Table of Contents
Introduction
Judas Iscariot’s life offers valuable lessons. Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 apostles or the 12 disciples of Jesus. But he fell out of the ministry and the kingdom of God completely when he betrayed Jesus for 30 silver pieces. His betrayal of Jesus teaches the importance of loyalty and integrity in family or professional relationships. Also, his greed highlights the dangers of prioritizing personal gain over ethical conduct. Lastly, his remorse and tragic end serve as a reminder of the consequences of poor decision-making. However, there is still more to learn:
Don’t give Satan a foothold in your life
Jesus said, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (John 14:30 NKJV). A righteous man like Jesus does not leave any opportunity for the devil to manipulate Him. But it was not so with Judas Iscariot. His love for money made him a thief, creating an avenue for the devil to exploit him. Luke 22:3 is a testament that Judas Iscariot was nothing more than a pawn of the devil. While Iscariot was on his way to make a deal to betray Jesus, he thought he was doing something smart to make more money; little did he know the devil was exploiting his weakness. What about you, is there a flaw in your life that can make you susceptible to the devil’s manipulation? Do you speak foul words, steal, cheat, gamble, curse, bribe, envy, etc.? These are flaws that the devil can exploit to make you hurt others. So get rid of them.
You can’t serve God and money
The life of Judas Iscariot is a testament that you cannot serve two masters and that you cannot serve both God and money. (Mt 6:24 NKJV). No matter how hard he tried, Judas Iscariot could not please both masters, rather, he had to betray God for money. How about you, if you are to choose between your faith and money, what would your choice be? Would you sell alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc. for money against your faith? Would you accept any profitable business proposal that is against your faith? Be careful what you choose to do for your welfare and damnation are connected to it.
Give heed to God’s word
Since Jesus knew He would be betrayed by one of His own, He made futile attempts, every now and then, to preach him out of committing such a sin. At the Last Supper, Jesus warned the would-be traitor in these words, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Matthew 26:24; also, Mark 14:21). Judas Iscariot heard it but, blinded by money, he did not listen. We are humans and not perfect beings; to err is human. Every now and then we turn to be envious, lustful, unforgiving, hateful, etc. But as we go to church and sit under the sermon, we should avail ourselves for the word of God to change us. By so doing, we shall end well.
You can lose your salvation
According to Matthew 10:1-4, Jesus selected 12 of his followers to become the 12 apostles who would work with Him full time and Judas Iscariot was one of them. From the start, Judas Iscariot was a true believer in Jesus; he was no fake. He was much a believer as Peter or any other apostle. But his own weaknesses and flaws made him lose his place among the apostles and made him fall away from the faith to perish. Beloved, salvation can be lost. Therefore, hold fast to your faith and live up to it. Just as Paul said, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (Philippians 2:12)
Don’t lose your focus
Judas Iscariot began with Jesus as a clean, humble, and innocent disciple. But along the line, he saw Jesus’ ministry and his own position in the ministry as an opportunity to amass great wealth. He lost his focus. Similarly, many church leaders are no longer servants of God for they have switched attention to materialism, fame, and lustful pleasures. They have fallen from grace to become opportunists, exploiting the church for financial gains and sexual pleasures. A true man of God should not join in the race for fame, money, etc. Rather, keep your focus on Christ and His purpose for your life and all other things shall be added to you.
Your sorrow should lead you to repentance
Peter denied Jesus three times. When he realized what he had done, he wept in repentance and rejoined the other disciples. It was not so with Iscariot. Realizing he had betrayed Jesus to His death, Judas Iscariot was so overwhelmed with sorrow, that he went to hang himself. Which of these two would you like to be? Some believers love the Lord, but they did something terrible. When they realized it, they were seized with much sorry and guilt to the point of losing the desire to go to God, go to church, fast, and pray. And have since then been living their lives like backsliders and apostates. That is the path of Judas Iscariot. Rather, be a Peter, let your sorrow lead you to repentance and intimacy with God. (2 Corinthians 7:10)
Check your weaknesses
We Christians identify with Judas Iscariot in one way or another. He had weaknesses, and so have we. Weakness is the part of us that easily leads us into temptation and sin. Weaknesses pose a challenge to our Christian life as they did to him. In the teachings of Jesus, we get to understand what to do with our weaknesses. He said,
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Mt 5:29 NKJV, Mt 5:30)
Examine yourself, identify your weaknesses – be it greed, laziness, gluttony, anger, pride, misery, etc. – and deal with them. When Judas Iscariot failed to check and deal with his weakness, they had the best of him to his destruction. We should do better than him.