Come Follow Me: The Question of Judas Iscariot

The Question of Judas Iscariot

A lot has been said and speculated about Judas Iscariot. For centuries, his motives for betraying the Savior have been questioned along with his fate for doing so. There are a lot of questions that could be asked about Judas: Did he really mean to betray Jesus? If Jesus knew he'd betray him, then why did he make him an apostle? If it was prophesied that Jesus would be betrayed, then does that mean Judas was wrong--or was he just fulfilling prophecy?

I'd like to offer some of my own opinions about these questions--along with what we know from the scriptures and the living prophets. Don't take my opinions as doctrine, they are simply my own opinions and speculations. 

Let's look at the first question: Did Judas truly mean to betray Jesus? Usually, this question arises because people don't think it's possible for someone like an apostle to have purposefully betrayed the Savior. As Elder Holland put it, "it is wrenching to think that one of His special witnesses who sat at His feet, heard Him pray, watched Him heal, and felt His touch could betray Him and all that He was for 30 pieces of silver" (None Were With Him, April 2009). 

To account for this, some people have suggested that Judas thought he was doing the right thing by turning the Savior over to the Jews. They argue that Judas was trying to get Jesus to reveal himself as the Messiah, so that he could free Israel from the Roman Empire, and rule over it as King of kings. They argue that his betrayal came from a misunderstanding of the Lord's purpose, rather than moral depravity--that Judas was simply trying to "force Jesus' hand" so to speak. There are some clues in the Bible that do seem to suggest this. There's the passage in Matthew 27: 3-4 that says:

"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,

Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood."

In this scripture, we see that Judas began to regret his decision after he saw the consequences of his actions. For this reason, I don't think he fully comprehended the scope of his betrayal. I certainly don't think he knew that they would torture or kill Jesus--or, at the very least, if he did know, then he must not have truly desired it. Some have taken this guilt and regret to mean that Judas' intentions were pure all along.

Regardless of the regrets that Judas had after the act, I still think that Judas' betrayal was inspired by selfishness, and not the result of an innocent misunderstanding or over-zealousness. There are quite a few scriptures that make this clear, in my opinion. For example, John 12:6, calls Judas "a thief" who stole out of the money that was donated to the poor--a very serious and callous sin. Luke 22 also states that Satan "entered into" Judas--which means Judas must have welcomed him in through disobedience and impure desires. These scriptures lead me to believe that Judas had been corrupted long before he betrayed Jesus. How did he become corrupted? Who knows. Perhaps he was frustrated that Jesus wasn't acting the way he thought the Messiah should act. Perhaps the toils and hardships of being an apostle took their toll on him, and he started seeking after "rewards" for his work.

The scriptures make it clear that Jesus knew Judas would betray him. So, why did he make him an apostle in the first place? Well, I'm not Jesus, so I can't truly answer that question. It's possible that Judas did some good, perhaps even a lot of good, as one of Jesus' apostles. Perhaps Jesus saw this good and considered it greater than the sting of betrayal. I'm not sure. I suppose that's a question that will have to be answered during the Millennium.

And what about the question of whether or not Judas can really be blamed for his decision? If it was prophesied that Christ would be betrayed, then did it make it a sin for Judas to do so? This question may seem tricky, which is why I think it's better to ask a different question. What was in Judas' heart when he betrayed the Savior? After all, the scriptures say that "the Lord looketh upon the heart". From the scriptures I quoted earlier, I would think that Judas had evil in his heart when he betrayed Jesus, although I can't be sure. Only the Lord truly knows what was in Judas' heart.

So what's Judas' fate? Did he commit the unpardonable sin? Is he damned to spend eternity in Outer Darkness? In my opinion, I think we can say with certainty that Judas did not commit the unpardonable sin. Let's look at what exactly the unpardonable sin is. The scriptures say that the unforgivable sin is denying the Holy Ghost. What does that mean? It means that if a person refuses every ounce of the Savior's Atonement during the final Judgement, then they are choosing to spend eternity in darkness. The scriptures state that those in the Terrestrial Kingdom will have the presence of the Holy Ghost--but not the presence of the Father, or of Christ. This means that even though they are not willing to live with Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ, they are willing to listen to the Holy Ghost and have Him minister unto them--thus they are not denying the Holy Ghost. Those in Outer Darkness, are those who will not even accept the Holy Ghost's presence--willfully. Thus, the unpardonable sin is choosing to live without Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, or even the Holy Ghost forever. It's unpardonable because the person will forever choose to not seek forgiveness.

The question is, has Judas sunk that low? I don't think so. After he saw the consequences of his actions, he clearly showed regret. He even killed himself because he was so distraught over what he'd done. He began to repent, by allowing himself to feel guilt--which comes from the Holy Ghost, thus he did not deny the Holy Ghost.

It's hard to say what will happen to Judas. What will he choose, in the end? Will he be capable of choosing the Savior's atonement on the day of Judgement? Or will he choose a lesser glory? It's difficult to say. I have no doubt that the Savior wants the best for Judas, and that He's working hard to help Judas choose Him. Who knows, perhaps thousands of years in the Spirit World will be enough to heal even Judas' broken soul. In the end though, I suppose the decision is between Judas and the Savior.