Menkato V Awomi
Judas Iscariot is one of the most well-known yet controversial figures in the Bible. His name is nearly synonymous with betrayal. Known as the disciple who handed Jesus over to be crucified, Judas is remembered throughout history for one of the most tragic choices ever made. Over the centuries, many theories, debates, and commentaries have surfaced about him. Was he saved? Was he predestined for destruction? Could he have repented? These are questions scholars, theologians, and preachers have pondered for generations.
Because Judas was one of the twelve disciples who walked with Jesus, many assume he must have been born again or saved. Others argue that Judas’s betrayal was predestined by God to fulfill prophecy, leaving Judas without any real choice. But regardless of where people stand on these theological debates, the Bible makes one thing unequivocally clear, Judas did not end up in Heaven.
In Acts 1:25, after Judas’s death, the apostles prayed for someone to replace him in ministry, saying, “to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” That is a heavy statement. Jesus Himself also declared in Matthew 26:24, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
This is perhaps one of the most terrifying statements made by Jesus, implying the eternal consequence Judas faced. Clearly, Judas’s end was not the result of God’s arbitrary choice, but rather a consequence of Judas’s own choices, which God foreknew and which were foretold by the prophets.
What Did Judas See in Jesus?
Rather than focusing solely on Judas’s betrayal, let us examine what Judas saw in Jesus. This is important because even though no one today can betray Christ in the same historical manner, many within the Church world are walking in the spirit and pattern of Judas, attending church, singing songs, even serving in ministry, but ultimately headed to the same place Judas went, not because God doesn’t care, but because they refuse to truly know Jesus and surrender to Him as Lord.
From the moment Judas is introduced in Scripture, we get glimpses into his heart and motives. He had one major focus- money. In John 12:3–6, we read the account of a woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. Judas immediately objected, criticizing her for "wasting" it. But the Bible exposes his true motive: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12:6). His love of money was not a side issue, it was the foundation of his heart posture. Eventually, it became the very reason he betrayed Jesus: thirty silver coins was all it took.
Judas's Earthly Expectations
Though the Bible does not give exhaustive detail about Judas’s personal beliefs, many historians and scholars believe that Judas saw Jesus primarily as a political figure, a potential Messianic liberator who would overthrow Roman rule and restore the kingdom to Israel. Judas may have hoped to secure a position of influence or power in this new earthly kingdom.
But Jesus continually made it clear that His Kingdom was not of this world. In John 18:36, Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world... This directly contradicted the expectations Judas may have had.
As time went on, and as Jesus repeatedly spoke of His coming death rather than national victory, Judas’s disillusionment likely grew. His expectations of glory, power, and political triumph were replaced by the harsh reality of a crucified Savior. This disconnect between Judas’s expectations and Jesus’s mission was fatal. When he realized Jesus wasn’t going to meet his desires, Judas assigned Him a value, thirty pieces of silver and handed Him over.
Rabbi or Lord? A Critical Distinction
One of the clearest indicators of Judas’s heart posture is found during the Last Supper. In Matthew 26:20–25, Jesus tells His disciples that one among them will betray Him. One after another, the disciples respond with grief and ask, “Surely not I, Lord?” Each one addressed Him as Lord, a term that reflects submission, reverence, and recognition of His divine identity.
But when Judas speaks, he says, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He didn’t call Him Lord. He called Him Teacher, a respectful title, but not one that acknowledges divinity or surrender. This is no small detail. Judas had walked with Jesus for years, witnessed miracles, heard sermons, seen love in action and still only saw Him as a good teacher. This single word reveals Judas's distance from Jesus. His connection was outward and superficial, not inward and spiritual.
Why Judas Went to Hell
Yes, Judas fulfilled prophecy. Yes, Jesus’s death was planned by God before the foundation of the world. But Judas was not a puppet. He made real choices, choices rooted in greed, pride, selfish ambition, and unbelief. He never accepted Jesus as “Lord.” He never surrendered. He saw Jesus through worldly eyes and thus forfeited eternal life.
It was not God's will that Judas perish, God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23). But Judas chose to reject the only One who could save him. He was with Jesus, but never in Jesus.
The Judas Spirit in the Church Today
This brings us to a sobering truth. Judas may be gone, but the spirit of Judas is very much alive in many churches today. Sunday services, conferences, and revival meetings are filled with people who may sing worship songs and hear sermons, but do not know Jesus as Lord. Their hearts are fixed on earthly things, worldly success, wealth, relationships, positions, comfort. They want Jesus to supply their needs, answer their prayers, and bless their plans, but they do not want His Lordship over their lives.
Like Judas, many people see Jesus only as a helper, a provider, a moral teacher. They call Him “Rabbi,” but not “Lord.” And tragically, unless they repent, they are walking the same path Judas walked, a path of eternal separation from God.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these less important things shall be given to you.” Judas did not seek the Kingdom, he sought his own gain, his own dream, his own ideas of what Jesus should be. And in doing so, he missed the very purpose for which Jesus came.
Conclusion: Don’t Follow Judas
This is not about debating Judas’s destiny or theology, it’s a call to examine our own hearts. Do we truly know Jesus, or just know about Him? Are we following Him as Lord, or merely attending church while holding onto our own desires?
Judas heard Jesus, saw miracles, and walked with Him, yet never surrendered. That is a sobering warning: being near Jesus outwardly is not the same as knowing Him inwardly.
Let us not settle for a surface-level faith. Let us know Jesus as Lord, not just Teacher. Don’t trade eternal life for temporary gain or religious routine without relationship.
The path Judas chose still exists today but so does the narrow road that leads to life. It begins at the cross, where we surrender and say, “Jesus, You are Lord.” May we walk that path with faith and love, until we hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
