What Is the Lesson to Us in Judas Iscariot?

[Sasquatch]

The lesson is that greed leads to betraying the most important people in your life.

[Older/wiser?]

Possibly, but I would think his betrayal of one so close was less about money and more about jealousy, pride and resentments. Not knowing the inner dynamics of the apostles relationships he may have felt the Lord favored others , the emotions trump money IMHO.

[Matchmaker]

Possibly, but I would think his betrayal of one so close was less about money and more about jealousy, pride and resentments. Not knowing the inner dynamics of the apostles relationships he may have felt the Lord favored others , the emotions trump money IMHO.

I agree with you. I don't think it had anything to do with money either.

[Older/wiser?]

Do the scriptures answer why God calls traitors as servants? Why did God call Judas?

I assume Judas was worthy at the time of the call. If the omniscient God had not called him knowing he would became traotor, would that taken away Judas' agency?

Of course he was worthy, I believe he probably earned the privilege or proved valiant in the prexistance . Do the things we do here or now effect what we receive in the next life? And is our circle of friends or relationships the same or continued from the prexistance. We know the Lord had relationships with Peter, James and John . I would think He did with all the apostles. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason gives a glimpse into ones heart, when the women with the spiknard anointed Jesus , it seems Judas used again the excuse of "money for the poor" as a reason why not to honor the Lord, instead of taking joy in one loving and recognizing the Lord as he should have. His heart betrayed the Lord before he ever followed through with the betrayal of money.

[Red]

Maybe I missed it somehow, but why isn't anyone talking about how Judas was possessed by Satan in order to betray Christ? And that Judas' role in life was to be the betrayer?

[inho]

And that Judas' role in life was to be the betrayer?

He played that role, but I don't think that he was meant to do it. I don't believe that people are foreordained to do wicked things.

[Red]

If you go back and read John 13, it seems to support that it was a chosen role. Christ chose his role, why can't Judas? We all knew our paths in the Pre-existence, why couldn't Judas have known this in the Pre-existence? Also, in those days, no one knew who Christ was unless they believed in Christ or they were close to him. A good person would have had to be the one to betray him bc the wicked did not know who he was. No one in their right mind would deny Christ, hence Judas was possessed.

John 13:27 (speaking of Judas) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

There's no JST footnote for the word "entered" and the "Satan" footnote refers to the word devil in the TG. So if Satan didn't enter Judas, then what does the verse mean?

[Red]

And that Judas' role in life was to be the betrayer?

He played that role, but I don't think that he was meant to do it. I don't believe that people are foreordained to do wicked things.

Oh and technically it wasn't him doing the wicked thing. It was Satan. That's why Judas killed himself. He realized what he had done when he didn't know what he was doing.

[Alaris]

I posted in another thread about the recurring concept throughout the scriptures that of the younger son receiving the birthright. This meme repeats throughout the scriptures because it's an important eternal principle. The age of your spirit does not equal seniority with God. Your seniority or position with God is a function of time and light. If you are gaining light faster than an older spirit, then you will ascend faster. What is the other side of this principle? Pride.

I don't know that this necessarily applies to Judas, but I'm pretty sure I had a good reason for posting this. :B

The principle is this - far into your spiritual progression, you can still fall. Pride is a huge causation for this. Judas' agency was respected just like everyone's always is - however, it's hard not to feel like maybe Jesus chose someone He knew would betray Him.

[Red]

I re-read the OP and I think that the lesson to us Is that God's grace is infinite and that the Atonement works for us all, even Judas. I believe there's a place in the "celestial" kingdom for Judas.

[Alaris]

I re-read the OP and I think that the lesson to us Is that God's grace is infinite and that the Atonement works for us all, even Judas. I believe there's a place in the "celestial" kingdom for Judas.

I'm not against that idea at all, although my beliefs on eternal progression are different than many LDS as I believe MMP is a part of the process. You have to ascend through levels of spirituality and can have a bad run anywhere along the way that may delay but won't necessarily stop you as long as you endure to the end i.e. never give up.

Obviously suicide is not a good thing, but it shows that he at least had remorse. Sons of perdition imho are those whose pride has gotten the better of them and openly rebel - openly fight against the Lamb.

And the poster who mentioned Sop being a sign of love was spot on. Jesus had no problem showing anger when the situation called for it.

[Finrock]

Maybe I missed it somehow, but why isn't anyone talking about how Judas was possessed by Satan in order to betray Christ? And that Judas' role in life was to be the betrayer?

I don't believe in the doctrine that we can blame Satan for our actions. Evil doesn't exist because of Satan. Satan uses the evil that is in the hearts of mankind and tempts mankind to act on their evil dispositions, but, even without a tempter, mankind is still capable of committing evil. In other words, we can only be tempted to do some evil if that evil already exist in our hearts. If we don't have anything evil in our hearts, Satan has no power to tempt us. I like how the Encyclopedia of Mormonism puts this:

When Satan tempts a person to do evil, there are limits to what Satan can accomplish. He can put before a person any kind of evil opportunity, but that evil is enticing only if the person tempted already desires that thing. When people are tempted, it is actually by their own lusts (James 1:12-15).

Satan has power on earth only as individual persons give it to him by succumbing to his temptations (TPJS, p. 187). The agency of human beings is to choose righteousness through the Holy Spirit of God or to choose selfishness through the flesh by succumbing to Satan's temptations (2 Ne. 2:26-29). (Human flesh is not evil, but Satan may tempt humans through their flesh.)

-Finrock