Did Judas go to heaven?
“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said. ‘What is that to us?’ they answered. ‘See to that yourself.’ So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went out and hanged himself” Matthew 27:3-5.
Judas was sorry, but that did not result in salvation.
“But wait!” you argue, “Judas was different because he betrayed Jesus!”
No. Don’t assume Judas was in a different category because of the nature of his sin. The fact that he betrayed Jesus does not automatically disqualify him for salvation. Nor does his sin of suicide. People long believed suicide could not be forgiven because you were no longer alive to ask forgiveness–but true salvation redeems us from all sins, even those we will commit in the future.
In terms of sinfulness, Judas was just another man. (While some sins are worse than others[1], any sin renders us equally lost.)
Judas remained eligible for salvation. But we know he rejected it because of the words of Jesus. Not only did Jesus say in John 19:11 that the sin of Judas was worse than the sin of Pontius Pilate (again, not all sins are the same), but Jesus clearly stated in a prayer that Judas was lost:
“I protected them [My disciples] … Not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction so that the scripture would be fulfilled” John 17:12.
So what was in the heart of Judas after he realized what he had done? He felt remorse. He said he had betrayed innocent blood. He threw away a large sum of money—a good sign for a former embezzler. Then he went out and murdered himself.
(Strong words, huh? But taking a life does not stop being murder just because that life is your own–just as saying terrible things about yourself is not “okay” simply because the feelings you hurt happen to be your own–remember to factor God into things. Suicide is murdering a child of God, and excessive self-criticism is mistreating a child of God and criticizing the work God did when He made that child.)
Which of these actions of Judas could bring him salvation?
a) remorse and regret,
b) public confession,
c) attempting to partially right a wrong by returning blood money, and/or
d) punishing himself via suicide (which is murder), or
e) none of the above.
The answer is e) none of the above. Remorse over sin is good, confession helps, righting a wrong by returning money is a good idea (and suicide is always wrong). But none of these bring salvation.
Salvation is found in Christ alone. A few hours later, the thief on the cross—who had just met Jesus—got it right:
“Jesus, remember me, when you come into Your kingdom” Luke 23:42.
Unlike the thief, Judas had walked with Jesus for three years. He should have understood, but did not. I suspect his pride—often inflamed by guilt—made him choose suicide over repentance. But Judas had been there when Jesus said it:
“I am the resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, shall never die” John 11:25-26.
“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.[2]
Being sorry is not enough. You must trust in Christ for salvation. You must give Him your whole life! Surrender.
Read Matthew 27.
ΑΩ
[1] All sins are not the same, and saying they are—a heresy called ‘sin leveling’—is wrong. See https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2024/03/27/sin-leveling-luke-1013-14/
[2] See also https://www.livingchristian.org/bible-verses-blogs/15-bible-verses-about-jesus-being-the-only-way
**The painting above is JUDAS RETURNS THE PIECES OF SILVER, by Rembrandt (detail).
Household Words: 