Was Judas Iscariot saved? Was Judas forgiven?

TL;DR:

Judas was not saved. Judas's life warns us about the dangers of only knowing about Jesus instead of truly knowing Him and trusting in Him.

Judas spent about three years with Jesus. He was among those sent out to proclaim the gospel and heal people (Luke 9:1–6). Judas saw Jesus as a prophet—possibly even the Messiah—but he did not have saving faith in Christ. God, in His sovereignty, planned for Jesus to be betrayed. He knew Judas would sell Him out for thirty pieces of silver. At the same time, Judas made his own choices, as God gives people free will. Judas's choices coincided with God's plan. At the same time, Judas's choices resulted in his own damnation. Jesus called out Judas's sin to his face at the Last Supper. Judas had continual opportunities to repent and be saved. Even after he betrayed Jesus, he could have spoken of the error of his ways, the sin against God, and asked for forgiveness. Something compelled him to return the money to the Pharisees, but he did not return to Jesus and repent. Instead, he hanged himself (Matthew 27:5–8). Judas's life warns us about the dangers of knowing about Jesus but not truly knowing Him or trusting in Him.

from the old testament

Judas is only mentioned in the New Testament.

from the new testament

Jesus spoke directly about the eternal destination of Judas: "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).

implications for today

Like many today, Judas was a follower of Jesus for a time, but he failed to see the complete truth of who Jesus is: the Savior, the Son of God, the Redeemer. He did not respond to the salvation available to Him. He went through all the motions without heart transformation. Judas's life warns us that mere knowledge of Jesus isn't enough for salvation. It's essential to trust in Him as Savior and Lord, allowing His truth to transform our hearts and lives. Knowing about Jesus without genuine faith leads to spiritual emptiness and, ultimately, destruction. Judas's story compels us to examine our own hearts and ensure that we don't just know about Jesus, but that we trust in Him completely for salvation and follow Him wholeheartedly.

understand

Judas was a follower of Jesus for three years.
Judas never placed his faith in Jesus.
Judas never repented, and Jesus condemns Judas, showing that he was not saved.

reflect

How can you recognize if you are merely following Jesus outwardly without truly knowing Him in your heart?
How is God calling you to confront areas in your life where you might not be operating out of genuine faith?
What changes do you need to make in your daily life to move from just knowing about Jesus to truly trusting Him and letting His truth transform your heart and actions?

engage

Jesus said, "It would have been better for [Judas] if he had not been born" (Matthew 26:24). What implications does this statement have regarding Judas's salvation and the severity of his betrayal?
How does Judas's life serve as a warning about the dangers of merely knowing about Jesus without truly knowing and trusting in Him?
Based on what we learn from Judas's story, how can we ensure that our faith in Jesus is genuine and not just superficial knowledge?