Something I have never understood is the demonization of ANYONE involved in Christ's death. Christ was SUPPOSED to die--that was His PURPOSE on Earth. He died, taking sin and death with Him, and then rose from the dead, completing the conquest. So, if He hadn't been betrayed, how could he have died?
It's all part of God's plan, so to blame Jews or hate Judas for the part they played is, well, ignorant. The whole "Killers of Christ" is complete BS--what was He supposed to do, commit suicide?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe by just being captured since he wandered about without guards in the open?
Yes, its all part of God's plan. All your sins are part of God's plan too, since He foresaw them and still allowed you to commit them. That doesn't mean God endorses you sinning.
I agree with you. The role of Judas in Jesus' crucification has been misunderstood for centuries.
I agree with you,..not to be confused with condoning the behavior of Judas. For the Church Age believer, once regenerated in the spirit with a spirit life, we have assurance of everlasting life. An intersting question though is for those who lived and died immediately before Christ, or before Pentecost, if they had faith, then they still had to have a relationship with God through the priesthood. So Judas' death by suicide may have been treated differently than post-Pentecost believers.
The point is Why was it Judas? and Why take money? The Jews wanted to test Jesus belief and pressed the issue
of Jesus death to hasten it. My simple point of view as
I understand it and my belief that Judas sinned by taking money for his deed. Even though we are forgiven doesn't mean we will go to heaven, or sorry if I am mistaken. It is
also my simple belief that only 10,000 or such will go to
heaven anyway.