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Matthew 27.19
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

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Jesus made the statement that one of the twelve would end up betraying Him. By doing this, Jesus was playing the part of convictor. This increased the possibility that Judas would think about what he was about to do, and actually change his mind about betraying Jesus.

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(POW, doesn't the eastern orthodox church have a different take on Judas? Don't they tend to see Judas as a misguided saint who DID repent?)
Doc

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I don't know. The INTERNET thinks so.but I'm not always trusting of what I find there.

As to Pilate, I can easily sense in myself the old Gnostic influences that say that nothing physical really matters--its all spiritual. But I also know that that is not true. (The Reformed say it; and the Orthodox practice it. "It" being the wholism of spiritual and physical.) Pilate was "the government of the earth" if MY guess is correct! (Apollinarians and Arians liked that, though. They featured in their art Christ before Pilate as "IT." The "man" of God's favor unjustly condemned -- EARNING God's Love for us. ) But dispite what has been done badly, I think that the level of involvement which Pilate had makes a really, really big impression on THIS Swede!

Thanks for asking.

Back to Judas...... Issac the Syrian, you will remember from last Summer's posts, speculated that even the demons will eventually be saved. There is lots of Universalisms out there.

But as to specifics, I don't know.

Judas is used in the Divine (Eucharistic) Liturgy this way:

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Of thy mystical supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant, for I will not speak of thy mystery to thine enemies, neither will I give thee a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess thee, remember me, O Lord, in thy kingdom.
Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation be my partaking of thy holy Mysteries, O Lord, but unto healing of soul and body.

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John Timmer (CRC Pubs.) in his Four Dimensional Jesus points out that in one of the Gospels The Eucharist takes place BETWEEN (different orders for different gospels...depending on the point needing making) the "selling" for 30 pieces and the Kiss of betrayal. For effect, Timmer says.

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The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

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But must we believe that Judas, who repented even to agony, who repented so that his highest prized life, self, soul, became worthless in his eyes and met with no mercy at his own hand, - must we believe that he could find no mercy in such a God? I think, when Judas fled from his hanged and fallen body, he fled to the tender help of Jesus, and found it – I say not how. He was in a more hopeful condition now than during any moment of his past life, for he had never repented before. But I believe that Jesus loved Judas even when he was kissing him with the traitor’s kiss; and I believe that he was his Savior still. And if any man remind me of his words, “It had been good for that man if he had not been born,” I had not forgotten them, though I know that I now offer nothing beyond a conjectural explanation of them when I say: Judas had got none of the good of the world into which he had been born. He had not inherited the earth. He had lived and evil life, out of harmony with the world and its God. Its love had been lost upon him. He had been brought to the very Son of God, and lived with him as his own familiar friend; and he had not loved him more, but less than himself. Therefore it had all been useless. “It had been good for that man if he had not been born;”…But I will not, cannot believe, O my Lord, that thou wouldst not forgive thy enemy, even when he repented, and did thee right. Nor will I believe that thy holy death was powerless to save thy foe – that it could not reach to Judas.

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