Dial Daily Bread

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread":

Unless Jesus loved Judas Iscariot as much as He loved the Eleven, he would have had an excuse for his sin, for no one can come to the Savior unless he is “drawn” (John 6:44). And Christ’s love is not love unless He draws “all” (12:32, 33). Therefore, Judas could not be an exception. Jesus loved him too.

 

But how could Christ love the man who He knew from the beginning would betray Him (6:70, 71)?

 

The Father favors the just and the unjust alike (Matt. 5:45, 46), thus treating every person as though he had not sinned, and as though he will not be lost. This is because He has won for “all men” a “judicial ... verdict of acquittal” by His sacrifice (Rom. 5:15-18, NEB, KJV). For “every man” Jesus has died his second death (since the “foundation of the world,” Heb. 2:9; Rev. 13:8). That blanket “verdict of acquittal” included Judas, who need not ever die the second death except that like Esau he chose to “sell” and “despise” the “birthright” that Christ had won for him and given him (cf. Gen. 25:33, 34; Heb. 12:16, 17). Jesus also gave the same birthright to us all (1 Tim. 4:10).

 

For Him to be fair, He must have given that same “verdict of acquittal” to Judas during the years of His fellowship with the Twelve; Jesus respected him courteously, genuinely, sincerely, for Judas had natural abilities. He was a soul for whom Christ was giving Himself. Jesus thought of him as “My own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me” (John 13:18; Psalm 41:9; some scholars see Judas in 55:12-14; Jesus addressed him at the betrayal with special, wounded endearment, Matt. 26:50).

 

In the story of Judas Iscariot we see Jesus contending with the raw “mystery of iniquity,” defeated in His quest to save a dear one eternally who would not let himself be saved. Painful. His pain will be repeated in the final death of every unbelieving soul.

Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.

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