing church. Everybody thinks you are a wonderful person—and you may be, outwardly.
Matthew 7:22-23
“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
How could this story also be an encouragement? Because the other disciples did not quit Christ. Don’t let some hypocrite in the Church keep you from loving and serving the Lord Jesus. Judas was a hypocrite, but Peter, Andrew, James and John were not.
Divine Sovereignty
Jesus said, a few chapters later,
John 13:18a
“I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’”
Jesus is there quoting Psalm 41:9. Scripture had said the betrayal of Jesus would happen. Nothing had gone wrong.
God knew what Judas would do before Judas did it. Did Judas have a choice? Absolutely. Did God know it beforehand? Yes. We dwell in time. God dwells in eternity: the past, present and future are all alike to Him.
Where Man rules, God overrules.
Personal Responsibility
Judas was not forced. He was responsible for what he did.
After Judas realized what he had done, he went back to the chief priests and gave them back those thirty pieces of silver, “saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’” (Matthew 27:4). Sin deceived him: it promised much, but paid little. (See Proverbs 20:17).
“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5).
Judas did not end his life when he hung himself. His heart stopped—but his soul is still in existence. Trying to escape the Hell within him, he stepped into the Hell before him.
This is human responsibility. Judas chose, and he chose wrong. (See 2 Peter 3:9.)
Did Judas lose his salvation? Judas never had salvation. Jesus said,
John 10:27-28
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
There are only two categories of people: the saved and the lost. You cannot be on the fence.
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