Among the most perplexing questions in Christian theology is why Jesus would deliberately choose Judas Iscariot as one of His twelve disciples, knowing fully that Judas would betray Him. This apparent paradox challenges our understanding of God’s character and purposes. While there are no simplistic answers to this profound question, there are theological insights that can help us understand the mystery.

 

DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY IN CHOOSING THE TWELVE

Scripture makes it clear Jesus knew exactly what He was doing when He selected His disciples. John 6:64 tells us, “For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.” Later, in verses 70-71, Jesus explicitly states, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

This wasn’t a mistake or oversight. God has been careful to tell us so Himself. His sovereign choice included Judas, demonstrating that even the darkest betrayal falls within God’s comprehensive governance of history. Nothing catches God by surprise—not even the treachery of one of Jesus’ closest companions.

 

THE FULFILMENT OF SCRIPTURE

One of the clearest answers to why God included Judas among the Twelve is that it fulfilled biblical prophecies. Multiple Old Testament passages foreshadowed Judas’ betrayal:

• Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
• Zechariah 11:12-13 prophesied the thirty pieces of silver.

Jesus Himself referenced these fulfilments, saying in John 13:18, “But this is to fulfil the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’”

God was not merely reacting to human decisions but was working out His predetermined plan through human history. The betrayal, far from thwarting God’s purposes, was woven into them from the beginning.

 

JUDAS’ FREE CHOICE AND RESPONSIBILITY

While God sovereignly included Judas in His plan, this doesn’t diminish Judas’s moral responsibility. Judas wasn’t a robot programmed to betray Jesus; he made genuine choices driven by his own desires and motivations. Scripture tells us “Satan entered Judas” (Luke 22:3), yet this doesn’t remove Judas’ agency—he opened himself to this influence through his own greed and ambition.

Judas freely chose his path, yet God’s purposes were accomplished through those very choices. This reveals the profound mystery of how God works through human decisions without nullifying human responsibility. Our choices are real and consequential, yet they never escape God’s sovereign purposes.

 

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE JUDAS? GOD’S GREATER REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE

Perhaps the most profound answer to this question is that God was accomplishing something far greater through Judas’ betrayal than could have been achieved without it. The path to our salvation required Christ’s suffering and death—events that Judas’ betrayal set in motion.

What Judas intended for evil, God intended for good. This is the magnificent pattern we see throughout scripture: Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery, yet God uses this to save many lives (Genesis 50:20). King Herod and Pontius Pilate conspire against Jesus, yet through their actions, God’s salvation plan is accomplished.

Acts 2:23 captures this tension perfectly: “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death.” God’s sovereign plan included human wickedness without God being the author of sin.

 

PASTORAL COMFORT, NOT PHILOSOPHICAL SIMPLICITY

This theological understanding doesn’t provide neat philosophical answers to every question, but it does offer profound pastoral comfort. It assures us even the darkest betrayals and deepest evils cannot thwart God’s purposes. Even when we don’t understand why God allows certain events, we can trust He is working out His good purposes through them.

The story of Judas reminds us God’s ways are higher than our ways. Rather than providing tidy explanations that fit within human logic, this doctrine calls us to humble trust in God’s wisdom—even when His methods puzzle us.

 

CONCLUSION: WHY DID GOD CHOOSE JUDAS?

Why did God choose Judas knowing he would betray Jesus? Because God works through human choices—even sinful ones—to accomplish His perfect will. Because scripture needed to be fulfilled. Because the path to our salvation required Christ’s suffering. Because God’s sovereign purposes extend even to the darkest corners of human experience.

This difficult question has no pat answer, but the profound theological truth behind it offers something better: assurance that God’s good purposes will prevail, even through betrayal and suffering. In the end, Judas’ betrayal didn’t defeat God’s plan—it fulfilled it.

 

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE JUDAS? RELATED FAQs

Could Judas have chosen differently, or was his betrayal predetermined? Judas’ betrayal was certainly foreknown by God, but this doesn’t mean Judas was forced to betray Jesus against his will. God’s foreknowledge and sovereign plan work through genuine human choices, not by overriding them. Judas acted according to his own desires and motivations, making him morally responsible even while serving God’s predetermined plan.

• What other biblical examples show God using human evil to accomplish His purposes? Daniel and his friends were sent into Babylonian exile through the evil actions of conquerors, yet God used this to position them to influence kings and demonstrate His sovereignty over empires. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy, yet God used this to save many lives during a famine. The crucifixion itself was carried out through human wickedness, yet became the means of salvation. In each case, human agents acted freely according to their sinful desires, yet God sovereignly directed these actions to fulfil His perfect will.
• Did Jesus treat Judas differently from the other disciples? Scripture gives no indication that Jesus treated Judas with suspicion or distance despite knowing his future betrayal. Jesus washed Judas’ feet along with the other disciples and included him in intimate teachings and experiences. This demonstrates Christ’s perfect love even toward those He knew would betray Him, and illustrates how God’s sovereign knowledge of future evil doesn’t result in unjust treatment of individuals in the present.

Does God’s choice of Judas mean God predestines some people to do evil? God never actively causes or tempts anyone to sin, as James 1:13 clearly states. God’s decree concerning evil is permissive rather than causative—He allows evil acts to occur according to His wise purposes without being the author of sin. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, but only after Pharaoh had repeatedly hardened his own heart first. God’s sovereignty over evil preserves rather than destroys human responsibility.

• What does Judas’ betrayal teach us about God’s perspective on time? Judas’ betrayal demonstrates God doesn’t experience time as we do—He sees the end from the beginning. God’s selection of Judas with foreknowledge of his betrayal reveals God operates from an eternal perspective where past, present, and future are simultaneously before Him. This transcendent view of time reminds us God’s decisions are based on complete knowledge that we simply cannot possess.
• If Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, why did He include him in handling the disciples’ money? By allowing Judas to serve as treasurer despite knowing his dishonesty, Jesus demonstrated that God often gives people freedom to develop or reveal their true character through testing and responsibility. John 12:6 tells us Judas was already stealing from the money bag, showing his betrayal wasn’t a sudden fall but the culmination of ongoing character issues. God sometimes places people in positions that will ultimately expose what’s truly in their hearts.

Does the story of Judas offer any hope for those who have betrayed Christ or fallen away? Unlike Peter who denied Christ but repented, Judas recognised his sin but fell into despair rather than seeking forgiveness. The contrast between these two disciples reminds us that genuine repentance—not just regret—is the path to restoration. No betrayal is beyond God’s ability to forgive, but we must turn to Him in true repentance rather than turning inward in remorse and despair. God’s sovereign choice of Judas reminds us even our failures can be encompassed in God’s redemptive purposes.

 

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE JUDAS? OUR RELATED POSTS

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