Study on Judas’ betrayal and the consequences of Adamic sin
- Sermon By: Rev. Jothson J.
- Categories: Bible Study
Through this study, we will attempt to answer the following two questions:
I- Was Judas destined for perdition?
The very name “Judas Iscariot” itself gives a clue about his origin.
The term “Iscariot” is generally understood as coming from the Hebrew Ish Qeriyyot, meaning “man of Kerioth.” Kerioth would have been a town in the southern part of Judea. He would therefore be the only non‑Galilean apostle.
He was one of the twelve disciples. He agreed with the priests to hand Jesus over to them for thirty pieces of silver. Then he hanged himself.
In Jewish law, thirty pieces of silver represented the price of a slave.
Matthew 27:5
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Acts 1:18
With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
Why didn’t Jesus intervene to save Judas as He intervened for Peter (Luke 22:32)? Was this an abuse of authority on God’s part?
Theological interpretations differ:
1. First, let’s talk about free will
God does not manipulate us like puppets. He does not force us to do good. He gives us the freedom to act—even to the point of betraying someone. Judas was not just a pawn in a game. From this perspective, he was not “programmed” to fail but was responsible for his actions. He made his own choice.
The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Therefore, it is our choice to believe that brings salvation.
See also James 1:14:
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
2. The prophetic aspect of the betrayal
Some argue that Judas’s betrayal was prophetic. He fulfilled a role within God’s plan of salvation. In this view, his betrayal was necessary for the events leading to the crucifixion to unfold. This can give the impression that he was destined for destruction.
Note that this prophecy was fulfilled through Judas’s greed.
Even if it was prophesied, it does not cancel free will.
Psalm 41:9
Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned[a] against me.
3. Judas could have repented
Jesus did not condemn Judas, even when He said, “One of you will betray me.” This implies that Judas still had the possibility to repent and not hand Jesus over.
Matthew 27:3–5
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.
4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
If Judas had reversed his decision, Jesus would have forgiven him. Jesus promises salvation, but it is up to each of us to accept it or not.
In Matthew 27:4, Judas essentially says: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
He acknowledges two important things:
-his personal guilt (“I have sinned”),
-the innocence of Jesus Christ.
This remorse is real, but Judas expressed it only to the priests. This raises an important distinction made by many theologians:
Remorse vs. Repentance
The Greek text uses a word (metamelomai) that refers more to regret or remorse than to deep conversion (metanoia).
Remorse: regret over an action, moral pain.
Repentance: an inner change accompanied by a return to God—a change of direction.
In Matthew 27:5, Judas:
-returns the money,
-acknowledges his fault,
but does not turn to God or to Jesus to ask for forgiveness.
A common comparison: Judas and Peter
Judas is often compared to the apostle Peter:
Peter denied Jesus, but he wept and returned → restoration.
Judas betrayed Jesus, regretted it, but fell into despair → destruction.
II- Why, being saved in Jesus Christ, does our body still suffer the consequences of sin to the point that woman experiences the pains of childbirth?
Let us look at the 4 physical consequences:
1- The entrance of physical death
Genesis 3:19
…for dust you are and to dust you will return.
2- The hardship of labor
Genesis 3:17–19
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
3- Shame and nakedness
A sense of guilt and isolation.
Genesis 3:9–10
9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
4- Pain in childbirth
Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
This does not fall strictly under the consequences of sin, because according to the text, God says He will increase the pain—implying that suffering was already present to some degree.
1 Corinthians 15:48
As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.
Two groups:
The earthly: referring to Adam, sinners in Adam
The heavenly: Christ, and the group of people who accept Jesus
1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
We must understand that:
a-The soul of the believer is called to be saved;
b-The spirit of the believer is called to be regenerated;
c-The body of the believer is called to be set apart for God
(Romans 12:1 — offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…).
If the Bible says “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” why do we still carry the consequences of Adam’s sin?
Because God works in three stages:
1 — Justification (already accomplished)
God declares us righteous immediately in Christ through the work of the cross.
We are forgiven, accepted, and made children of God.
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 — Sanctification (in progress)
God transforms our soul:
our character, thoughts, desires, habits, and behaviors—progressively.
Romans 12:2
..but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..
This sanctification makes us more like Christ, teaches us to walk in victory, and helps us grow in spiritual maturity.
3 — Glorification (future)
Our body will be transformed at the resurrection.
We will receive a glorified, immortal body—without pain, without weakness.
Philippians 3:21
who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
As long as glorification has not yet taken place, the body remains mortal and marked by the effects of the Fall.
It should be noted that the Christian does not escape:
sickness, death, the hardship of labor, shame or vulnerability, nor physical pain.
